UFT Elections

(from the New Action leaflet distributed at the May 2013 UFT Delegate Assembly).
For a printable version click: Leaflet 2013 May

UFT Elections

New Action will have 10 seats on the new UFT Executive Board: Keith Fessel, Joel Garcia, Bill Goldman, Regina Gori, Jonathan Halabi, Douglas Haynes, Kate Martin-Bridge, Francisco Peña, Maria Ramos, and Michael Shulman

New Action’s vote was 9.4%, better than 2004 or 2007.  Unity swept the officers.  MORE’s vote exceeded the 2010 ICE/TJC vote in all divisions and had a good showing in the high schools. All victories? No. New Action’s vote fell from over 11% in 2010. Unity in-service vote total is about half what it was a decade ago. And MORE’s in-service vote was less than their predecessors received in 2007 and 2004. The big story, unfortunately, is the overall drop in turnout.

This is symptomatic of many members not feeling part of the union, not being involved. But that is where a union’s strength should lie, in an active membership. New Action will continue to prioritize rebuilding chapters and organizing at the school level, to involve members in the life of our union.

The drop in vote is also symptomatic of members being overwhelmed, angry, and confused: Overwhelmed by the unreasonable and unceasing demands of a system that seems designed to punish educators with paperwork and impossible requirements, not to allow us to educate children; Angry about colocations and school closings, about the threat of being forced into the ATR pool, about losing 20 or more days each year to testing and test prep, angry about maltreatment at the hands of abusive administrators; Confused that our union is not doing more, and is cooperating with Danielson and a new, potentially dangerous teacher evaluation system. Each of these is a challenge to our strength. New Action remains committed to addressing all of these issues – be it by supporting the leadership, by urging a more active approach, or by opposing the leadership where they have taken a wrong stance.

There is much work going forward.