UFT Exec Board Meeting Notes 12/2/24
Unity Members on SI Organize Walk Against Violence in response to recent incidents
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UFT Executive Board Notes 12/2/24
Open Mic: Unity Members on SI Organize Walk Against Violence
Chris Alena, the chapter leader of Curtis High School, shared a powerful experience about recent events involving Curtis HS and McKee HS, where a loaded gun was recovered at the school after a tip was made and the shooting of a student at a nearby park. He highlighted the importance of organizing and the invaluable support provided by the UFT.
With guidance from the Staten Island Borough Office, specifically District Representative Donna Coppola and Borough Representative Sean Rokowitz, Chris and his team successfully mobilized students and staff in an action called the Walk Against Violence on the Safe Corridor. They enlisted the help of Michael Sill, Janella Hines, and Amy Arundel to organize signs, media outreach, and strategic planning.
Chris shared the event and drew media attention, with coverage from CBS News, the Staten Island Advance, and New York Teacher and the participation of SI District Attorney Michael McMahon. This increased visibility helped to raise awareness about the issue within the community.
Chris emphasized the importance of student involvement, working with the student council to teach them organizational tactics and empower them to have a voice.
Looking ahead, Chris and his team are focused on maintaining momentum by reaching out to elected officials and developing a strategic plan for future actions and expressed deep gratitude for the UFT's support and guidance throughout this process.
Reports:
Leo Gordon, Vice President of CTE High Schools, announced an upcoming chapter meeting on Wednesday, December 6th. Attending will be Special Guest, Victoria Lee. This presentation is specifically tailored to CTE educators who have enrolled in the 25/55 program. The presentation will address pension-related questions and concerns. All CTE high schools and any interested members are encouraged to attend the presentation. A link to the meeting will be provided for high school educators.
Rich Mantell, Vice President of Middle Schools, provided updates on two significant events:
Thanksgiving Event:
Over 200 children from temporary housing were hosted at a Thanksgiving event.
The event included games, hair and nail services provided by CTE high school students, and a distribution of over 200 winter coats, gloves, and hats.
Thanked the volunteers and donors who made the event possible.
Jewish Heritage Committee Award Dinner:
The Jewish Heritage Committee will be holding there second annual awards dinner where Michael Mulgrew will be honored with the committee’s Tikkun Olam award. The event will take place at Russo's on the Bay in Queens on Thursday night at 6 PM.
Question Period:
Nick Bacon raised concerns about excessive paperwork requirements, specifically regarding the petition for elections in the upcoming UFT leadership election. He suggested that certain requirements, such as signatures, may be unnecessary for some individuals and could create undue hardship.
Leroy Barr explained that these concerns would be addressed during the special order of business dedicated to the election committee report.
President's Report
Michael Mulgrew reported as follows:
Health care: There’s been a New York Presbyterian and Anthem Agreement. The union is optimistic about using similar strategies as those employed with New York Presbyterian and Anthem. Negotiations are ongoing to keep MSK in network, with a March 1st deadline.
The state has commissioned the Rockefeller Institute to study and recommend changes to the foundation aid formula, a long-standing goal of the UFT.
Following a UFT press conference highlighting shortages in special education, the DOE has prioritized hiring 1,200 paraprofessionals. The DOE's hiring process for paraprofessionals has been historically inefficient. The union is actively working to streamline this process and encourage more individuals to apply. 300 paras have been hired that were in the pipeline after reachout from the Para chapter and John Kamp since the press conference.
President Mulgrew reported that the union is bracing for potential attacks from the incoming Republican administration, which has expressed anti-union sentiments.
He stated that the union will adhere to strict election procedures to ensure fairness and transparency, despite potential attempts to undermine the process.
President Mulgrew informed all the union remains committed to fighting for fair compensation and working conditions for all members, including paraprofessionals;
The union is actively working to reduce excessive paperwork and bureaucratic hurdles that hinder teachers' ability to effectively teach students.
Mulgrew was critical of the current standardized testing system, which often fails to accurately assess student learning and places undue stress on teachers and students;
The union is advocating for increased funding for public education and improved working conditions for all education professionals.
The union is monitoring legislative developments in Albany and Washington, D.C., and will take action to protect the interests of its members.
Reports from Districts:
Leroy Barr reported on two upcoming events:
Retiree Luncheon: This is happening on December 5th, 2024
Coalition for the Homeless Party: This is on Saturday, December 7th at 8 AM.
Camille Eaddie shared some exciting (and frustrating) news from District 16. Nine teachers in a D17 school had their ratings unfairly downgraded. But thanks to the hard work of Mary Vaccaro and Sally Anne Bongeovani, the ratings were overturned!
Dave Waltzer from District 26 told us about their recent Thanksgiving Social Hour on November 21st, and they've got a Tenure Informational Meeting and Celebration coming up this Wednesday, the 5th.
District 3 had a great Tenure Celebration on November 19th. Principals and Chapter Leaders acknowledged the tenured attendees.
Rashad Brown also took a moment to acknowledge World AIDS Day and the progress made in AIDS research.
Several professional committees also had updates. The UFT Players are putting on a play, the Asian-American Heritage Committee is hosting an origami workshop, and the Women's Committee has a virtual meeting coming up.
LaShana Barker gave us a rundown of some community initiatives, including a community summit and a blood drive where the goal was reached.
Servia Silva, Manhattan Borough Rep reported that the Hispanic Affairs Committee announced their annual fundraiser on December 13th. They're making “Friendly Coquito” and raising money for the Latino Caucus scholarship.
Anthony Harmon gave a shoutout to Servia Silva who's being honored by the Make the Great Foundation on December 7th. She will be honored for many years of service.
Special Order of Business:
Carl Cambria, Cahir of the UFT Election Committee, gave a presentation on the UFT election process which will largely follow the same procedures as previous years, with some minor adjustments to improve efficiency and security. Global Election Services will be conducting the election, having extensive experience in large-scale elections.
Election Timeline:
PetitioningPeriod: February 12th to March 17th
Balloting Period: May 1st to May 29th
Midwinter recess will not interfere with the balloting period.
Petition Requirements:
Candidates must sign a statement agreeing to their nomination.
Social Security numbers will no longer be required on petitions.
Voting Methods:
The committee discussed various voting methods, including electronic voting, in-person voting, and hybrid models.
Due to logistical challenges and LMRDA compliance, the traditional mail-in ballot method will be used.
Election Task Force:
The election committee recommended to the Executive Board that a task force be formed after the current election to explore potential improvements to the voting process
The task force will consider factors such as electronic voting, in-person voting, and LMRDA compliance.
The task force will make recommendations to the executive board by the end of the next school year.
A motion to accept this recommendation was made and unanimously accepted by the Executive Board