Arwen at NYC Educator: When Will Unity See Its Berlin Wall Fall?

I say without any reservations that there is an illness in Unity.  Presently, its members sense only the "stillness in the wind" and they think it will always be so.  They think they can stand without the support of the rank and file.  The rank and file of today will become the retirees of tomorrow and many are intensely unhappy.  I say Unity is living in a house of cards. They may laugh.  And, they may forget that the Berlin Wall has been smashed and the Soviet Union has crumbled.  They may refuse to look to Chicago.  There are lessons to be learned from history.  I would advise them to consider the Windy City before their house of cards tumbles before their disbelieving eyes..... NYC Educator,

Read the entire post by Arwen at http://nyceducator.com/2014/05/retiree-driven-unionism-and-unitys.html#disqus_thread

Wherefore art thou yon Unity slugs and trolls?

You know, it takes a blatant selling job on the contract - which seems to take place once a decade (1995, 2005, 2014) for people who generally don't feel much disrespect for people they know in Unity to get the message - that just about every single one in Unity - the idiots and the decent - drink the Kool Aid. While are some know what they do, many others actually believe in their own shit. It leaves independent thinking people scratching their heads - and somewhat frightened at the kind of people running the UFT right down to the school level.

I know Arthur points to walls coming down - Berlin, the Middle East-- it happens often in a flashpoint. If there are no organized structures in place - even underground, chaos can reign.

That is why - even though I am not always optimistic, I feel MORE must build structures capable of picking up the pieces if things do begin to crumble. And I also feel that the days of division between opposition forces had to come to an end. (I don't include New Action until the day comes when they join MORE). ICE and TJC learned their lesson after a decade of not really working together - and we learned to work together in GEM - a short-lived transition group it turns out where many people felt comfortable working together.

One simple example of the benefits. When I get a question from a teacher I send it to Jeff, James (ICE), Kit, Peter (TJC) for expert advice. 

Ahhhh, Synergy - I love that word.

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Former Unity Caucus Member: Arthur Goldstein is telling the truth about loyalty oaths

Loyalty to the truth rather than Unity makes for better sleeping at night... Roseanne McCosh, PS 8X, former Unity Caucus member

This is in response to attacks on Arthur challenging whether there is a loyalty oath. Remember when Lauren Cohen mentioned the loyalty oath at the NYSUT convention? They started booing her. Touchy, touchy, touchy.

There are Unity Caucus people who agree with us. I know because they tell me. And I think there are  more and more people in the Unity closet who would jump to the opposition if it every shows viability. I know that they never had respect for the opposition in the past, especially New Action - I watched them disparage NAC for years at Ex Bd meetings. Now that they are partners things are a little more subtle. The other night at the UFT Ex Bd meeting, there were 15 MOREistas there - the first time MORE showed up - and an interesting dialogue took place with Mulgrew that surprised a lot of people, including me. But more on that meeting later on.

One of the big fears at the top is that if MORE ever reaches a critical mass -- and to me that is a third of the working teacher vote in an election - like CORE did in their first election -- that is a game changer. (Ignore the retiree issue until MORE gets to first base.)

Until this email from Roseanne, one of my favorite correspondents, came in the other day, I hadn't realized she was in Unity at one time.

Arthur Goldstein is telling the truth about Unity loyalty oaths. I can attest to the loyalty oath.  I joined Unity when I was a much younger and less informed  UFT member and a relatively new chapter leader.  I was nominated by my DR. We even attended a meeting/dinner at a nice restaurant with Randi and her right hand man near Washington Square Park to be initiated into Unity.  Not only did I sign the oath but I also distinctly remember this guy's words when he spoke. 

He said if we disagree with Randi, we are not bad people but we can't join Unity.  I can't remember his name off hand.  I signed the damn oath myself so it definitely exists. 

I stopped paying my Unity dues years ago and started speaking up when I realized we were being led around by the nose.  Loyalty to the truth rather than Unity makes for better sleeping at night.  I might still be a Unity member---who knows---who cares.  ...... Roseanne McCosh, PS 8x

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