ICE Leaflet - September, 2006

THE INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY OF EDUCATORS


ICE Contact information
http://iceuftblog.blogspot.com
http://www.ICE-UFT.org
Phone: (917) 992-3734

Dear Chapter Leaders

Congratulations on your election as chapter leader! Being a Chapter Leader is often a thankless job but one that is crucial to our Union.

The Contract of 2005
The contract negotiated by the UFT and the DOE last fall confirmed our initial analysis that the UFT leadership would use givebacks of time and contractual protections in exchange for what they would call “raises.” It’s not hard to get money when you are willing to sell off chunks of the contract. During the ratification process, the leadership claimed “we’re in a crisis” as an excuse for what they admitted was a bad contract, saying it was the best they could do. It was clear that the already bad 2002 contract had more protections than the new one.

On October 23, 2005 ICE put out the following statement on the blog encouraging a no vote:

What We Keep If We Vote No

* The right to grieve letters in our file to have unfair/inaccurate material removed immediately. (Currently letters can’t be used against us in dismissal proceedings after three years and we can attach responses to letters in our file.)
* The right to grieve unfair/inaccurate observation reports.
* The right to do professional activities during our professional period.
* The right to say no to hall patrols, potty patrols, and cafeteria duty.
* The right to maintain our current teaching load; no 37.5 minute small group extra teaching period at the end of the day.
* The right to transfer based on our seniority.
* The right to be part of SBO Committees made up of majority teachers that determine who transfers into our schools, not principals exclusively deciding.
* The right to due process so we can’t be suspended without pay based on an allegation of misconduct.
* The right to a full and fair hearing if we are charged with lateness/absence issues.
* The right not to turn over confidential medical information to the DOE.
* The right to a vacant position if we are excessed.
* The right to widest placement choices possible if our school is closed or reorganized.
* The right to any in license position instead of worrying about becoming an Absent Teacher Reserve if our school is closed or reorganized.
* The right to a full summer vacation. (Many surrounding districts have school years fixed by contract at 183 days. If we vote yes, we will have a 190 day school year, the longest in the Metropolitan area.)
* The right to one less work day in June for teachers in Brooklyn and Queens.
* The right to current longevity and step increases without givebacks.
* The right to have our pay based on our education and experience, not some merit pay system called lead teacher where a committee with a majority of administrators decides who will get a raise based on whatever criteria they want.
* The right to grieve selection of our professional assignment to an independent arbitrator, not a city employee at the Office of Labor Relations.
* The right to ask the state for 55/25 pension that will be paid for by the city, not us (a Tier 4.5)
* The right to push for a no layoff agreement like we had in the last two Contracts.
* The right to full breaks for secretaries.
* The right to demand real raises, not time for money swaps.

Contract supporters admit the contract is terrible. Be not afraid. Rejection does not mean strike. The law requires good faith bargaining.

Don’t Sell Your Rights For Pennies! VOTE NO!

Now, months later:
The actual implementation of the contract has been worse than expected, culminating this fall in the full impact of the open market system and the total breakdown of seniority as numbers of experienced teachers end up as subs while brand new teachers take classroom positions. We have seen:

*Mistreatment of experienced teachers: The end of seniority transfer and excessing rights coupled with the reorganization of hundreds of schools leads to a situation where talented, skilled and experienced teachers are forced to work as day-to-day subs.

*Tyranny of supervisors and inflexible teaching mandates. This includes harassment of chapter leaders, forcing teachers to use inappropriate programs and methodologies, the rampant use of u-ratings and the capricious removals of teachers from schools, and the intimidating of all staff. The concerted effort to replace tenured staff with untenured staff reinforces this tyranny.

*Cost-cutting at the classroom level while the DOE hires more and more layers of consultants, experts and authorities whose main task is to find more ways to insure a compliant, easily replaceable and low paid teaching staff.

*Experienced licensed math teachers as subs while new math teachers hired with housing subsidies.

Yet the UFT/Unity spin machine continues to try to put lipstick on the pig by saying all of the above is a victory for teachers. Part of the damage control is courting chapter leaders through training, meetings, promises of career opportunities and other perks. But membership in Unity comes with a price as Unity members must sign an extensive obligation statement promising to “support the decisions of the caucus and the Union leadership elected from the caucus in public or Union forums.”

The loyalty oath and patronage system have hurt our union because Unity members must owe greater allegiance to the Caucus than to the members in the schools who elected them. The result is cynicism in schools when the program of the leadership is pushed down members’ throats. Change needs to come from the schools and independent chapter leaders will be key to this process. Only by building a progressive alternative to Unity Caucus can we hope to strengthen and unite members in a fight back against a concerted effort to destroy both our union and public education. We look forward to working with you.


Put a dent in the Unity monopoly by supporting the ICE/TJC election campaign. To counter Unity spin every school in the city needs to be reached. You can help by distributing literature in your schools. Contact us:
Name: _____________________________ School: _______________________ Email: ________________
Contribution Enclosed for $_____ made out to Independent Community of Educators.
Independent Community of Educators P.O. Box 1143, Jamaica, NY 11421 Phone: (917) 992-3734