Unity Fails to Erode Democracy (or Control Class Size)

Then, they try to blame ABC for their shortcomings.

When I wrote, last week, about the UFT Delegate Assembly, I was very focused on Unity’s abysmal failure to maintain meds for retirees. This was particularly outrageous since, unlike many other city unions, UFT retirees pay very high premiums for pharmacy coverage.

I’ve gotten messages, emails, and comments from many members concerned their meds would no longer be covered. The big area, evidently, is diabetes meds, and members are hearing that they’re no longer in the formulary. Mulgrew, showing the buck stops nowhere, stood up and said it wasn’t his fault and that he had no control over it—exactly what people do NOT want to hear from a leader.

But there were a few more things that happened. Notably, a Unity initiative to make chapter leaders sit down and shut up was voted down. This was remarkable—the exception that proves the rule. It would have mandated top-down messaging from UFT at all levels. Here’s the resolution. Take a look at it and I’ll explain.

Now here’s the thing—my first priority as chapter leader was establishing quick communication with staff. I worked my ass off collecting and transcribing at least 350 emails. I then classified them by department, and was able to notify various departments about things that concerned them without bothering others.

“Personal opinion” is a highly subjective term. I frequently disagreed with UFT Central. I wrote a weekly newsletter that featured links to all things education that I deemed relevant. From Unity, I received weekly chapter leader newsletters, and used perhaps 10-20% of what they gave me. Frankly, UFT email is largely about what a great job Mulgrew and Unity are doing. It’s propaganda, and loaded with personal opinion.

This resolution was not, in fact, about removing personal opinion. It was about imposing Unity’s top-down pronouncements. I don’t recall exactly where I varied from them, but I certainly included way more information than they did. Unity wants to be your Mommy, your Daddy, and your sole source of information.

Chapter leaders are elected. When I was chapter leader, people wanted my take on issues. I never thought Unity was tough enough on charter schools or folks, like Bloomberg, Cuomo and Gates, who wanted to destroy public education. I was horrified when Gates sent folks to our school to figure out ways to robotize public education.

I spoke out, and you’d better believe I sent my columns to members. If you’re a leader, it’s important to let people know what you’re doing. If you don’t bother with that, for all your members know, you haven’t done anything.

Every time I was published in the Daily News, the NY Post, Huffington Post, or anywhere else I let members know. They needed to know not only what Michael Mulgrew was doing, but what I was doing as well. In fact, the first time I was published in the Daily News ( a column objecting to the mayoral control UFT supported) coincided with my first run for chapter leader. I made copies, dropped them in mailboxes, and I absolutely believe my column got me elected.

Unlike Unity, I did not and do not love Danielson. And my members needed to know that because here’s a fact, Jack—they didn’t love it either. UFT members at Francis Lewis High School wanted a chapter leader who amplified their voices—not that of Michael Mulgrew. Hey, it’s great that Mulgrew can get up and blather on for 90 minutes at the DA. His point of view, clearly, is not one that requires amplification.

Member views are regularly ignored at the Delegate Assembly. How else, for example, do you explain the fact the UFT supported Danielson for years, a practice that has eroded teacher morale bit by bit for years and years? How do you explain their support for mayoral control under Bloomberg, a practice that enabled not only citywide school closings, but also the odious Absent Teacher Reserve? How do you explain their opposition to Intro 1096, overwhelmingly supported by the retirees affected by it?

Hey, chapter leaders aren’t perfect. I have no doubt some abuse their positions, and I’ve known (and still know) chapter leaders who placed their personal priorities above those they were supposed to represent. Perhaps I too was guilty of it from time to time. But there’s a remedy for that, and it’s called an election.

If your chapter leader isn’t representing you, elect a new one. Or better yet, run yourself. Regardless, my chapter may not believe in Unity’s priorities, and we have every right to develop and promote our own. Unity’s paranoia cannot deal with that, and they want everyone who doesn’t share their borderline fascist point of view to sit down and shut up.

That’s not union, and that’s not acceptable. And remarkably, the Delegate Assembly, by a whisper, agreed. I have no doubt, though, that Unity bosses will put their heads together and try to push this again. When it rises from the dead, we need to oppose it. The reason our membership is so apathetic is clear—it’s Unity’s intolerance for differing points of view.

This must change, and they must go.

As for class size, I work in the most overcrowded school in the city. I’ve seen absolutely no evidence of this program working. In fact, we have multiple oversized classes, and I’m not talking about classes that violate the new goals. I’m talking about classes over 34.

Last I heard, they were relieving teachers from their C6 assignments if they had oversized classes. If they were unable to do so, they paid the teachers extra or something. Let’s be clear—nice though it may be to skip hall patrol, or even make a little more money, oversized classes are a disservice to both students and teachers.

I’ve taught classes of all sizes. I can tell you, as can every high school teacher, that there’s a huge difference between teaching 25 students or 34. With smaller class sizes, I can give kids more attention. I can deal better with issues that inevitably arise. I can reach and help more students, and fewer will fail.

It’s a big deal, frankly. Unity has a different point of view. In yet another piece that appears to have been written with AI, Unity, which failed to push for improved class size for over half a century, places blame on various groups for wanting a pause in the law. (Let’s be clear—I don’t want any such thing. I want class size reduction now and I want meaningful change. Thus far, all I see is same old, same old.)

Unity also takes a swipe at ABC, illogically attempting to tie us to odious Gates-funded orgs like Educators 4 Excellence. They suggest we’ve aligned with outside organizations. There’s some truth to that. We’ve aligned with NYC Retirees. They fought successfully to maintain real Medicare for retirees even as Unity tried to sell us out to an outfit that used to sell slave insurance.

ABC supports members, not bosses.

That’s why Unity passed a resolution against “union interference” Unity doesn’t want any “interference” when they’re selling out our health care. They don’t want interference when they make dumber than dirt deals for sub-inflationary contracts. They don’t want “interference” when chapter leaders represent actual members instead of Michael Mulgrew.

But here’s a fact—ABC wants lower class sizes and less BS from the city. We’re honored that Unity chooses to call us out. We’re new, but we know our role as opposition. We will listen to members and amplify their voices. And no, Unity—we are not for sale, we will not sit down, and we will not shut up.

We’re new, and we’re fired up. So give us your worst, Unity. We’re here to stay, and we’re more than ready for you.