I'm very glad to hear that, and given the situation, I'd have likely marched with them too. Marianne's organization is doing what we literally pay Mulgrew's salary to do.
We also doubled back and marched in the parade with the retired teacher chapter and the signs we marched in the parade with. There was no central labor council theme or rules against signs. The central labor council saw our signs, the same ones we used last year, and no one had any issue with it. Michael Mulgrew is clearly lying to everybody, true Labor leaders don’t surround themselves with people who tell them what they want to hear, they believe in the Democratic process and want people to truly express their own opinion whether it aligns with theirs or not. Michael is not a real Labor leader.
Thank you so much Arthur. The double standards Unity thrives on and the hollowness of Mulgrew's statement that he no longer wants us covered by Medicare Advantage are sickening. Considering the determined way our Mayor keeps appealing our legal wins, this Labor Day Parade would have been a perfect chance for UFT -one of the most powerful municipal unions- to spread the message that people can't and shouldn't stand for privatizing Medicare. It's such a non-political stance and a no-brainer for anyone who actually opposes profit-over-people, not to mention the corporatizing of vital healthcare. Luckily Marianne joined us RTC marchers, and a good number of us were able to proudly hold anti-Medicare Advantage signs high up. I do pray that RTC will be more prepared to push back at Mulgrew in the future, because Mulgrew and Unity shouldn't be able to dictate such anti-union rules on a Chapter that takes Medicare and our lives so seriously.
I don't feel RA should be waiting for an election next year. RA is the representative caucus for the retired teachers NOW. Time to use those muscles NOW.Time for opposition is NOW. If it expects to see membership growth and support on this Medicare Disadvantage issue, it must show its authority on the visible issues now.(ie. The sign and t shirts issue at the parade, the bogus Retiree article in the New York teacher on Medicare, the official retiree fb website that is currently closed.).
In fact, what we have control over is the RTC, and you will see that our meetings are quite different from the ones last year. We will have new voices, and we will have voting.
We have control over what WE write. We don't have control over the UFT publication, but if they pull anything cute you will read about it here, as you just have.
We were led to believe that UFT would print the signs for us. We won't make that mistake again. We have no control over what shirts anyone else wears, and honestly, I wouldn't want that.
If you don't see the work I do as pushback, I don't know why you think I do it. Thousands of people read this, including reporters. The solution, still, is defeating them next year.
Yes Arthur, I clearly see the articles you write and the absolute push back you give. My response was not meant to be a criticism of you personally. However, the RA caucus, at this point, must visibly
lead its membership not only behind the scenes,where I am sure, much planning and strategizing is going on, but out front for ex.in carrying those" forbidden" signs/ t shirts, RA writing an op ed in another NYC paper indicating that what was written in RA was not representative of the leadership of RA, and more communication by RA leadership if the past official website remains closed.
All this leads and builds on the momentum of eventually overthrowing Mulgrew.
I was planning to be there but ended up having a walking problem (plantar fasciitis and now a heel spur). I am disgusted. They are so sneaky. Between this and New York Teacher, they are showing their true colors. Yesterday, I sent an email to New York Teacher condemning them in nice words what they did. I know it will never appear in their letter’s column. After all, New York Teacher is Unity’s Pravda. I feel I am surrounded by totalitarians. We have Trump on one end and our own union on the other end. If Unity refuses to play nice, so should we from this point on.
I'm very sorry to hear you're going through that. That said, I agree absolutely with your sentiment. I will continue to expose them, but they need to be voted out. That is the solution, the only solution. We ESL teachers say that, when English learners will no longer go forward, they are fossilized. That's what Unity is.
I am outraged about what happened to the RTC signs at the Labor Day parade. Thank you for having people know the authoritarian nature of the Mulgrew regime. I believe also that many, or at least some, Unity members are ashamed of their overseer's sneaky conduct.
I'm not at all sure it would have made a difference, what with the school being reorganized and everyone having to reapply for their jobs. I'd have stayed at Adams, in fact, were it not for a selfish supervisor. I wrote about it in Chalkbeat. https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2009/10/26/21097975/atr-a-simple-twist-of-fate/
Yeah, Bloomberg destroyed the whole public school system, and Walcott got a plum job as head of Queens Libraries. for his reward. Teachers either left (like me) or held out till they reached 20 years.
Good old Waffles Walcott covered for Bloomberg's ditzy rich neighbor, what's-her-name, who was chancellor for a month. She knew absolutely nothing about public schools, made him look very good, and scored him that gig. I met him a few times. But he was a Bloomberg guy through and through.
I ran into him at the Central Branch in Jamaica one day, he seemed like a totally different guy in person. I guess money makes you do whatever hit job they want you to do.
Yeah he is polite. At some meeting I confronted him about the city's fake deficit that they were using to keep us from a contract. He didn't lose his cool, but he didn't answer me either.,
I got to 46th st at the designated time stood on the endless lines for t shit and food. Leroy Barr and Mulgrew said hello my old DR hugged me I saw one person in the distance with a MORE shirt on who waved to me but I wasn’t able to find him after I got my food. I was surprised that there was no organized contingent for the RTC. One young woman was working the crowd for signatures in favor of the NYH Act Hallelujah a sign of reality in this otherwise sea of willful blindness and self satisfaction. The whole thing was very discouraging so I left before the march started. The RTC’s program to defend Medicare was blocked by UFT leadership at the rally. I think the RTC chapter will have to be more forceful in the future. It was like Unity is the Principal who just says no to the chapter leader who is representing the members grievance. Where is the pushback? I hope a plan for the Oct DA will not be so quiescent. When Mulgrew interpts or tells a RTC delegat to sit down we should all stand up in quiet defiance of the chair. Stick to the issue with is healthcare Avoid ad hominem attacks on individuals but absolutely resist in a coordinated way efforts to shut us up and control the narrative.
If Bennett Fischer went along with Mulgrew's censorship, it doees not indicate independence from the UFT bureaucracy, similar to the way he smiled wit the photo-op with Randi Weingarten at the June RTC meeting instead of denouncing the invitation of this chief supporter of the Biden- Harris Administration backing for genocide in Gaza, and now the West Bank. The reactionaty position of Mulgrew on healthcare and other social and political rights is tied into the connection to support for one of the 2 parties that requies the working class pay for wars and bailots of the capitalist system of profits over lives. A better way for the needed class struggle strategy is explained here: wsws.org/en/articles/2024/08/30/lduj-a30.html
From first hand experience, trying to fight against this type of censorship is near impossible when they have full control over the means of communication. I am sure Bennett could use your volunteering or just verbal support though. It is a thankless job. And if you don’t like that the signs were not printed, email UFT leadership.
Bennett did not "go along" with Mulgrew's censorship. He was assured he was going to get signs, that the UFT would print them, and found out at the last moment, after weeks of negotiating, they would not be available to him. There was no way to get signs printed by the following morning, even if he'd be willing to pay out of pocket,
I've had pictures taken with Randi Weingarten too, and that doesn't mean I support her policies. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Marianne brought signs and so did many Retirees. We marched with them. Watch her livestream video.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSwIJQTZpjUq4UIuwhLY0yQ
I'm very glad to hear that, and given the situation, I'd have likely marched with them too. Marianne's organization is doing what we literally pay Mulgrew's salary to do.
We also doubled back and marched in the parade with the retired teacher chapter and the signs we marched in the parade with. There was no central labor council theme or rules against signs. The central labor council saw our signs, the same ones we used last year, and no one had any issue with it. Michael Mulgrew is clearly lying to everybody, true Labor leaders don’t surround themselves with people who tell them what they want to hear, they believe in the Democratic process and want people to truly express their own opinion whether it aligns with theirs or not. Michael is not a real Labor leader.
I couldn't agree more.
Thank you so much Arthur. The double standards Unity thrives on and the hollowness of Mulgrew's statement that he no longer wants us covered by Medicare Advantage are sickening. Considering the determined way our Mayor keeps appealing our legal wins, this Labor Day Parade would have been a perfect chance for UFT -one of the most powerful municipal unions- to spread the message that people can't and shouldn't stand for privatizing Medicare. It's such a non-political stance and a no-brainer for anyone who actually opposes profit-over-people, not to mention the corporatizing of vital healthcare. Luckily Marianne joined us RTC marchers, and a good number of us were able to proudly hold anti-Medicare Advantage signs high up. I do pray that RTC will be more prepared to push back at Mulgrew in the future, because Mulgrew and Unity shouldn't be able to dictate such anti-union rules on a Chapter that takes Medicare and our lives so seriously.
Our best way of pushing back will be defeating them in May.
I don't feel RA should be waiting for an election next year. RA is the representative caucus for the retired teachers NOW. Time to use those muscles NOW.Time for opposition is NOW. If it expects to see membership growth and support on this Medicare Disadvantage issue, it must show its authority on the visible issues now.(ie. The sign and t shirts issue at the parade, the bogus Retiree article in the New York teacher on Medicare, the official retiree fb website that is currently closed.).
In fact, what we have control over is the RTC, and you will see that our meetings are quite different from the ones last year. We will have new voices, and we will have voting.
We have control over what WE write. We don't have control over the UFT publication, but if they pull anything cute you will read about it here, as you just have.
We were led to believe that UFT would print the signs for us. We won't make that mistake again. We have no control over what shirts anyone else wears, and honestly, I wouldn't want that.
If you don't see the work I do as pushback, I don't know why you think I do it. Thousands of people read this, including reporters. The solution, still, is defeating them next year.
Yes Arthur, I clearly see the articles you write and the absolute push back you give. My response was not meant to be a criticism of you personally. However, the RA caucus, at this point, must visibly
lead its membership not only behind the scenes,where I am sure, much planning and strategizing is going on, but out front for ex.in carrying those" forbidden" signs/ t shirts, RA writing an op ed in another NYC paper indicating that what was written in RA was not representative of the leadership of RA, and more communication by RA leadership if the past official website remains closed.
All this leads and builds on the momentum of eventually overthrowing Mulgrew.
Not my point Arthur. It needs to come from RA leadership.
Thank you for this, Arthur.
You're very welcome.
I was planning to be there but ended up having a walking problem (plantar fasciitis and now a heel spur). I am disgusted. They are so sneaky. Between this and New York Teacher, they are showing their true colors. Yesterday, I sent an email to New York Teacher condemning them in nice words what they did. I know it will never appear in their letter’s column. After all, New York Teacher is Unity’s Pravda. I feel I am surrounded by totalitarians. We have Trump on one end and our own union on the other end. If Unity refuses to play nice, so should we from this point on.
I'm very sorry to hear you're going through that. That said, I agree absolutely with your sentiment. I will continue to expose them, but they need to be voted out. That is the solution, the only solution. We ESL teachers say that, when English learners will no longer go forward, they are fossilized. That's what Unity is.
Try wearing oofos. Trust me. You will looove them
I recall when I had this 20 years ago I did wear this type of shoe. Thanks for reminding me.
I don't know what oofos are, but I love Schecher GoWalks. They're the only shoes I wear.
I am outraged about what happened to the RTC signs at the Labor Day parade. Thank you for having people know the authoritarian nature of the Mulgrew regime. I believe also that many, or at least some, Unity members are ashamed of their overseer's sneaky conduct.
It may be they're ashamed, but they're also terrified. That has to change.
Too bad you weren't chapter leader at adams.
I'm not at all sure it would have made a difference, what with the school being reorganized and everyone having to reapply for their jobs. I'd have stayed at Adams, in fact, were it not for a selfish supervisor. I wrote about it in Chalkbeat. https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2009/10/26/21097975/atr-a-simple-twist-of-fate/
Yeah, Bloomberg destroyed the whole public school system, and Walcott got a plum job as head of Queens Libraries. for his reward. Teachers either left (like me) or held out till they reached 20 years.
Good old Waffles Walcott covered for Bloomberg's ditzy rich neighbor, what's-her-name, who was chancellor for a month. She knew absolutely nothing about public schools, made him look very good, and scored him that gig. I met him a few times. But he was a Bloomberg guy through and through.
Waffles Walcott, LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I ran into him at the Central Branch in Jamaica one day, he seemed like a totally different guy in person. I guess money makes you do whatever hit job they want you to do.
Yeah he is polite. At some meeting I confronted him about the city's fake deficit that they were using to keep us from a contract. He didn't lose his cool, but he didn't answer me either.,
I got to 46th st at the designated time stood on the endless lines for t shit and food. Leroy Barr and Mulgrew said hello my old DR hugged me I saw one person in the distance with a MORE shirt on who waved to me but I wasn’t able to find him after I got my food. I was surprised that there was no organized contingent for the RTC. One young woman was working the crowd for signatures in favor of the NYH Act Hallelujah a sign of reality in this otherwise sea of willful blindness and self satisfaction. The whole thing was very discouraging so I left before the march started. The RTC’s program to defend Medicare was blocked by UFT leadership at the rally. I think the RTC chapter will have to be more forceful in the future. It was like Unity is the Principal who just says no to the chapter leader who is representing the members grievance. Where is the pushback? I hope a plan for the Oct DA will not be so quiescent. When Mulgrew interpts or tells a RTC delegat to sit down we should all stand up in quiet defiance of the chair. Stick to the issue with is healthcare Avoid ad hominem attacks on individuals but absolutely resist in a coordinated way efforts to shut us up and control the narrative.
If Bennett Fischer went along with Mulgrew's censorship, it doees not indicate independence from the UFT bureaucracy, similar to the way he smiled wit the photo-op with Randi Weingarten at the June RTC meeting instead of denouncing the invitation of this chief supporter of the Biden- Harris Administration backing for genocide in Gaza, and now the West Bank. The reactionaty position of Mulgrew on healthcare and other social and political rights is tied into the connection to support for one of the 2 parties that requies the working class pay for wars and bailots of the capitalist system of profits over lives. A better way for the needed class struggle strategy is explained here: wsws.org/en/articles/2024/08/30/lduj-a30.html
From first hand experience, trying to fight against this type of censorship is near impossible when they have full control over the means of communication. I am sure Bennett could use your volunteering or just verbal support though. It is a thankless job. And if you don’t like that the signs were not printed, email UFT leadership.
Bennett did not "go along" with Mulgrew's censorship. He was assured he was going to get signs, that the UFT would print them, and found out at the last moment, after weeks of negotiating, they would not be available to him. There was no way to get signs printed by the following morning, even if he'd be willing to pay out of pocket,
I've had pictures taken with Randi Weingarten too, and that doesn't mean I support her policies. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.