NYSUT is worried about this blog post. Evidently, NYSUT Executive Vice President Andy Pallotta is all bent out of shape over it. My source reports he got up at a NYSUT board of directors meeting and said he asked the attorney general to file a discrimination complaint about the blogger. My source says Pallotta felt the blog post characterized him as a mobster, or goodfella, or something. Of course the actual blog doesn't even mention Pallotta, but that's not the point. Evidently these bloggers are taking this whole First Amendment thing way too far.
But here's the thing. Whatever Pallotta says, the whole, "Screw you pay me," thing is accurate. It's particularly accurate for members of UFT, its largest contingent, almost a third of total membership. Because of UFT's winner-take-all at large voting system, designed and approved by the Unity monopoly, our money pays the folks at NYSUT to do things like fail to support Zephyr Teachout, not once, but twice. I've heard NYSUT staffers were sent to work for Bill de Blasio's primary opponent, what's his name, the one who said we couldn't afford to give UFT teachers the raise other city workers got, in the Democratic NYC primary. Clearly UFT leadership pushes buttons at NYSUT.
And as if that's not enough there are tons of little locals who pay NYSUT but can't vote. Not everyone has the finances of UFT. NY State is as large as England and there are a whole lot of little locals who just can't finance a weekend at the NY Hilton. But for them it's still, "Screw you, pay me."
Here we are facing Friedrichs, the biggest threat to unionism in my living memory, and our leadership, the same leadership that broke several of the big promises on which it ran, is out trying to stifle free speech among union members. Maybe I'd better stop saying Pallotta's Revive slate broke its promise to oppose Cuomo. After all, it failed to oppose him in two primaries and one general election. Maybe I'd better stop saying Pallotta's Revive slate failed to oppose Common Core. After all, Karen Magee pretty much said it was Common Core or anarchy. And Mike Mulgrew, their staunchest supporter, says he'll punch your face and push it in the dirt if you lay a paw on his Common Core.
Anyway, if it's open season, and union leadership wants to go after bloggers, here I am. Give me your worst, fellas. I'm here every day.
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