Questions to Consider

    How do you feel about the UFT? Do you feel you have been adequately represented? Have you been asked for input? Kept informed? Are the decisions it makes for us in our best interests or their's? How can there even be a 'their' without a 'we' in a union? How can we change the UFT if we have no input?

     These are some of the questions I ask myself as the year quickly flies by. At the end of the school year we may have the opportunity to opt out of paying dues or if there is enough interest, start a separate High School Union. I'd personally like to remain with the UFT, if I saw even the slightest inclination towards inclusivity. I haven't. There seems to be a concerted effort to get and keep veteran high salaried teachers out of the classroom. Why isn't the UFT demanding an end to individual school budgets (a.k.a. Fair Student Funding - an oxymoron if there ever was one)? Or how about a push for seniority rights? Or a word in defense from our non-stop vilification in the media? Or a common sense discipline policy? Why does it feel as if Bloomberg is still in charge? His principals, many who never taught, are apt to be running amok. Chancellor Farina said there's 400 that shouldn't be heading schools. What's that - 40% of principals? Why haven't they been thrown into an unwanted pool, the way ATRs were for coming out of closing schools or surviving a 3020a s? Why do we have to bring up these questions, when we supposedly have a UFT president that has a cordial relationship with the chancellor and mayor? (I can only hope the next chancellor will have an openly antagonistic relationship with the UFT so that they start to do something positive for the rank and file.) Does the UFT care about the people that pay their salaries or have they become so used to those extremely extravagant dues coming in each month that they think it will never end?

      Quail and caviar doesn't magically appear - it's paid for by the rank and file. If dues become optional, Peter Luger's may have to put out a different sign of welcome for Mike and friends.