A Quick Ping

Almost none of these issues are new. 

Back in 1960 the Teachers' Guild -a tough, scrappy union that acted more like a modern day caucus- had merged with or beaten out almost every other union in New York City.  They had made a name for themselves pushing for class sizes of 25, advocating for new schools in underserved areas and for vocational education as a means of fighting what was then described as "juvenile delinquency". They also advocated for teachers' rights and improved working conditions (chapter six). At this same time, the High School Teachers Association was known for fighting to improve working conditions for their members and for protecting socialist teachers who had lost their jobs during the Mccarthy Red Scare. 

One union was moderately progressive. The other was socialist radical. One believed in measured and professional tactics focusing both on teacher pay and student advocacy. The other believed in a militant approach, opting instead to organize strikes (including once organizing their own students to strike for them). 

Thanks in no small part to the work of a young, brilliant Teacher Guild organizer named Albert Shanker- these two unions merged in 1960. And, although the UFT was born that year, it was born under the internal leadership of one group -the Teacher Guild- over the other. 

Their descendents are known as the "Unity Caucus". Their group has never not led this union. But these two diverging priorities, goals, political beliefs and tactics, never died. This union acts sort of like a binary star with two masses, bound together and constantly tearing themselves apart and constantly pulling themselves closer together at the same time. 

It has always been leadership's responsibility to contend with these two divergent forces. Throughout this whole time, it has always been leadership's method to do so with kindness and with solidarity among the many ingredients.The generations of Shanker and Feldman and Weingarten knew well how to balance the two instincts.  This changed 16 years ago and has grown worse since. 

The current leadership has failed (miserably) to hold the balance. They suffer from a severe case of Organizational Goal Displacement The result has been the birth of a permanent opposition of teachers who hate their leadership style, hate their results and hate being left out of every discussion that matters (which is standard fare for current leadership). Generations of teachers have come and gone who felt and acted in opposition to him and his leadership results. They bore almost nothing in common with him except that they were stuck with him as their union president.  No other union president has achieved this. None. Every leader of this union has found a way to bring members of the left into the fold instead of pushing them out and to work with them. 

Every leader except Michael Mulgrew. 

The very existence of the ABC slate in this year's internal election is the direct result of Mulgrew's individual actions. He removed Amy Arundell from her leadership role in Queens. Anyone who knows Amy from Queens knows (well) that there was going tobe some level of get-back. Amy is a fighter. Amy fights. As it turns out, the get-back she chose was to challenge him for leadership.His direct action led to a split within the side of our union that was once occupied by the old Teachers' Guild. I don't think that has ever happened. 

 I will be surprised if he wins. But if he does, I would surprised if his caucus did not move on from him within two or three years time. I expect him to retire -soon.  But whoever wins had better right this ship. Internal conflict has always been the hallmark of a sick organization and what the rest of us are watching looks like. avery sick organization. 

I'm splitting the ballot. I'll drop my pics in a day or so. I just wanted to send a quick ping before hand