Do As I Say – Not as I do: UFT Executive Board Meeting Minutes, 10-2-2023
Today’s executive board meeting had many themes. In the end, though, I realized that perhaps the best theme of the night was ‘do as I say, not as I do.’ We heard about resolutions to fix what’s wrong with the City opening school during life threatening storms, without specifying how the unio
What should the UFT do in the midst of climate/weather emergency?
New Action / UFT has been busy lately, with Marianne Pizzitola and Kate Connors joining us last week to discuss healthcare, and with three subcommittees meeting later this week to discuss organizing (Oct. 3 at 5:30 PM), abusive administrators (Oct. 4 at 5:30 PM), and Tier 6 reform (Oct. 5 at 5:30 PM
New Action General Meeting with Guest, Marianne Pizzitola
New Action will have our first general meeting of 2023-2024 on September 27 at 5:30 PM. Marianne Pizzitola will be our special guest to discuss the healthcare fight. The following week, we will begin holding our subcommittees (also at 5:30 PM). Feel free to join as many or as few as you’d
Remote Parent Engagement: Analyzing the Fine Print
During the 2023 contract campaign, UFT leadership opted not to fight for better pay. They did, however, push hard on reducing micromanagement. And, when—out of the blue—a final contract draft was dropped on us for a rushed ratification vote, many of us were happy that at least we’d get out of
Extra Parent Outreach Time? UFT Executive Board Minutes – 9/18/2023
Summary/Analysis: The UFT’s second executive board of the year was strangely eventful for one which followed just 7 days after the opener. (Usually, we wait 2-3 weeks between sessions). Some highlights with analysis: Unofficial Executive Board Minutes Follow – mostly unedited. Open Mic: Kate Con
Budget Cuts, Migrants, and Air Conditioners – UFT Executive Board Meeting , 9/11/2023
Summary/Analysis: There were two major topics at tonight’s executive board meeting: the demonization of migrants to justify unnecessary budget cuts and the terrible state of air conditioning made all too obvious during last week’s heat wave. Mary Vacarro pointed out that much of the demonization
Back to School Heat Wave: How Should UFT Respond?
Heat surged to record levels yesterday, just as New York City’s students reported for the first day of public school. In a functioning City, schools would effectively also be cooling centers. Students could escape the heat, learning new content under the comfort of reasonable temperatures. But, fo
A Farewell to Collective Bargaining?
Over the last several years, UFT leadership has claimed repeatedly to be in an existential fight for our very right to collectively bargain. Infamously, they’ve made the absurd claim—over and over again—that pushing retirees onto Medicare Advantage isn’t about saving money at the expense of
As a Bus Strike Looms – How Should the UFT Respond?
On August 28th 2023, Chancellor David Banks emailed tens of thousands of vacationing UFT members about “potential disruptions” to school bus service at the beginning of the coming school year. The potential disruptions stem from a possible strike from the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1181 aga
Is UFT’s New Virtual Instruction Program a Strike-Break Risk?
Teacher unionists everywhere need to be aware of what is going on right now in Youngstown, Ohio. Teachers there are readying to strike, following a breakdown in contract negotiations. They had been offered an offensively low wage increase (2%), to name one of several reasons for the job action. In r