Unity: Membership Driven, Experienced Collaborative Leadership

The UFT, the United Federation of Teachers, the UFT was formed by a merger of organizations and throughout its history caucuses, another word for political parties, debated policies. The High School Teachers Association and the Teachers Guild merged into the UFT.

Caucuses have come and gone; Unity has elected union leadership since the merger creating the UFT.

Unity, like the Democratic Party, has always had a wide range of opinions within its ranks.

From weekly borough-based District Rep meetings to monthly city wide staff meetings, from day-to-day interactions policy decisions emerged, and, as with political parties once we reach a consensus we support the policy at the forums, the Executive Board and the Delegate Assembly.

As a District Representative I was in schools every day, listening to members, interacting with members. sharing with other District Reps and the Staff Director.

I began every school meeting by asking members what we should discuss, “ownership” is a key, no one likes being “talked at,” as is unfortunately the practice at too many faculty conferences.

I’d hang around after the meeting for one on one discussions, were there commonalities across schools? Is the union not addressing membership concerns?

Internally, the District Reps and other union staff could be a contentious group, once we agreed, or, most of us agreed, and the Staff Director agreed, our job was to actualize the agreed upon policy decision.

Zoom has increased participation. Delegate Assembly participation is far higher than in-person only, Town Hall meetings attract thousands of members.

Leadership in the union is bottom up, union staff members begin from a few days a week PM staff to weekly PM staff, to District Rep or other full-time staff, an informal internship system. Some members are disappointed, they weren’t selected or promoted, it is difficult to measure leadership potential. Some of the opposition caucus candidates are disappointed office seekers, sadly attacking and diminishing the current dedicated staff.

I learned to become a better “listener,” and listen with a “third ear," and never give advice on finance or romance, the union has pension reps to give financial advice and the Member Assistance Program to give personal assistance.

I learned to identify and engage the key players and, if possible, develop relationships.

My wife and I decided it was time to move on, retired, and for a decade I travelled to Albany once a month to attend the Regents Meetings and work with a member of the Board of Regents, the skills I learned as a District Rep were applicable in the wider world of politics and policy.

An opposition caucus attacked Mulgrew for not signing on to the New York State Health Act, aka, Medicare for All, I learned to check the depth of water before diving into the pool, and I wrote a substack asking questions, read here

Should Unions Be Wary of the Proposed NYS Health Law?

The opposition pummeled me, the sponsor of the bill, Dick Gottfried responded to my substack, read here Union Members Should Demand the New York Health Act.

I was concerned, and wrote,

Before you jump off the diving board check out the depth of the pool.

Unions, who negotiate health plans with management have opposed the plan, and asked, without success, for a “carve out,” allowing unions to continue labor/management negotiations Needless to say the bill is complicated, the bill is an outline, after passage, the appointed members will begin to fill in the blanks, the specifics of the law.

My concern: when the powerful say trust me weaker folks tend to get pregnant, coarse; however, you get my point.

While I have nothing to do with the inner discussions, I would suggest a few non-negotiables:

... an algorithm to determine the cost to employees, to ask unions to support without knowing the cost is a definite deal breaker

... the ability to arbitrate disputes, complicated, however, to say, “just trust us” is not acceptable

Critics argue the cost of the plan is astronomical and not viable, and the huge bureaucracy to run the plan is unwieldy and unworkable. Supporters counter New Yorkers with a high quality health plan at no cost.

With the Trump victory the issue is off the table.

Due diligence is simply exploring all the avenues, a dramatic change in health coverage without due diligence is totally unacceptable, and, in my mind, disqualifies folks for leadership, a leadership that could be lemming-like, leading us all off the cliff.

Stick with Unity, seasoned, experienced, membership driven leadership, put an X in the Unity box on your ballot.