UFT Election Results – some discussion

Some initial thoughts on the UFT election, based loosely on New Action discussion earlier this week.

• This result (winning high schools, increased overall vote) was the result we were looking for. Sure, a breakthrough elsewhere would have been fantastic, but it was not expected.
• The decision to run with MORE (rather than approach Unity, run with Solidarity, run on our own, or sit the election out) was the right decision.
• The alliance was necessary for winning the high school seats. Would not have happened otherwise.
• Discussion of “pizza parties” – huge result from Francis Lewis (CL Arthur Goldstein) – where else did the parties occur (real leadership required to run them?)
• There was a definite uptick in support we got from the schools. All of us met “old friends” (not including MORE folks) who indicated that they were delighted to be able to vote for us, since they had been unwilling to support Mulgrew.
• MORE’s leadership in the Opt-Out movement clearly made a difference in elementary and middle schools.
• Distribution was smooth. The additional week was useful. (Side discussion of being completely blocked from one campus). The contacts with several hundred chapter leaders enabled wider distribution. (that’s a topic we need to return to)
• Our committee that first met with MORE did a great job setting things up, paving the way forward.
• Working with MORE went smoothly throughout, with only a handful of glitches, most (not all) of which were attributable to not having worked together previously.
• We met a significant number of in-service MORE activists with lots of energy.
• Mulgrew 91%, 84%, 76%.  Others will notice.
• Retirees voting is highly unusual. We do not know of other unions that do this. However it would be easier to make this point if we were winning more than one of the four divisions of in-service members.
• The second division we are closest in is Middle Schools.