You can smell the stink all the way to Chicago. Every teacher unionist should be alarmed at what going on in the UFT.
What the hell is going on in New York City’s teacher union, the United Federation of Teachers?
For me, it’s not about whether the recently negotiated contract is good or bad. It’s not a contract I have to work with. I don’t get to vote on it. I can have my opinions, but my opinions and a couple of bucks still won’t get me a cup of coffee at Starbucks.
But there is something smelly and very undemocratic about what’s going on in the NY local of the American Federation of Teachers and it should be a concern to every union teacher whether they live and work in New York or LA or here in Chicago.
While the teachers voted to approve their negotiated deal, a unit of the UFT that represents OTs, PTs and some other non-teaching positions rejected their contract.
The normal and democratic procedure would be for the leadership to go back and bargain some more.
But UFT president Michael Mulgrew refuses to go back to the bargaining table. And he wants a re-vote on the old deal as it stands.
For those who don’t know, Mulgrew heads the Unity Caucus of the UFT. The same caucus that includes the American Federation of Teachers national president, Randi Weingarten.
For readers in Chicago who remember the days of the Daley (1) Democratic Machine, the Unity Caucus is a lot like that.
Those elected to union positions on the Unity slate must pledge absolute loyalty to all decisions made by leadership.
I’m told those on the negotiating team had to sign an NDA and the rank and file teachers did not see the contract they were voting on.
The Unity Machine is so use to having its way that there is not even language in the union’s constitution that provides a process for what to do when a contract is rejected by the rank and file.
This is not about what’s in the contract or what was bargained.
This is about union democracy and every teacher union local, AFT or NEA, should be concerned about it.
It reflects badly on us all.