Monday, June 02, 2014

Dear Mr. Mulgrew--If I Traffic in Myth, Please Tell Me Why

Why wouldn't Mulgrew want his 300-member contract committee to read the M.O.A. (Memorandum of Agreement) before voting?  Why wouldn't he want his Executive Board to do the same?  Why would he want his D.A. (Delegate Assembly) members to receive the M.O.A. only on the eve of their contract vote, allowing them an inadequate amount of time to digest it first? 

Is it that he has so little faith in the reasoning powers of his members or is it that he has so much faith in their ability to rubber stamp?  I hate to ask these questions, but I have to know.  

Why does the UFT pretend to represent its teachers when it drowns out the voices of active members by increasing the votes of retirees?  Retirees do not vote in almost all other unions.  Why wouldn't the UFT care that only 17% of its current membership cares to vote?  Why wouldn't Unity care that more retirees vote than current members during an age in which even Mulgrew has recognized a "war" raging over education?

For most, the 17% vote might spell failure.  For Unity, it seems to spell success.  It keeps Unity in power.  Unity seems to feed off of the apathy of its current members.  This seems to be its strength.  

Mulgrew says bloggers deal in myth.  Mulgrew seems unwilling to debate and expose those myths.  But, could someone please tell me in polite terms:  What are these myths?  I don't want to walk around with a worldview built on myths.  Do you?

I've dealt in ideas all my life.  Use truth and logic.  I don't take kindly to those who try to persuade primarily through the use of fear, the old vote-your-conscience-but-just-remember-you'll-be-#151-at-the-back-of-the-line argument.  I've seen too much of that lately with the contract vote.  

I don't expect Mulgrew to answer my questions.  Perhaps, there is some other powerhouse of a Unity mind though who could answer my questions below and pleasantly put me straight.  I have limited my list to three for the sake of brevity, but if any of my other statements above are myth, please feel free to kindly expose them as well.  

  
1.  Is it a myth that Unity members have signed "membership obligations" (p. 2), adding up to a loyalty oath--which means ultimately they may need to vote against their conscience or the wishes of their constituencies?  Please let me know.  

2.  Is it a myth that the UFT refused to give ATRs a separate chapter, claiming that it would divide the union, while now ATRs have a second-class system of due process which clearly divides them from the rest of the membership?  Can ATRs have their own chapter now as well as a chapter leader?  I nominate Mr. Eterno.  Please let me know.  

3.  Is it a myth that Unity supported mayoral control which proved devastating during the Age of Bloomberg, but moved ne'er a finger to help Mayor de Blasio defend the interests of public-school children in his epic struggle against Eva Moskowitz?  Please let me know.  

Thanks for your time.  
blog comments powered by Disqus