Wednesday, April 10, 2013

You Can't Have Too Many Fliers

Check the box for MORE and mail your ballot today.


Dear Colleagues,

We have now gone four and a half years without a raise, and three and a half without a contract. It’s time to let our union leadership know that’s unacceptable.

Meanwhile, while we got nothing, every municipal union but educators received over 8% in raises in pattern bargaining between 2008-2010. It’s time to let our union leadership know that their negotiating technique is not working for us.

Though a rep from the UFT came here and promised us there would be no evaluation system without a contract, we now know that not to be true at all. It’s time to tell our union leadership we want the truth.

Current UFT leadership actually took part in writing the law that will make junk science count for up to 100% of your evaluation. In fact, if you lose the 40% of so-called “objective” evaluation, there is no way you can get an adequate rating. It’s time to tell our union leadership we don’t want to be judged by junk science.

Currently, if you are brought up on charges for dismissal, the DOE must prove you are incompetent to achieve that. Under new regulations supported by Unity-New Action’s Mulgrew, the burden could be on you to prove you are not incompetent. This will render you guilty until proven innocent, a fundamentally un-American concept.

The agreement to make working teachers wandering ATRs is causing misery all over the place. I am in touch with ATR teachers who call me and cry over the phone. Let’s send a message to union leadership that this is not how we want professional teachers treated.

We can do better.

Take your ballot, fill in the X for MORE, and vote for a new union leadership. No one should run anything for 50 years. In Chicago, they voted for change, and they now have a vibrant grassroots union. Don’t we deserve the same?

I’m proud to have voted for MORE, and voted for change. Please do the same, and please do it today.

Best regards,



Arthur Goldstein, UFT Chapter Leader
Francis Lewis High School
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