Before the end of the school year it's expected the Supreme Court in a 5 to 4 decision will rule in favor of Janus and dues will become voluntary not mandatory. The result will be that approximately 20% of the teachers will refuse to allow the union to take out their dues from their paycheck.
The union leadership wants to get the State Legislature to allow for the State to work out a mandatory dues program but with the State Senate controlled by the Republicans, that seems to be wishful thinking. Without State intervention, the union has developed two strategies to encourage members to pay their dues. The first, is a door knocking campaign that will have loyal members of the "Unity caucus" knock on every members door to exchange personal stories about how the union helped them to convince the member to pay their dues, The second, is to establish membership meeting at every school to tell active school staff why it's important to continue to pay dues to keep the union strong and effective.
In Michigan, when the State eliminate the mandatory dues for public sector unions, the dropout rate was 20%. Despite a strong effort by teacher unions to get members to pay their dues, still 18% dropped out. Obviously, the Michigan law is much more relevant to what will happen in New York State than what happened in Wisconsin, where union collective bargaining rights were eliminated that resulted in reduction of teacher benefits and limited pay raises amd have caused a severe teacher shortage in the State. You can read my post on Why New York State Is Not Wisconsin.
One group the union will most certainly lose are the ATRs. While they amount to only 2% of all teachers, they are a vocal group. Moreover, many ex-ATRs still harbor resentment to the union leadership on how they were treated by the union during their time being excessed. Finally, all the teachers who were forced out of the closing schools to look for new positions were not happy with the union's inability to fight the DOE by taking action. Instead the union acquiesced to the DOE school closing policy.
Another group that might not pay voluntary dues are the veteran teachers who know how the union leadership has allowed the DOE to impose policies that discrimate against them, like Fair Student Funding and tight school budgets that penalizes principals who hire veteran teachers.
Maybe after the Janus decision the union will start to treat their members as customers and provide them the services they pay for rather than looking at them as a nuisance since they are required to pay their dues. How much will the union downsize after the Janus decision? Only time will tell but downsize they must since a 20% cut in dues will require many jobs to be eliminated at the union.
Note: An audit done by Comptroller Scott Stringer found that the Department of Education escalated their spending on its Central Bureaucracy and was put on his "watch list". Here is what he said.
Stringer red-flagged the school system, where he found central administration staff has soared by 24 percent since 2012 — double the 12 percent rate of teachers.
24 comments:
Who will do the pension consults? I’m retiring this year and going for my Final in June.
How many seasoned teachers remember approximately 14 years ago when Randy Weingarten stated: "We are never giving in on our contract." We lost the 8.25% TDA Fixed account return (down to 7%). Randi stated that the CSA principals union agreed to the 7% reduction as well. In 2018, the CSA still enjoys the 8.25% return. When Mulgrew ran for UFT Presidency, he stated: "I'LL
EARN YOUR VOTE EVERY DAY." We still have the highest class sizes in the state. We never gained back the 8.25% TDA fixed rate. The UFT refuses to post union salary and compensation packages in the newspaper. The newspaper used to be published twice a month but now only once a month. Charles Cogen, the 1st UFT president received a salary of a top teacher. Mulgrew's compensation package is 3 TIMES HIGHER THAN A TOP TEACHER SALARY. UFT'ers pay the highest union dues in the city. Other unions vote to raise union dues. Not the automatic UFT dues.
Clearly, Mulgrew and UFT's arrogance is going to hurt them. If you have ever attempted to contact Mulgrew or a higher up - you know and have experienced the arrogance. UFT looks down on its members. They still have a top down model which is a very similar model Farina herself endorses. This was the model used in the 60s and 70s but many companies have evolved. Klein for example would say "email me directly". School aides could email Klein and he'd respond. Not Mulgrew. Not Carmen. Not UFT. If you email them with an issue then you become an issue. They go after you. Janus won't help their arrogance and ignorance. Mulgrew is kind of slow. Probably was held back a couple of times and resents teachers. I was held back myself but I do not resent teachers because I also know some of them passed me along the way.
More important than Janus is Trump wanting to arm us. I am all in. Biggest gun wins. I already flew to Arizona to get an AK47. As an ATR walking around with an AK47 nobody is going to tell me what to do. I mean nobody.
Personally, I do not recommend every teacher being able to carry. As much as I love teachers and believe me I really do love teachers. I have made love to over 89 of them in my 15 years in the DOE. However, I know some of them are not qualified to handle arms in the classroom. We are going to have the one who asks students to show her how to load and unload the gun. The one that passes her gun around the room. The one who loses it completely by sticking his/her gun in the kid's mouth for talking. The one who tells the principal "go ahead and u-rate me bitch. make my fuckin day.' The one who tells investigators "get the fuck out of my face now." The one who sells bullets for kids because she/he are underpaid. But overall we need to be armed. Let's support Trump's initiative. We need to get behind this bill now. Nobody is going to fuck with an armed nut in the classroom. We will be much stronger.
Over 67 percent of the ATRs surveyed want to carry arms in schools. This is eighteen percent more than total NY City teachers surveyed. We need to stick together and have armed teachers.
As arrogant as Mulgrew is and as slow he Mulgrew and UFT are - we still need to pay dues and support unions. Without unions we are simply fucked. We are fucked now but imagine how screwed we'd be without unions. No ATR would have a job. Anyone even considering not paying dues is a dummy. If we want change we need to get together and make noise and screw with Mulgrew but screwing ourselves by not paying dues and opting out of union is not the answer. Kiss our salaries goodbye. The public already thinks we are overpaid bums. Think twice before opting out of union. Think once and let's arm ourselves. Guns for all.
I really think that here in NYC we will see around 30% of teachers refusing to pay dues. You are forgetting about a big demographic: newbie teachers. There are many young teachers who not only don't care about union politics, but they would love to have an extra $1,400 per year. A huge portion of young teachers are using their DOE experience as a stepping stone to either get a better teaching job in the suburbs or move on to a "real" career in business or other profession. I personally know many younger teachers at my school who have flat out told me they are not planning on teaching for 25-25 years in the DOE. As for me, I am a veteran teacher. I am going to base my choice on weather or not to stop paying dues on how the next contract with the city comes out. If Mulgrew gets us another contract with no changes to such things as less observations and gutting Danielson, then I will be more than happy to keep that extra cash and use it for a well deserved vacation.
Thanks 8:21, the best laugh-I really needed it!
A minority of UFT teachers is aware of the issues that most affect veteran NYC teachers, and unfortunately even this minority is quite split on the solutions, so therein lies the quandary. We have a one party monopoly in our Union that does a minimal job of serving our needs, but we realize things would be worse without it. It is unlikely that an opposition party can gain control in the short run. And, there is compelling evidence that UFT is at best a poor lobbying group and at worst an active colluder.
Maybe the Janus decision, which I agree will most likely support the anti-union position, can be used for positive leverage.
Maybe to retain dues-paying members, the UFT will have to get some real wins. Reduce the obs, get us away from test based accountability, restore 8.25, etc.
It does not look like UFT is moving towards an agenda with those wins in mind. What it looks like, a small raise, family leave that we have to somehow pay for, and status quo.
I agree a lot of new teachers might stop paying dues - most don't even understand what a union, good or bad, does. Money in the pocket, esp if one only plans to hang around for a short time, will speak volumes.
Most veterans have some conception of the importance of our contract. Without a contract this job is untenable. But even the basics of the contract are taken for granted by so many.
I have generally supported union activity as a necessary counter to administrative abuses in our profession, and also for the necessity of workplace protections and need for a retirement package that shows the value of what we do for society. It would be great for UFT to step up now, with a Mayor and Governor who could benefit from good union relationships in the coming years, instead of lay low and continue agreeing with the Bloomberg and "Old Cuomo" policies still on the books.
Also worth noting, the Trump politics and tax cuts will inevitably harm the middle class and unions and weaken the overall position. And, arming teachers is a terrible idea for so many obvious reasons. If people are so concerned about safety, install scanners and put cops in the entries of schools. Arming teachers is foolish and will lead to disaster.
I’m an ATR and there’s no way I will continue to pay those fat slobs in tight suits another dime. Good fucking riddance to Mulgrew, Povalitis, Robinson, Barr, Arundel and especially Sill.
I will pay unions in exchange for a fair evaluation system. Want I want: Back to the S/U, no testing mandate, one observation per term for satisfactory teachers.
Want I would settle for: Get rid of Danielson - replace with a teacher-created rubric.
2 observations but NO drive-by observations - must be announced.
Testing Mandate optional - if teachers want it, he/she can opt in.
if not,100% based off observations/other criteria. Other criteria should have to do with professional responsibilities - attendance, club advisors, C6, committees, tutoring, all the other things teachers do and get no credit for. Portfolio option.
With everyone paying union dues, the UFT has stood idly by while the DOE railroads countless innocent teachers out of their careers and consistently whittles away at our rights until we are little more than indentured servants. Observations are a joke, due process has been eroded, so all we have left is a worthless,low-paying job. I sincerely hope the Janus decision spells the end of the UFT. It's not like anything would really change if they went under.
We all know that DC37 or another union is going to settle for a shitty raise. Thus it will be another union that sets the shitty pattern that we will get stuck with. We are ready and expect that. However, whet the UFT needs to do is fix the evaluation system here in NYC for the next contract. That will cost the city NOTHING. Get it done UFT or you are going to be loosing tens of thousands of members after Janus.
During the Florida townhall an officer stated teachers are underpaid. Sheriff dept staff hid, but you arm a teacher and there is nothing a teacher won't do to save their students. The RAMBO in every teacher would come out.
I talk with many teachers. They complain about paper work, administration, and the students.
I ask them who they voted for in the UFT election. They laugh, they giggle, and say they did not vote. No sympathy here. Keep voting for Mulgrew and nothing will change
It is the RETIRED teachers that keep voting for Mulgrew and Unity. We are the only NYC union that allows retired teachers to vote in presidential union elections. All the more reason to pull dues after Janus until the UFT can fight for WORKING teachers.
Mulgrew has,turned his back on veteran teachers maybe Fariña has some dirt on him.
I can't wait to hear the oral arguments tomorrow (Monday) at the Supreme Court "Janus" proceedings in Washington. The UFT doesn't deserve our dues anymore. Largest class sizes, excessive paperwork, inadequate supplies, no union contract mailed to members, district reps
schedule lunch meetings and come late, need I say more.
We need the fire , police or sanitation unions to represent us.
to 11:46 - As a retired teacher I pay dues to the UFT. It is reasonable that, because I pay dues, I can vote for union leadership.
Not just retired teachers vote for Unity.
Other than high schools, Unity still gets the bulk of the votes.
I too am retired. Our dues are much less than working members. Our votes should not determine the leadership - but until an opposition shows it can win the working members it doesn't make a difference if retirees vote.
Not just retired teachers vote for Unity.
Other than high schools, Unity still gets the bulk of the votes.
I too am retired. Our dues are much less than working members. Our votes should not determine the leadership - but until an opposition shows it can win the working members it doesn't make a difference if retirees vote.
Mulgrew is a disgrace.
Most people don't vote because most are unaware. When I worked in a school with a good chapter leader, I always voted. But I think many of these schools are so disjointed, word doesn't get out. I voted against the last contract. Voted against Unity. Others told me, "ah well what choice do we have?" You always have a choice.
IDK what I am going to do. Being an ATR sucks, but what would suck more would be being unemployed. It's not a win but it isn't a loss either. I will likely keep paying dues.
The Union has tolerated age discrimination by allowing ATRs to exist.
Sill is inarguably the worst of a bad breed. But he isn't fat and his suits fit.
If u believe what u say, I pity u. Check out Wisconsin. Things cant get worse? Guess again.
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