MORE/New Action UFT Executive Board Members

The Movement of Rank and File Educators is proud that in the 2016 UFT elections our candidates swept the seven high school teacher seats on the union’s Executive Board. Running as part of a joint slate with New Action, we increased our vote totals in every division of the UFT. MORE/New Action’s presidential candidate received 10,743 votes, roughly doubling MORE’s presidential vote totals from three years ago.When we decided to run in the 2016 UFT elections, MORE set itself three goals: 1. To win the high schools, 2. To increase our votes in other divisions, 3. To increase the overall vote totals. It appears that our efforts have been successful. While our share of the votes by division did not increase, our absolute numbers rose substantially. This is a credit to all MORE and New Action members who tirelessly distributed campaign literature and got out the vote within their own schools. Credit is also due to the UFT itself. The union sent repeated emails and text messages to members urging them to vote. That the share of active members who voted rose from 18% in 2013 to 24% in 2016 is a good sign for all of us, and we look forward to building on our success in the coming years.

Kuljit Ahluwalia (1)

Kuljit Ahluwalia (New Action)
Science Teacher at Queens Academy H. S.  Chapter Leader at Canarsie High School, Brooklyn  2003-2009

¨As a high school teacher for the last 28 years I have seen the slow erosion of teachers’ rights and a sense of frustration.  As a former teacher at a phase out school I have witnessed how unfairly ATR have been treated.  We need to have a union that will provide equal representation and voice the concerns of all its members.¨

Garcia-Rosen

David Garcia-Rosen (MORE)
Restorative Dean and Athletic Director Bronx Academy of Letters, Lead Organizer NYCLetEmPlay

¨Our students and UFT members deserve a union that fights for every school to have equitable access to resources regardless of zip code. For five years the  NYCLetEmPlay students and teachers stood up to fight for civil rights. MORE stood by their side while Mulgrew/UNITY refused to offer any support. On the executive board we will fight for better learning conditions for our students, which  are the working conditions for our members.¨

Goldstein

Arthur Goldstein (MORE)
UFT Chapter Leader and ESL teacher at Francis Lewis High School, Queens

¨It’s time for high school teachers to have a voice and I want to give you that voice. Let’s initiate things that work for us and our students rather than counter-productive reformy nonsense. Count on me to represent membership, whether or not I have the approval of leadership.¨

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Ashraya Gupta (MORE)
UFT Delegate and Chemistry teacher at Harvest Collegiate High School, Manhattan

¨We deserve a democratic union, representative of our members. For too long, teacher interests have been cast as oppositional to student interests. But our union should make it clear that our working conditions are our students’ learning conditions. Let’s be the union we wish to see.¨

Halabi

Jonathan Halabi (New Action)
UFT Chapter Leader and Math teacher at HS of American Studies at Lehman College, Bronx
UFT Executive Board 2009 – present

¨Teaching is an honorable career. We help kids learn and grow. Their success is our reward. But not if we are mistreated. Not if our voices are ignored. Not if decisions that affect our schools are made out of incompetence and malice. We are running to ensure all our voices are heard in our union.¨

McArthur

Marcus B. McArthur (MORE)
Special Education Teacher at City-As School, Manhattan

¨As UFT members we are privileged to have the opportunity to be at the forefront of a monumental shift towards economic and social justice in America and around the globe.  Through mass mobilization of our membership and our allies, we will steadfastly fight for teacher autonomy, student voice, and economic justice for the 99%.¨

Mike Schirtzer

 

Mike Schirtzer (MORE)
UFT Delegate and Social Studies teacher at Leon M. Goldstein High School, Brooklyn

¨Classroom teachers need to have our voices heard. We will bring that to UFT Executive Board. Our current leadership negotiated a poor contract, worse than other city unions. Micromanagement, Danielson, and 1% raises with delayed retro is not what educators deserve. MORE/New Action will not allow that to happen again! Our union must fight against segregated schools and demand equal resources for all children.¨

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