Unity Caucus and their Scripted Delegate Assembly
It's time for genuine democracy in our union. Our voices matter. Vote A Better Contract.
Those of us who serve as UFT delegates and chapter leaders and who have attended the UFT delegate assembly(DA) know intuitively how rehearsed and scripted these deliberative meetings are. Several over the years have written about this in detail.
In theory, the UFT Delegate Assembly is the union's "legislature," where delegates from across the city gather to discuss and vote on issues affecting UFT members and the union's direction. The DA is supposed to also be the UFT’s highest deliberative body. In reality, it serves as a rubber stamp for the leaders of the union who all belong to the Unity Caucus. Unity caucus has controlled the governance of the UFT for over 60 years.
Leah Lin, a public school teacher and chapter leader, who was recently removed from Mulgrew’s Unity caucus because she, along with other Unity members, dared to run on the A Better Contract independent slate is the latest to expose how Unity orchestrates the DA.
This week, Leah, who is running for Vice President of Elementary Schools with the A Better Contract, released two hard-hitting videos that exposes the performative nature of our union’s DAs.
Be sure to watch them, below:
Here is Arthur Goldstein’s post from last year where he also shares how the DA is orchestrated. Arthur is a long time, retired chapter leader and former UFT executive board member. He’s running for UFT Assistant Secretary with the ABC slate.
All of this is another reason why we need A Better Contract. A Better Contract is committed to building a stronger, more responsive union that answers to you. We will implement principles of greater accountability, transparency, member voice, and genuine union democracy on Day 1 — including reforming how the DA and Executive Board meetings are conducted.
This is our union. Not the playpen of an elite few.
All of our voices matter. It will be BETTER. Vote ABC!