Movement of Rank & File EducatorsThe social justice caucus of the UFT“Our working conditions are our students’ learning conditions” |
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Weekly Update #18 – 07.31.12
[email protected]
MORE Events this week
MORE Thursday Summer Series Continues
Thursday, August 2, 5PM
MORE Summer Series – Don’t miss the Third Session:
“Each one, Teach one:” MORE Messaging and Outreach
LOLITA Bar – located at 266 Broome Street (Between Grand & Delancey Streets) NYC, take the F to Delancey St. or the J, M, Z to Essex St.
This is a chance to learn about MORE, meet other union members who are down for a different UFT and to enjoy some cheap happy hour drinks and good conversation.
The event is scheduled from 5-8. We will start with a brief intro to MORE.
Followed by some hands on organizing practice!
How DO you talk to your colleagues about these important issues? What do you say when they ask tough questions? What can you ask them to do to be involved?
The UFT has not had to do any actual organizing for decades. If we want to build a strong, democratic union where members are educated and ready to take action, we need to organize and have many conversations with our co-workers. If we want a mobilized base that can fight collectively for better working and learning conditions . .
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO EACH OTHER?
We will close by making sure that everyone knows how to get and stay involved in the ongoing work of MORE and we’ll have plenty of time to schmooze and enjoy a beverage.
Hope to see you all Thursday! Feel free to bring friends!
Tues, July 31: MORE Election Committee
Join the election committee and help choose the MORE slate for top 11 officer positions for the 2013 elections. Next meeting: August 27. Email Kit Wainer for more information: [email protected]
Weds, Aug. 1, 3PM MORE Chicago support group
Solidarity work with the Chicago Teachers Union who are preparing for a possible strike. We will meet at Valent and Cook at 75 Fifth Avenue, between 13th and 14th Street.
Our friends in CORE, the caucus that won the elections in 2010 in Chicago, were very excited at the AFT convention in Detroit to hear that MORE has formed.
Our friends from Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) published this letter and handed this out at AFT union convention today right before VP Biden’s address to the audience. Same struggle-same fight!
http://lockerz.com/s/229414159
MORE Members Make News
Mike Schirtzer letter posted on Diane Ravitch blog
Diane Ravitch, pro-public education advocate and prolific blogger posted a letter from MORE member and NYC teacher Mike Schirtzer who explains the harmful effects of budget cuts on our schools and the future of our country.
Are Charter Schools A Good Idea:
Julie Cavanagh and KIPP Co-founder Mike Feinberg present the case against and for charter schools in the August edition of Costco Connections.
GEM/MORE’s Julie Cavanagh and KIPP’s Mike Feinberg on Charters
The Costco Connection August 2012, a monthly with a circulation of over 8 million. The Costco Connection is one of the most widely read monthly publications in the US, an award winning publication that has six times the circulation of its closest competitor.
MORE Support for Verizon Workers
A year ago, educators and striking Verizon workers made a common cause against the Mayor’s Panel for Educational Policy, which approved a contract for the telecom company despite stealing millions of dollars from the Department of Education. Teachers and other UFT members railed at the board inside, and also joined the picket lines during the two week strike.
See a video of Julie Cavanagh speaking at the Aug. 2011 PEP meeting.
Today, Verizon workers again need our help. After having returned to the work in hopes of negotiating a fair contract, the Communication Workers of America have now asked for Federal mediation. Another walkout is a strong possibility, and we need to stand ready to support our brothers and sisters in CWA and IBEW. Not only are Verizon workers the fathers and mothers of our students, but they are victims of the same corporate greed that has beggared public coffers by evading taxes and created a digital divide in communities we serve
Now, we have a chance to take a stand again against rampant corporate greed. Verizon and the Big Cable companies have reached a deal that includes marketing agreements to sell each other’s products through a quadruple play, allowing a unregulated monopoly, which destroys jobs and hurts consumers. The FCC and Department of Justice are reviewing the deal right now. Call Governor Cuomo and Senators Schumer and Gillibrand to urge them to fight the deal, particularly the marketing agreements.
Leave a message urging them to oppose the Verizon Wireless and Cable Company deal.
Call Governor Cuomo now at 518-473-5442 / Senator Schumer at 212-486-4430 / Senator Gillibrand at 212-688-6262
Reply to this email if you would like information on further solidarity actions. We in MORE will be looking to show our solidarity on the picket lines in the event of a strike (like we did during the ConEd lockout), and will be looking for help in leafletting NYC Verizon stores to alert customers about the conflict.
MORE Members @AFT Convention
MORE members Gloria Brandman, Lisa North and Norm Scott attended the AFT convention in Detroit July 26-30.
Norm covered the event at Ed Notes. Here are the links.
@AFT – Chicago Teachers Protest RTTT During/After …
Video @AFT Special – Solidarity Resolution – Mulgr…
@AFT – Chicago Teachers Show Displeasure at Uncond…
Breaking @AFT – Before Biden Speech: STOP RACE TO …
@AFT Share My Lesson = No Speeches
@AFT: NYC/Chicago Showdown Over Moratorium on Cha…
@AFT: Stephen Sawchuck on Unity Caucus and Leo Cas…
@AFT 11PM Friday UPDATE – A Walk and Talk With Ran…
@AFT – Friday July 27 11:30AM – Solution Driven Un…
@AFT – Friday July 27 10AM Report
@AFT Convention: Thursday July 26
MORE Members at SOS
MORE members will be joining members of Change the Stakes, GEM’s high stakes testing committe, at Save Our Schools events in Washington DC Aug. 3-5.
Register for SOS People’s Education Conference
Change the Stakes
Are you interested in working in the battle to reframe the debate on high stakes testing? Join Change the Stakes at its next meeting, Friday, August 17, 5PM at CUNY, 5th Ave and 34th St. Room 5414 (bring id.) Many MORE members are involved in CTS along with NYC parents. MORE will be funneling its high stakes testing work through CTS.
MORE Summer Series
Learn about MORE this summer: Can YOU imagine a transformed UFT?
Come to our Thursday Night Summer Series at:
LOLITA Bar – located at 266 Broome Street (Between Grand & Delancey Streets) NYC, take the F to Delancey St. or the J, M, Z to Essex St.
5pm-8pm
Each “listen & learn” discussion will be preceded by a brief membership meeting at which all are welcome, and followed by happy hour socializing & schmoozing
Third Session: Thursday, August 2, 5PM
“Each one, Teach one:” MORE Messaging and Outreach
Fourth Session: Thursday, August 16, 5PM
Growing into the Fall: Launching our Fall Campaign
Session added (LOCATION TO BE ANNOUNCED: Thursday, August 23, 6:30-6:30 PM
Supporting the Chicago Teachers Union in their struggle
Lessons from CORE’s history and organizing model, background to the current struggle in Chicago, lessons we can learn from how CTU has prepared for a strike, support for CTU’s contract demands since we are facing many of the same issues here in NYC.
Save the date!
We are planning a meeting on August 23rd at 6: 30 p.m. in NYC to help build solidarity and educate teachers and union activists in NYC about the issues they’re facing and the importance of this struggle for the labor movement as a whole and the fight for public education in particular.
For more information or to RSVP, please email:[email protected]
Join the MORE Chapter Leader and Delegate Meet-up group listserve.
Send an email to [email protected] and ask to be added to the chapter leader listserve (not the same as MORE Discussion).
Join MORE!
And please take a moment to check out our website at morecaucusnyc.org.
Spread the word–help build MORE!
Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/MOREcaucusNYC
Follow us on Twitter: @morecaucusnyc
Check out MORE’s website: MOREcaucusNYC.org
Email us at: [email protected]
We want to hear from you! Check out MORE’s online discussion forum to get the latest news and goings on, and to join in the conversation.