NYC reportedly close to contract with teachers union

[hrmjustin]

AP
NEW YORK -- New York City is close to finalizing a contract with its teacher's union. That's according to people familiar with the negotiations.

A labor official and a senior administration official say Mayor Bill de Blasio could announce the multi-year agreement Thursday.

The officials say De Blasio postponed a planned affordable housing announcement to concentrate on the teachers deal.

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/new_york&id=9523164

[otherone]

1. good news

[hrmjustin]

2. Yep!

Took long enough.

[Smarmie Doofus]

3. Apparently there's a hitch. OTHER municipal unions are objecting that the UFT is short-selling....

... it's own membership. The backpay is too low.

( It impacts the other muni unions because we have a tradition of what's known as pattern bargaining: what the "first" union negotiates, money-wise, is essentially what all the other unions get.)

Lucky for teachers that they have the leadership of the OTHER muni unions looking out for their interests since their own union ( UFT) is so notoriously compromised, corrupt and dysfunctional.

(Yesterday's NYT's is my source for the above, btw; I'll see if I can find a link.)

Found it:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/01/nyregion/new-york-said-to-be-on-verge-of-9-year-deal-with-teachers-union.html?_r=0

[hrmjustin]

4. Do you think they will be able to agree on a deal?

[Smarmie Doofus]

5. Yes. Eventually there will me a settlement. Bloomberg basically decided about five years ago...

Last edited Thu May 1, 2014, 10:30 AM - Edit history (1)

... that he wasn't going to deal w. muni unions in his (purchased) third term.

At all.

As in... "pretend they don't exist."

DeBlasio isn't the sleazebag that Bloomberg was/is but he still has to to look after and defend the interests of the city. So he's not going to give away the store... nor should he.

He's lucky though that the UFT settlement will set the pattern. UFT brass is just interested in what they can get *personally* out of a settlement which means the backpay aspect will be as low as the OTHER muni leaders will allow.

(Because it sets the pattern.)

UFT will probably do givebacks on work rules ( more paperwork, larger class size,less actual teaching, less due process, weakening tenure, etc.) as they've figured out over the years how to trade that off for personal advantage.

It goes back to Weingarten ( and before, really ) and now it's just a complete, elaborate and not particularly well-concealed scam.

IMO, of course.

[hrmjustin]

6. I hzte the idea if larger class sizes.

[Smarmie Doofus]

7. You should hate *all* of it.

>>>more paperwork, larger class size,less actual teaching, less due process, weakening tenure, etc.>>>>

It's ALL bad for kids and families.

More paperwork means more "data collection" which is usually superfluous and redundant. Which means less time/energy for real planning and real teaching.

The teacher-protections actually work to the advantage of the students... in ways that most non teachers don't readily recognize. Who's going to blow the whistle if a kid is not getting a mandated iep service because the district is spending the money allocated for that on something frivolous or it's just plain getting stolen?

Who's going to even KNOW about it?

The teacher. ONLY the classroom teacher. *ONLY* the teacher.

Believe me..... these issues come up EVERY DAY.

Do we want to make it easier or harder for them to advocate for the kids?

Think about it.

[hrmjustin]

8. All good points.

What subject do you or did you teach?

[Smarmie Doofus]

9. I'll PM you. n/t

[hrmjustin]

10. ok.