Dear UFT President, Represent Your Members by Dr. Michael Flanagan
Dear UFT President Michael Mulgrew,
I am a 34 year member of the United Federation of Teachers. This morning I received an email from you informing me—and the other 177,000 or so UFT members—that you unilaterally agreed to drastic changes of our working conditions. Those working conditions were voted on by the rank and file members of the union that you were elected to represent. They cannot be changed by you or by the city without another rank and file vote by the members. That has not occurred.
I represent 110 staff members in a school, and I need to protect those members’ rights, from a disease, from a Mayor who is willing to send us back into harm’s way and now, apparently, from my own union. And I will do so.
I am linking our current, legally enforceable UFT contract, for your review. I am also including the email you sent this morning entitled “Your Work Day If School Buildings Reopen”
It is interesting to note, that these very same revisions that you agreed to, were sent out to principals by the Chancellor’s office a week ago, I am linking the video of the Chancellor’s Presentation to the principals, dated July 30th. I was presented with these revisions by my own principal two days ago.
Why is it we, your union members, only hear from you today?
When did these negotiations take place? Who was on those committees? Why were none of these new conditions brought to your members for a vote? Why did the principals know about this a week before your members?
As UFT President you do not have the right to change our contract without a vote by your members. If we are forced to work under these conditions, we will be forced to resist.
With or without you.
Many will claim that teachers in New York City cannot strike, because of the Taylor Law. Well under the Tri-Borough Amendment of the Taylor Law, if our contract expires, we continue to work under the conditions of that expired contract until a new one is approved by the union’s membership. The City of New York, will be violating our contract’s working conditions if these “agreed” upon changes go into effect. UFT members will have no choice but to engage in job actions. They may include any and all of the following:
1. Working to the letter of our CURRENT CONTRACT
2. ALL of the UFT members working remotely, and none of us showing up in the physical buildings
3. Mass sickouts
4. A strike
5. Class action lawsuits against the NYCDOE and The UFT for contract violations
If we strike under the Taylor law, we will lose two days pay for every one day we are out of work. Our union will be fined one million dollars a day, and the union leaders will be arrested.
Due to the health risk of the Coronavirus pandemic, many union members are prepared for that. More will be, the closer we get to the reopening of school.
There is also the unfortunate option, of union members defunding the union, until we get real representation during this crisis. Under the Janus decision, we are all VOLUNTARILY paying union dues. If we are not represented by our leadership, then we have no leadership.
I would urge you to reconsider your email today and this “agreement” you entered without the voice or consent of your union members.
Put these proposed changes TO A VOTE. Now.
Represent your members.
Sincerely,
Michael Flanagan, Ed.D.
UFT Chapter Leader, District 10 the Bronx.