This is a very professional position for ABC to take. However, for the educators I represent I don't think they will feel the same sense of professionalism towards Mulgrew and Unity.
I appreciate your perspective, and I have been an active, dues paying member for the 20 years I have been teaching. My issue with paying dues, is not because I don't like the candidate, or will be upset if my party doesn't win, it's because it is abundantly clear that Amy can not represent all members fairly. I do believe that as union members we must all work together, but it is Amy and her vile "leadership" that has drawn the line in the sand, not the other way around. Her comments and her behavior have shown us this. I wish you would comment on that, rather than continue to scold me for my train of thought. I take it you have never been actively discriminated against, silenced or censored; perhaps then you would understand the very real fear that electing Amy brings to Jewish educators. She has had many opportunities to address this, but she has chosen to stay silent. She has made the choice to let our fears and concerns go unanswered, doubling down by blocking us from her facebook page so we can't question the lies she has spread. That is not democracy, that is facism. If Amy cared about rank and file, and wasn't simply on a revenge tour to screw Mulgrew, she would actively address concerns, the way Olivia Swisher did. I don't agree with Olivia's politics either, but she didn't censor or silence me, she faced my questions and concerns with grace and dignity; earning not my vote, but my respect. Amy has a lot to learn from the youngest Presidential candidate. And while you sound like a reasonable, decent person, who likely represents all of us, your slate made a huge mistake by choosing Amy to lead.
We have elections to determine who holds certain positions. It's possible that the person you voted for does not win. No matter how much you might hate a candidate or a slate, advocating for the destruction of the union and betraying your union brothers and sisters is still the wrong thing to do. I don't think you making assumptions about me and/or what types of discrimination I have experienced is productive. it does nothing to move this conversation forward. You have no idea. I kept my comments focused strictly on what you wrote without making any assumptions about you or your experiences. I would appreciate the same respect. I know that you would prefer I get into a discussion about your personal gripes with Amy, but I can only speak for myself. I am not anyone else's mouthpiece. Clearly your feelings are strong, and nothing I say would sway you anyway.
It seems that you are suggesting that if Amy becomes president, that our Jewish educators/members would no longer be represented or protected. I don't think that is rational. If I thought that a candidate would not represent any of our members for any reason, let alone based on religion or race, I would never vote for that person and I definitely wouldn't run alongside that person. I do know that ABC is a very diverse slate including many Jewish members and others who are self-described "Zionists". I also know that Amy has addressed this issue several times, but again, it's not the point of my post or anything I wrote or said, so it is not a point I am looking to debate. You are entitled to your opinion and your vote.
Keep in mind though that you voted for a caucus that Amy was a high ranking member of for a long time, a caucus that she was still a member of until AFTER she announced her candidacy. For Unity, going against them was her biggest offense. Pulling your dues because you are upset with the election results is anti-union and a betrayal to your brothers and sister union members. I don't see a point in arguing that point, because it's not debatable. The anti-labor Janus decision gives you the right to pull your dues, weaken your union, and freeload off your colleagues who do pay their dues. I still don't think it's the right thing to do.
Again, I am not trying to sell you on Amy or ABC or even myself. Your mind is made up on who you voted for. That I fully respect. Not paying dues is something I have zero respect for.
Thanks for sharing your concerns. I wish you well.
If ABC wins, it will be the death of our Union. Members like me, who have been censored by Amy, do not feel supported and many have spoken about pulling our dues if she wins. There is no way, based on Amy's personal feelings, that she could do her job fairly and equally for all members. ABC has no idea how to negotiate big contracts, and they can't even run in a simple election without bashing others, proliferating lies, and getting non-union members to bully and harass others (I'm talking about you, Marianne!) I hope for ALL unions, nationwide, that ABC loses, and loses big. We are one of the last large unions standing, and we must be united in the goals of education, for teachers and for students. Amy and ABC are anything but unifying. They have no problem pitting members against each other, even less of a problem censoring and blocking members with opposing view points. And for what its worth, I was never a huge fan of Mulgrew, but HE isn't trying to rip our union apart, member by member. And in true ABC fashion, I'm sure this will be deleted, but screen shots are forever.
If you would pull your dues because the candidate you voted for didn’t win,
you may as well pull them now and find a non union job. The idea of threatening to sabotage your own union and your colleagues because you (potentially) didn’t get your way is disgusting, and is exactly the type of mindset that no union needs. You can't say in one breath that "we must be united" and then threaten to help break the union if you don't get you way. The sky will not fall if Mulgrew loses power, but if all of our members thought your way, we wouldn’t even have a union. Thankfully that’s not the case. I don't know if you even read what I wrote or if you just came here to take shots, but if it's the former, thank you for reading. I meant every word I wrote. Win or lose, I hope there are more people that agree with my ideas about improving our union over yours. Pulling dues? Regardless of your personal opinions, there is no candidate that would harm the union more than a member with your mindset.
You must have misunderstood. It has nothing to do with Mulgrew or the potential that Unity might not win. The president of your caucus has made it clear that she will not stand for people like me; a Jewish Zionist. She made it extra clear when she posted that "zionists are the most evil people on Earth." I wouldn't pull my dues out of spite, nor to cripple my union, but I see no reason to pay dues to a union where the President has made it clear she is incapable of representing ALL teachers. She has blocked and censored me for my opposing views and my advocacy of Israel. She is not "for everyone" she is for HER minions and supporters. I will not support a union that does not represent everyone equally. You want to show us that ABC represents all teachers, then dump Amy; because she does not represent everyone. She is a facist, who censors anyone who dares have a different opinion.
Just to clarify: ABC is NOT a caucus, but rather an election slate made up of people from various caucuses as well as those (like myself) with no caucus affiliation. Some might say that’s semantics, but to me it is important. I have no interest in belonging to a caucus. I don’t buy into the caucus mentality or offer blind or blanket support to anyone which is why I have never been a caucus member. So Amy is not the “president” of ABC; ABC doesn’t have a president. She is running for president of the UFT.
Back to your point: I don’t think I misunderstood you. You threatened to pull your dues if the election didn’t go your way. Whether that is based on your love for one candidate or your disdain for another is not relevant, you’re still saying the same thing. You are advocating for the idea that members should abandon their union and betray their fellow rank and file members if they are not happy with the results of a democratic election. There is no rationalizing that. I have no issue with you not supporting Amy or any other individual candidate (or caucus or slate) for whatever reasons you choose. We all have that freedom. I ran with ABC, so clearly you voted against me, and I am perfectly fine with that. I would still advocate for you as a DUES PAYING UFT member.
If your personal feelings about a candidate make you vote against them, that’s your right. You are certainly not the only one. But advocating for members to take part in the destruction of our own union is unacceptable to me. I hope that your threat to pull your dues was made in frustration and is not a serious consideration. We can’t afford that mentality, especially when unions like ours are under attack. That mindset has no place in our union.
However this election turns out, it will be the will of the membership. The whole point I was trying to make in the original post that you are commenting on is that regardless of how we voted or how this election turns out, moving forward we should be focused on working together as union members. I am sorry that you disagree.
Win or lose, (and it will be lose) the UFT will rekindle what it means to actually be a union member. Unions are not supposed to have contentious elections. It shows disorganized labor to the onlooking public and weakens negotiating power. Union elections for any other local are quiet, cordial, engage in respectful dialogue, and private among members. You have disgraced this local and there may be unintended consequences from your shenanigans. You should be ashamed. Clearly not raised right.
By coming on here to offer nothing of substance while you hide behind internet anonymity, you have already lost. It must be tough to go through life too fearful to stand behind your own words.
i guess you don’t actually understand the purpose of a union, nor paying attention to what is happening across this country in unions today. No matter the outcome i look forward to a more engaged and active union membership. That is what we have now. more folks are engaged and interested in this election. Which means they also want more out of those who we elect to support us. No matter the outcome, change is here. I wish you the best in your own election process Not so secret squirrel.
The ONLY disgrace comes from Unity and Mulgrew. So disgraceful they have to send a "secret squirel" and flying monkeys 🐒 to do their despicable bidding. ABC had the guts to engage UFT membership far beyond anything Unity would ever dream of doing. This historic election rocked a boat that needed rocking -- because Unity is SINKING IT!
@Michael Kane, Proud flying monkey here and before you get all sanctimonious on me, I was coming here to say, I appreciate Gary’s post. He behaved as a unionist, as did Katie and maybe a few others I don’t remember their names specifically. However, maybe the rest of the ABC needs to look in the mirror and decide if their behavior towards ANY opposition was appropriate or called for.
Good point secret squirrel!! the internet is indeed forever! and even hateful comments you have made that have been deleted: have already been screenshot! Internet AND my phones ability to screenshot.. is indeed forever.
There is a difference between hate speech and speech that you hate. Your queen Clown 🤡 has been doxed by the NY Post for hate speech. Your all star cast of misfits and haters is testimony to how out of step you are with the people your are purporting to represent.
Thanks for the update(s) on a potentially new UFT contract for 2025 and the future.
The theme song can be musical great Michael Jackson’s hit tune:
”ABC…it’s easy as 123…”
Thanks Gary. Very positive and hopeful vision which I hope we all can rally around.
This is a very professional position for ABC to take. However, for the educators I represent I don't think they will feel the same sense of professionalism towards Mulgrew and Unity.
I appreciate your perspective, and I have been an active, dues paying member for the 20 years I have been teaching. My issue with paying dues, is not because I don't like the candidate, or will be upset if my party doesn't win, it's because it is abundantly clear that Amy can not represent all members fairly. I do believe that as union members we must all work together, but it is Amy and her vile "leadership" that has drawn the line in the sand, not the other way around. Her comments and her behavior have shown us this. I wish you would comment on that, rather than continue to scold me for my train of thought. I take it you have never been actively discriminated against, silenced or censored; perhaps then you would understand the very real fear that electing Amy brings to Jewish educators. She has had many opportunities to address this, but she has chosen to stay silent. She has made the choice to let our fears and concerns go unanswered, doubling down by blocking us from her facebook page so we can't question the lies she has spread. That is not democracy, that is facism. If Amy cared about rank and file, and wasn't simply on a revenge tour to screw Mulgrew, she would actively address concerns, the way Olivia Swisher did. I don't agree with Olivia's politics either, but she didn't censor or silence me, she faced my questions and concerns with grace and dignity; earning not my vote, but my respect. Amy has a lot to learn from the youngest Presidential candidate. And while you sound like a reasonable, decent person, who likely represents all of us, your slate made a huge mistake by choosing Amy to lead.
We have elections to determine who holds certain positions. It's possible that the person you voted for does not win. No matter how much you might hate a candidate or a slate, advocating for the destruction of the union and betraying your union brothers and sisters is still the wrong thing to do. I don't think you making assumptions about me and/or what types of discrimination I have experienced is productive. it does nothing to move this conversation forward. You have no idea. I kept my comments focused strictly on what you wrote without making any assumptions about you or your experiences. I would appreciate the same respect. I know that you would prefer I get into a discussion about your personal gripes with Amy, but I can only speak for myself. I am not anyone else's mouthpiece. Clearly your feelings are strong, and nothing I say would sway you anyway.
It seems that you are suggesting that if Amy becomes president, that our Jewish educators/members would no longer be represented or protected. I don't think that is rational. If I thought that a candidate would not represent any of our members for any reason, let alone based on religion or race, I would never vote for that person and I definitely wouldn't run alongside that person. I do know that ABC is a very diverse slate including many Jewish members and others who are self-described "Zionists". I also know that Amy has addressed this issue several times, but again, it's not the point of my post or anything I wrote or said, so it is not a point I am looking to debate. You are entitled to your opinion and your vote.
Keep in mind though that you voted for a caucus that Amy was a high ranking member of for a long time, a caucus that she was still a member of until AFTER she announced her candidacy. For Unity, going against them was her biggest offense. Pulling your dues because you are upset with the election results is anti-union and a betrayal to your brothers and sister union members. I don't see a point in arguing that point, because it's not debatable. The anti-labor Janus decision gives you the right to pull your dues, weaken your union, and freeload off your colleagues who do pay their dues. I still don't think it's the right thing to do.
Again, I am not trying to sell you on Amy or ABC or even myself. Your mind is made up on who you voted for. That I fully respect. Not paying dues is something I have zero respect for.
Thanks for sharing your concerns. I wish you well.
Whatever the results, I hope there will be union evolution.
If ABC wins, it will be the death of our Union. Members like me, who have been censored by Amy, do not feel supported and many have spoken about pulling our dues if she wins. There is no way, based on Amy's personal feelings, that she could do her job fairly and equally for all members. ABC has no idea how to negotiate big contracts, and they can't even run in a simple election without bashing others, proliferating lies, and getting non-union members to bully and harass others (I'm talking about you, Marianne!) I hope for ALL unions, nationwide, that ABC loses, and loses big. We are one of the last large unions standing, and we must be united in the goals of education, for teachers and for students. Amy and ABC are anything but unifying. They have no problem pitting members against each other, even less of a problem censoring and blocking members with opposing view points. And for what its worth, I was never a huge fan of Mulgrew, but HE isn't trying to rip our union apart, member by member. And in true ABC fashion, I'm sure this will be deleted, but screen shots are forever.
If you would pull your dues because the candidate you voted for didn’t win,
you may as well pull them now and find a non union job. The idea of threatening to sabotage your own union and your colleagues because you (potentially) didn’t get your way is disgusting, and is exactly the type of mindset that no union needs. You can't say in one breath that "we must be united" and then threaten to help break the union if you don't get you way. The sky will not fall if Mulgrew loses power, but if all of our members thought your way, we wouldn’t even have a union. Thankfully that’s not the case. I don't know if you even read what I wrote or if you just came here to take shots, but if it's the former, thank you for reading. I meant every word I wrote. Win or lose, I hope there are more people that agree with my ideas about improving our union over yours. Pulling dues? Regardless of your personal opinions, there is no candidate that would harm the union more than a member with your mindset.
You must have misunderstood. It has nothing to do with Mulgrew or the potential that Unity might not win. The president of your caucus has made it clear that she will not stand for people like me; a Jewish Zionist. She made it extra clear when she posted that "zionists are the most evil people on Earth." I wouldn't pull my dues out of spite, nor to cripple my union, but I see no reason to pay dues to a union where the President has made it clear she is incapable of representing ALL teachers. She has blocked and censored me for my opposing views and my advocacy of Israel. She is not "for everyone" she is for HER minions and supporters. I will not support a union that does not represent everyone equally. You want to show us that ABC represents all teachers, then dump Amy; because she does not represent everyone. She is a facist, who censors anyone who dares have a different opinion.
Just to clarify: ABC is NOT a caucus, but rather an election slate made up of people from various caucuses as well as those (like myself) with no caucus affiliation. Some might say that’s semantics, but to me it is important. I have no interest in belonging to a caucus. I don’t buy into the caucus mentality or offer blind or blanket support to anyone which is why I have never been a caucus member. So Amy is not the “president” of ABC; ABC doesn’t have a president. She is running for president of the UFT.
Back to your point: I don’t think I misunderstood you. You threatened to pull your dues if the election didn’t go your way. Whether that is based on your love for one candidate or your disdain for another is not relevant, you’re still saying the same thing. You are advocating for the idea that members should abandon their union and betray their fellow rank and file members if they are not happy with the results of a democratic election. There is no rationalizing that. I have no issue with you not supporting Amy or any other individual candidate (or caucus or slate) for whatever reasons you choose. We all have that freedom. I ran with ABC, so clearly you voted against me, and I am perfectly fine with that. I would still advocate for you as a DUES PAYING UFT member.
If your personal feelings about a candidate make you vote against them, that’s your right. You are certainly not the only one. But advocating for members to take part in the destruction of our own union is unacceptable to me. I hope that your threat to pull your dues was made in frustration and is not a serious consideration. We can’t afford that mentality, especially when unions like ours are under attack. That mindset has no place in our union.
However this election turns out, it will be the will of the membership. The whole point I was trying to make in the original post that you are commenting on is that regardless of how we voted or how this election turns out, moving forward we should be focused on working together as union members. I am sorry that you disagree.
The movement you are referencing across the country has nothing to do with labor, and especially not the labor movement.
Win or lose, (and it will be lose) the UFT will rekindle what it means to actually be a union member. Unions are not supposed to have contentious elections. It shows disorganized labor to the onlooking public and weakens negotiating power. Union elections for any other local are quiet, cordial, engage in respectful dialogue, and private among members. You have disgraced this local and there may be unintended consequences from your shenanigans. You should be ashamed. Clearly not raised right.
By coming on here to offer nothing of substance while you hide behind internet anonymity, you have already lost. It must be tough to go through life too fearful to stand behind your own words.
It must be hard going through life as a poser pretending to be a unionist.
I don't pretend to be anything. I stand by anything I have said or written. Feel free to fact check. You're not as secret as you may think. Pathetic.
The only thing that is pathetic is the voter turnout your slate has received this (and your only I'll add) election cycle.
i guess you don’t actually understand the purpose of a union, nor paying attention to what is happening across this country in unions today. No matter the outcome i look forward to a more engaged and active union membership. That is what we have now. more folks are engaged and interested in this election. Which means they also want more out of those who we elect to support us. No matter the outcome, change is here. I wish you the best in your own election process Not so secret squirrel.
The ONLY disgrace comes from Unity and Mulgrew. So disgraceful they have to send a "secret squirel" and flying monkeys 🐒 to do their despicable bidding. ABC had the guts to engage UFT membership far beyond anything Unity would ever dream of doing. This historic election rocked a boat that needed rocking -- because Unity is SINKING IT!
@Michael Kane, Proud flying monkey here and before you get all sanctimonious on me, I was coming here to say, I appreciate Gary’s post. He behaved as a unionist, as did Katie and maybe a few others I don’t remember their names specifically. However, maybe the rest of the ABC needs to look in the mirror and decide if their behavior towards ANY opposition was appropriate or called for.
It's only historic because people came out to vote against hate. #theinternetisforever
Good point secret squirrel!! the internet is indeed forever! and even hateful comments you have made that have been deleted: have already been screenshot! Internet AND my phones ability to screenshot.. is indeed forever.
There is a difference between hate speech and speech that you hate. Your queen Clown 🤡 has been doxed by the NY Post for hate speech. Your all star cast of misfits and haters is testimony to how out of step you are with the people your are purporting to represent.