Four years later…

On June 3, 2019 I rose, for what I thought was the last time, to address the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) Executive Board.

I spoke about the use of test scores at LaGuardia to shoe-horn in extra white students and squeeze out students of color. I asked the returning leadership to address the recommendations of the Student Diversity Advisory Group, and to involve high school teachers in those discussions.

And then I quoted a movie line. There’s a line I like, from A Few Good Men (the truth? You can’t handle the truth!) <– not that one. It comes later, after Nicholson has been hauled off, and the two marines have just heard the verdict:

• Downey: [after the verdict was read] I don’t understand… Colonel Jessup said he ordered the Code Red.
• Galloway: I know but…
• Downey: [nervously] Colonel Jessup said he ordered the Code Red! What did we do wrong?
• Galloway: It’s not that simple…
• Downey: [anxiously] What did we do wrong? We did nothing wrong!
• Dawson: Yeah we did. We were supposed to fight for people who couldn’t fight for themselves. We were supposed to fight for Willy.

Look at Dawson’s words. “We were supposed to fight for people who couldn’t fight for themselves.” I turned this to the officers, all members of Unity, and the Executive Board. I did it once before, about standing up for probationers. And I did it again June 4, spoke directly to the officers – I would not be back – but they still had the obligation to stand up for members who could not stand up for themselves. Most of them, unsurprisingly, paid no attention.

One more word here. United Federation of Teachers representatives and staff have come roaring into schools where there is conflict – but this is usually when the chapter is well-organized, and already doing a good job fighting back. It has sadly been their pattern – when a chapter is weak, when a member is vulnerable, when there is a good chance that our side will lose – the officers look the other way. This is their pattern. I think people are basically good – this cowardice is learned, practiced behavior. And so when I challenged Mulgrew on standing up for those who could not stand up for themselves – I was really challenging how Mulgrew conducts himself as a union officer – and I was not at all surprised he did not listen.

As I left that day, before the pandemic, several Unity people stopped me to say goodbye. Two stopped me to ask why I was not going to be on the Executive Board. Unity swept the board in the recent election – and I’d lost my seat. At least one of the Unity reps was confused, valued the contributions I had made. It was sweet, but made no difference. I said goodbye. Thinking it was my last UFT Exec ever.

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I came back Monday, last week. It had been four years, and a few months. I came back after saying I wouldn’t – but I came back because these officers had removed Amy Arundell from her position as Queens Borough Rep – and Amy stood out as a representative who actually stood up for members and chapter leaders, including those who were having a hard time protecting themselves.

Nick Bacon took notes. Here’s how he recorded my words:

Retired 20 year CL and 11 year member of this committee. On my last day of this committee, I said two things – I won’t come back (long time, but back), but second reason – members of this committee need to be judged by how they help the people least able to help themselves. Not everyone here lives up to that. No one was the equal of Amy Arundell. Someone who serves members and members of other boroughs, replies, helps, that person is a model for what we should be like. Losing that model harms our members who need them most. I have things I might say about the politics – won’t say now. Obligation to our members. Properly and right away must return to the position.

Why don’t UFT staffers have due process. UFT Executive Board meeting 10-23-2023why-dont-uft-staffers-have-due-process-uft-executive-board-meeting10-23-2023/

Other people spoke about Amy. A bunch. One woman, a retired Unity chapter leader, struck a similar not, speaking about how helpful Amy is to individuals on the large facebook group. At least one of the speakers raised the issue of the war in Gaza (Mulgrew’s apparent immediate motivation for removing Amy was that she had advocated for a more balanced resolution on Gaza, and had social media posts that were supportive of Palestinians).

It is obvious to me that Amy Arundell was

1. removed for her political beliefs, and for speaking to those beliefs, and
2. was one of the most helpful representatives for our members and chapter leaders in Queens, and for members and chapter leaders in other boroughs who reached out to her.

This doesn’t change the things Amy got wrong – I’ve had screaming fights with her. Just in the last two years I have disagreed openly and strongly on health care, and on latest contract. But that’s not relevant here. The UFT’s Unity leadership is trying to purge one of their own – for politics (and she is right and they are wrong) – and without regard to the harm they are doing to members by removing her (real damage). That is why I came back.

There is a petition to reinstate Amy. Please sign, if you have not yet done so.

And me and Arthur discussed Amy on State of the Union with Arthur and Jonathan last week.

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It was weird coming back. The tables were different. The speaker’s mike is now on the right of the room – I ended sitting dead-facing Mulgrew. Some people came by to say hi. LeRoy came over, said hello. Shook mine and Arthur’s hands – Arthur and me came together. Janella invited us to eat – but we’d just eaten. I thought about walking across the room. Too weird. Something surreal about being there.

After the open mike came the questions (you can read more in Nick’s post, linked above) – questions about health care, and about Amy. And then Mulgrew spoke. He was in some sort of track suit – but nothing nice. Like he was dressing down. And his language – it was a rambly attack on people who disagreed with him. And on Amy, he refused to address the issue, hiding behind his excuse that it was a “personnel matter.” Arthur does quite a rundown here.

I have heard rumors that Mulgrew might not be ready to retire. Certainly he could not find an outside job as easily as, well, someone who might have some appeal to a prospective employer. And a soft landing with something cushy at the AFT? I guess it could happen. Maybe. Not sure. But what I’m getting at is – even though there’s probably consensus that his brand fell badly in value through the last UFT election and especially through the healthcare fiasco, and even though Unity probably wants to buy him a gold watch and push him out the door, he might realize that he’d be left with little.

In any case, that’s the impression I got, as he lashed out at opponents, rambled, repeated himself, talked in circles. I was reading a book, half-ignoring him, but close enough that when he was wild, I looked straight at him – it’s probably my conceit that it bothered him – who am I after all? – but he did seem to have trouble looking away from me. Maybe. Anyhow, we really seemed to be witnessing the raving and flailing of a boxer who’s been finished, refusing to admit that he’s been beat.

I’m going to come back to this Exec Board in a day or two. Leroy Barr said some things that demand closer examination. There’s other stuff, too. But I didn’t stay for the end. Me and Arthur had had enough.

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Actually, after the Open Mic, Arthur suggested leaving. I wanted to stay to hear the questions. Arthur agreed. I kind of wanted to stay for the resolutions, but after Mulgrew reported, he started to leave. Ibeth asked if he would stay for the Reports from Districts – he begged off – had a meeting. Me and Arthur did listen to the Reports from Ristricts, and that was enough.

Fifteen minutes or so after Mulgrew left for his “meeting” me and Arthur walked down the stairs, out the door, and turned uptown towards the IRT. We crossed the alley where Exchange Place should be, and some motion caught my eye, and I glance back. I saw Mulgrew – no entourage – no folder or bag or laptop – moving up the alley towards Broadway.

“Michael!” I caught his attention, he looked up and realized who was speaking. “You hurt the members in Queens! That was a bad move!” Mulgrew from five years ago, from ten years ago, would have yelled back. “Jonathan, you don’t know what you’re talking about!” or “Enough with your nonsense!” or some assertive, aggressive answer. But not today. Mike moved into traffic, crossing Broadway. He put his head down. He said not a word.

That’s a gross image. Can’t end there. Let’s close with our Marines: