Today Ken Lovett at the Daily News reports another NYSUT leadership whacking could be in the offing:
The recent surprise retirement of the state teacher union’s top lobbyist came amid pressure from Michael Mulgrew, head of the city teachers union, sources said.
Mulgrew, whose members make up a major segment of the state union, is said to have grown disenchanted with Steve Allinger during the legislative session.
Mulgrew didn’t deny he played a role in Allinger’s departure.
“We have to get work done, move fast, and everyone has to be on the same page,” he said.
Union insiders say the Allinger situation is part of a larger schism that has left state teachers union President Karen Magee isolated from the rest of her union leadership halfway through her first term.
Sources said Mulgrew is also unhappy with Magee, though he denied it.
The two unions, Mulgrew said, “are moving together in a much more coordinated effort than we were before. All (Magee’s) positions have been good. She’s taking the right path on things.”
It was NYSUT that was telling members of the Legislature NOT vote for Cuomo's poison pill budget that increased the test score component in APPR to 50% and gave the state the power to takeover schools with a "receivership" program, while Mulgrew and the UFT were telling them it was okay if they did vote for it.
If Magee's isolated from the rest of her union leadership (i.e., Andy Pallotta, Mikey's Man at NYSUT), it can't be because Mulgrew thinks she's not standing up enough against Cuomo and his ed deform juggernaut.
Hell, nobody rolled over to Cuomo more than Mulgrew and the UFT in the last legislative session.
In any event, it sure didn't long for another UFT-engineered whacking at NYSUT, did it?
Predictions:
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2) Membership will NOT see the moment as an opportunity to organize and truly take back NYSUT.
3) Membership will be swept into the narratives of either camp, WITHOUT EVER ONCE seeing the larger picture of what is going on...namely, that Randi/Mulgrew are solidifying their power and creating a wall of NYS teachers unions whose leadership is completely PART of the reform agenda.
3) Friedrich passes Supreme Court muster.
I am having a hard time imagining why MEMBERSHIP doesnt see, hyper-clearly, that our current unions, their "brands", and the infrastructure, are absolutely on the precipice of being rendered totally politically impotent, for good, and rendered to the history books as the organizations that lost it all. Right now is the time to reorganize teachers unions. Right now is the time for a new teachers union movement, built outside of the current leadership, ideas, brands, and structures.
BUT, the membership, for the most part, doesn't care, know anywhere near enough, and isn't willing to do even 1% of whats required. I don't see this changing. Its not about "we just need to rally the troops!" The troops are addled. The troops have been presented with the largest, most blatant threat to their livelihoods one could ever imagine, and alas, they can't be motivated to do shit or even inform themselves. The troops, as such, do not exist.
SO, our unions are about to become brands with no message or political weight. Our last real line of defense, well....its gone. Now all thats left is the raping and pillaging of our careers. Sit back and watch the show.
11:17
DeleteYou are correct on all counts!
Abigail Shure
Does Ianuzzi ever speak or write about his experience getting whacked by Team Mulgarten? I'd love to hear it. Maybe he might even have some words of advice for the handful of us not drinking the Pallotta/Mulgrew kool aid?
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