NYC Educator: Representation in NYSUT for Hilton Guests Only

NYC Educator: Representation in NYSUT for Hilton Guests Only:

Representation in NYSUT for Hilton Guests Only

If you follow this blog, you may know that I'm running for Executive Vice President of NYSUT. You're more likely to know that I object to the UFT method of bloc-voting, which I consider neither representative nor democratic. I'm more or less an acolyte of Diane Ravitch, who opposes VAM, Common Core, and mayoral control. All of the above are supported by UFT leadership, and based on speaking with working teachers every day of my life, I don't believe rank and file support any of these things.

Of course, when only 14% of working teachers deem it worth their time to fill in an X on a ballot form, it's hard to say. What I do know is that I represent one of the largest schools in the city, that my members selected me to represent them, and that neither they nor I get a voice in our state or national unions. Meanwhile, chapter leaders who represent 12 people get a vote if they signed the UFT-Unity loyalty oath, promising to represent leadership whether or not it reflects the will of their members.

Over the last few weeks, I've traveled all over the state, and I've spoken with a lot of representatives of smaller unions. One cornered me, and told me that the issues we were discussing meant little to him. That surprised me. Common Core was not a big deal where he came from. What bothered him was lack of representation. I'd just heard that UFT represented about 28% of membership, yet had about 34% of the vote at NYSUT. When I asked for an explanation of that, I learned this was because many small locals simply could not afford to sent representatives to the Hilton in Manhattan. Thus, UFT earns 20% more representation. I can only assume that's more or less true for every union that can afford to show up.

Does this mean that at least 20% of NY, a state as large as England, does not get a vote in NYSUT? It