On Civility

Unity, among others, tells me to make nice.

John Steinbeck wrote a great fable about civility and respect for authority called The Pearl. Sometimes people say “civility” and they really mean, “know your place.” I’m reminded of it as people preach to me about its value. I don’t disagree that civility can help things along. It doesn’t always work, though.

I spent several years being very civil indeed with the Unity Caucus. I went to many, many meetings with an interest in helping my students, all newcomers. There were many, many meetings where we discussed outreach and organizing. Everyone complimented me on my ideas. However, after three years or so, those meetings accomplished nothing whatsoever.

These days, it’s tough to be consistently civil. It’s not easy as you witness your union brothers and sisters being abused. It’s particularly egregious when they’re abused by people whose job descriptions entail protecting them.

When I was Chapter Leader of a huge high school, as a default, I was civil with everyone. Of course, it did not always work. I found myself at a veritable war footing with multiple administrations on multiple occasions.

Someone has to do that. You can, hopefully, mend fences later. But make no mistake, you need to let your adversaries know you will take a stand, and fight as necessary. It’s not pleasant. It’s not what anyone wants to do. It’s not what I want to do, in fact. That said, I can do adversarial. I’m not afraid.

Unity likes to request civility. Ex-RTC Chapter Leader Tom Murphy wrote an entire column about it in NY Teacher. He alluded to “outbursts,” likening us to students in a classroom. Theoretically, students in a classroom are subordinate to teachers. Despite what Unity may believe, we are not subordinate to Murphy, or to any of his privileged caucus. Technically, in fact, they work for us.

It certainly didn’t seem that way at RTC meetings, as we largely heard about everything but health care, the number one issue on our minds. There was great emphasis on how good we had it, and hoping we’d forget why we were there. At an RTC meeting, if you wanted to discuss health care, you could sit and hope, if there happened to be a question period, Murphy called on you. If you were lucky, he might. (If he didn’t like you, too bad for you.)

“Excuse me, Mr. Murphy, sir, but would it be okay with you if I could keep my health care? You see, if Aetna, or Aetna AI, rather than my doctor, decides what care I need, I may in fact die sooner than necessary. Thank you so much for entertaining my humble question.”

Right now, I know someone threatened with cancer. Because he has real Medicare, he can get treatment as dictated by his doctor. Were that not possible, he could be facing a far worse outcome, up to and including death. In fact, Unity itself testified to the City Council that we needed the availability of real Medicare, at an annual cost of about 2500 per person, or 5K per couple.

Was that civil? I’m certain the two double-pensioned former Unity VPs who testified could readily afford it. Could a retired UFT paraprofessional? Could a near-minimum wage DC37 retiree? Are Unity lives more valuable than those of the rest of us? Should quality health care be available only to those who can afford it?

I’m sure Unity fancied themselves civil when they called UFT lawyers and asked them to threaten me with civil and criminal penalties. Doubtless they asked the lawyers nicely.

Would you please do this for us? We’ll be delighted to pay you with the member’s dues money. You would? Oh, thank you very much. What a pleasure it is to chat with you again!

One might argue that Unity leaders, literally paid to represent me, actively seeking to quash my voice is not civil at all. (On the other hand, one might just as well argue that no one in Unity raised their voices as they tried to bully me into submission.)

Doubtless Unity felt they were being civil when they ridiculed former OT/PT Chapter Leader Melissa Williams. After being frustrated at every step, after being unable to communicate directly with the chapter that elected her, after having to jump through hoops to do some remote piece of her job, Unity publicly ridiculed her. She was the “caucus of quit.” Does Unity think women should sit still and accept abuse? Do they expect thank you sir, may I have another?

Melissa had expected civility from Unity.

Surely Unity deemed itself civil when it went after paraprofessional Migda Rodriguez, who had the unmitigated temerity to run against them and (Gasp!) win. They publicly ridiculed her, a working mom, for missing meetings because she needed a second job to make ends meet. Unity found that hilarious! They attacked her, just as they did to Melissa. If you quit, we ridicule you. If you don’t quit, we ridicule you. That’s Unity’s brand of civility.

Still, civility was something Migda had expected from Unity.

After I hammered them for some time, making them look as vindictive as they are, Unity broke down and gave Migda a job. Do you think they’d have done that if I’d been civil?

I certainly do not.

Don’t even get me started on the way they treated the best of their own, Amy Arundell. I was a Queens CL for 12 years. Amy, unlike many, helped anyone and everyone in need. She merited well beyond civility from her caucus. Everyone in Queens knows she didn’t get it.

It’s civil when Unity sends RTC Chapter Leader Bennett Fischer to this and that department to make parade signs saying No Medicare Advantage, and then pulls the rug from him at the last moment. It’s civil when Unity promises RTC control of a UFT Facebook page, but instead converts it into some kind of Unity Vacation page. For my money, Unity treats us with blatant contempt, and has been doing so at least since I’ve been a retiree. They pretended Medicare Advantage was just fine, repressed our voices, and lost an election by a landslide as a direct result.

I know Bennett. He’s a fan of civility, but also a quick study.

Unity is all sad face now, asking why is that mean old Union Matters writer saying bad things about our Dear Leader, Michael Mulgrew? It’s too personal, they say. Michael Mulgrew makes triple what any working teacher does. Michael Mulgrew had the power to put a screeching halt to every single thing mentioned above. Michael Mulgrew, unlike OT/PTs, unlike working paraprofessionals (for God’s sake) is a public figure. That’s his choice.

However, if it makes Unity feel any better, none of this is about Michael Mulgrew. It’s purely symbolic. Mulgrew symbolizes the Unity Caucus, a privileged class that makes more money than we do, has higher pensions than we do, and works under far better conditions than we do. Mulgrew represents a class that sells out the health care of retirees to win mediocre raises for in-service employees, that sells out the health care of everyone else to make nice with our contractual adversary.

In fact, as Unity disregards the Delegate Assembly’s support of the NY Health Act, and its opposition to Medicare Advantage, it DOES NOT represent US. We’ve made multiple resolutions, now official UFT policy, that Unity deliberately chooses to ignore. They do as they wish. Whether or not our voices are heard is either here nor there.

Here’s the thing—I can be just as civil as my adversary. I’d say, though, by making itself our adversary, our leadership, the Unity Caucus, has proven itself nothing short of treacherous.

Do you want to make King Mulgrew disappear, Unity?

Tell you what—instead of speechifying, get the City Council or State Legislature to save our Medicare. I will then retire King Mulgrew forever. Better do it before Adams, with the explicit support of MLC, including UFT Unity, gets it to court. Until then, hope you enjoy the upcoming chapter, King Mulgrew’s New Clothes.

Just one more thing, my Unity friends—if you think I am any less civil than you are, you’re delusional.