UFT/NYSUT NYSUT: History of Cozying Up to Anti-union Politicians is not new

How Revive NYSUT lies:

The tax cap was a terrible mistake. NYSUT waiting almost two full years, just two days prior to the expiration date, to file a lawsuit was irresponsible at best and did great harm. We will fight to get rid of the tax cap completely.  

Who was in charge of the NYSUT legislative program? Exec VP Andy Pallotta. Sure, he will NOW fight.

Andy Pallotta, NYSUT Exec VP, cozied up to the awful John Flanagan. Why is the Port Jefferson Station NYSUT local so vehement about opposing the Mulgrew/Pallotta coup and leading the opposition? While not entirely thrilled with the Iannuzzi performance over the last few years, they see the UFT coup as a worse option. The Flanagan story is one aspect -- see links below.

PJSTA was fine when Alan Lubin ran the political operation because they say he was effective (I don't always agree with that assessment). Pallotta has been totally ineffective, doing nothing to oppose the Cuomo property tax freeze which has crippled those locals that depend on that tax to fund education (the overwhelming majority in the state).

That has fueled the enormous pressure by these locals on Iannuzzi, who comes from one of those locals, to put curbs on the ineffective and incompetent Pallotta operation. That curb by Iannuzzi is what inflamed the UFT crowd -- Mulgrew and Weingarten because they controlled the VOTE COPE money since NYSUT was formed. How important an issue is this to the UFT? Al Shanker held the Pallotta position for over a decade as did Lubin, who at one pre-Randi point was viewed as a Shanker successor.

Andy Pallotta? A Bronx District 10 rep (not the head of the UFT Bronx as posted in some press reports) going from that position to replacing the likes of Shanker and Lubin? Clearly a case of the Peter Principle, now to be dubbed the "Andy" principle.

I and my fellow MOREistas do not excuse NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi's actions over his years in office (and his years as a NYSUT VP before that). But now that he seems to have grown a set - (well maybe not a complete set) -- he is being challenged by the same crew led by the Pallotta/Mulgrew/Weingarten team that is critical because Dick is not cozying up to Cuomo. Why is he not cozying up to Cuomo? Let's start with the Property tax. Is Revive (Rebury) NYSUT putting that issue on the table?

But this is not new. We've seen the UFT supporting the most awful politicians since I became active in the early 70s. To me the epitome came when the UFT wouldn't support fellow teacher Gene Prisco when he ran against right winger Vito Fascella for Congress, who ended up leaving in disgrace.

The PJSTA version of Fascella is Flanagan.

Check how Andy Pallotta cozied up to the awful John Flanagan on the PJSTA blog in these posts sent to me by the crew over there.

• This post details the story about Flanagan complaining to NYSUT and the district about Dimino.
• This post tells about Flanagan's top campaign contributor, Rhee's Students First.
• This post is when we held a rally outside Flanagan's office and he cowardly hid inside his office (the one where the Suffolk PAC tried to undermine us).
• This post quotes a great editorial about Flanagan that was behind a paywall.  It does a good job pointing out how he is attached to the reform agenda.
• Finally, this post shows Pallotta cozying up to Flanagan and tells how he used VOTE COPE funds to contribute to Flanagan even though NYSUT voted not to endorse Flanagan.