Part 1: Let's Talk Frankly About What's Really Being Promised
Okay, we must admit, this UFT election has brought out a lot of messages, and frankly, some of them are confusing. You've seen the "A Better Contract" crew, "ABC," putting out their "First 100 Days" plan, making some very strong promises. I'm here because I think it's crucial we look at those promises with clear eyes and see if they match up with reality. As a long-time member, I want to walk you through their plan, point by point, using what I know about how our union actually functions. We need to understand if what they're selling is realistic change or just election talk that doesn't tell you the whole story.
Today, we will look at the first three slides
The first one talks about a "CONTRACT CAMPAIGN FOR 2027 BEGINS" and mentions the "First 100 Days" with pictures of their team.
Paying close attention, you see that they are missing a candidate for a full officer slate. They lack a VP of Non-DOE Members.
The second one says "The days of weak leadership and backroom deals end on Day 1" and promises "immediate action" to rebuild our strength.
And the third one zeroes in on "END BACKROOM DEALS - OPEN & DEMOCRATIC UNION GOVERNANCE," specifically calling out our Executive Board and Delegate Assembly, saying they'll "End Unity Caucus' rubber-stamp control" and make members, not leaders, set the agenda.
Now, let's think about this, member to member.
First, they're making the 2027 contract, a really big deal in their campaign right now. And yes, getting a strong contract is always a top priority for all of us!
What they are doing is using that contract as a goal – a good contract that's still more than two years away – as a main reason to get your vote in this election. Think about it: promising a great contract down the road is appealing, right? But this is an election promise, and we all know that election promises can change once the votes are counted, no matter who wins. Look at Capital Hill and the White House. The real task of negotiating that contract comes well after this current election, and it's a complex job that requires experience and steady leadership.
Speaking of leadership, you know that our union has been led by the Unity Caucus for decades. It's been a consistent leadership that members have voted for election after election, trusting Unity to handle the day-to-day work of the union and the big fights, like grievances, welfare fund, etc. Unity has been here, doing this work, through the union's established processes.
I think Norm Scott says it all the time, “Watch what they do, not what they say.” I’m here to tell you that you need to do both with ABC. Specifically, you need to watch everything they say in this 100 days plan. Line by line!
Pay close attention to how they talk about things changing instantly. "End... backroom deals end on Day 1," they claim. "Immediately take action." They call it "The First 100 Days," like everything will be different right after the election. But running a union as large and complex as the UFT isn't like starting a new job where you can just change everything overnight. There are established ways of doing things, important relationships with the city and the DOE, and procedures that have to be followed. Real change in a big organization like ours takes time, careful planning, and consistent effort. Promising instant results like that sounds good on a flyer, but it's not realistic about how much effort and time it takes to run our union and fight for our rights.
Third, let's talk about their claims about our union's democracy and transparency. They say they'll fix the Executive Board and Delegate Assembly and end "rubber-stamp control," making it sound like there's no real member voice now. But that's just not telling the whole story of how our union operates.
We have a Delegate Assembly. We have an Executive Board. These are the places where elected representatives within our membership discuss issues, and vote on important decisions and policies. Members can and do submit resolutions individually, or work on them with bipartisan support. There are three entry points for a resolution into discussion. Either Adcom, Executive Board, or the Delegate Assembly. These structures for debate, for member input through resolutions, and for making decisions are already in place, and they are active.
Now, are these meetings always perfect? No. Do debates sometimes feel constrained? Yes. Do resolutions always pass exactly as written? Maybe not to everyone's satisfaction, and members definitely have the right to voice those frustrations. But saying there is no democracy, no way for members to introduce ideas, and that everything is just a "rubber stamp" completely ignores the existence and function of the processes which are used regularly.
The reality is, in any democratic body, the majority gets to guide the discussion and make the final decisions. Once again it’s a very strong resemblance to Capitol Hill. When Unity Chapter Leaders, Delegates, and other representatives are elected to represent their school and the UFT Executive Board is made up of majority Unity Caucus, then DA and EB will be Unity Heavy and that's how decisions are made within our union's established democratic system.
The members in Unity Caucus who are doing the work, believe in these structures. They work their resolutions in through one of the three entry points because that's where our union's decisions are made democratically. Proving that the processes in place are followed.
Unity members have been doing this work, using these established pathways, building our union's strength step by step over the years.
So, when you look at what "A Better Contract" is promising in these first few slides – using a future contract to boost votes now, promising instant changes on "Day 1," and claiming our union lacks basic democratic structures – just remember:
How our union actually works?
Who has the experience of leading within our democratic framework?
Who has the established processes?
And who is committed to continuing the work through those channels, fighting for our members effectively and steadily, not with unrealistic promises of overnight fixes?
Don't let the confusing messages distract from the reality of who has the experience and the plan to keep our union strong using the structures that are already in place.
Check back in tomorrow, and we'll look at some more points from their plan.