My friend Jack on Left in Lowell is pushing to get some type of Public Bargaining between the United Teacher’s of Lowell and the Lowell School Committee.
He is using communities like Westford, Tyngsboro and Dracut as examples for some type of public disclosure for Union Bargaining.
The question that a couple of teacher friends of mine have asked is not only why now but why only the teacher’s union?
I agreed with Jim Leary and John Leahy when they asked for public negotiations two years ago because I thought is was fair. However the teacher’s I spoke with pointed out to me that it is only the Teacher’s Union that you hear being asked to conduct their negotiations in public. You don’t hear anyone calling on the Police or Fire Unions to do this.
So it does make you wonder, why is it that the people calling for this DON”T ask for the same from higher priced staff like when they negotiated the Asst. Supt. and the Superintendents contract or from unions who don’t have as many members. Where was the call for the custodians or food service workers to have public negotiations?
Where was this interest in public contract talks when Bernie Lynch was getting his new contract or when former Supt. Chris Scott was NOT getting hers?
Why is it only the teacher union? Is it personal? Do the powers that be feel that intimidated and over-matched by Union President Paul Georges so they are using a self confessed political operative who is carrying out their wishes to try and create a public interest? Could it be they or he is trying to get some revenge for a former school committee member who they are friendly with who was so frustrated with the talks she leaked contract information to the SUN?
Jack has stated on his blog “Surrogates are deployed to eradicate that threat” is Paul Georges that much of a threat that one or more school committee members has enlisted / instructed this Blogger to try and create pressure and get a groundswell to get on this bandwagon and force the issue? Certainly no one will “eradicate” Paul nor the Union.
Is there one or more members trying to put pressure on other members to conduct public contract talks?
After listening to their arguments, I have to agree with the teachers. Their Union is being targeted. The question is by who and why? It doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense that a democratic operative who supports many candidates that the Union also backs would on his own try to do this or is he trying to lay some political capital of his own?
Why is it that only the UTL here in Lowell is being called on to negotiate in public?
Brilliant work, Gerry. My master plan is demolished.
Did you think of asking me? Nope.
Thank you to The Sun for capturing the opinions and positions of the 2011 slate of School Committee candidates. They all want a change in the way contract negotiations are done. Some want open negotiations, others prefer a “hybrid” where terms are released on an agreed to interval.
Please, see for yourself.
Dracut’s school committee did vote for public negotiations with all union and non-union employees.
Of course, the union said no.
But next time, I think the “pre” negotiation negotiations will be very interesting to watch.
A couple of thoughts.
1) If not now, when? Frankly, I favor the in camera negotiations, if they stay that way, but one senses that things now spill out, which is not in keeping with the secret negotiations.
2) The idea that someone on the School Committee is directing bloggers is silly. Maybe they are “directing” Jack, but it isn’t the Jack Mitchell that I know. Are they directing Gerry Nutter?
3) As for Jackie—it is Jackie we are talking about, isn’t it—I was sorry to see her go, but the vote last time was a signal that the voters were not happy. While I agree that members of the Teacher’s Union who lived in Lowell probably turned out in force at the election, there were also others voting. Perhaps Mr Paul Georges can enlighten us as to how many of his Union actually live in Lowell, vs those who don’t.
4) Education is critical to moving Lowell into the Twenty-First Century, so the contract with the Teacher’s Union is very important. However, the teachers are not the totality of what it will take to keep Lowell a thriving enterprise. We are all in this together and we all have to row well, so our City will live still in 2099.
Regards — Cliff
Cliff,
Jack seems to be the only person pushing this so I am just asking why.
He is also the person who wrote:
“Strangle Him In The Crib” – Though not so starkly articulated, the drum beat was clear to me. I set myself to aiding the task.
Regardless of whether you respect me less, or more, based on what I have disclosed above; you should come away with two notions: 1) A person outside the comfy, cozy “arrangement” is suspected to be an existential threat. 2) Surrogates are deployed to eradicate that threat.
If you haven’t guessed by now, please accept this awkward bit of news. Those around you; your friends, relatives, neighbors, business associates & acquaintances, are those surrogates. Most of them, to be fair, act out of loyalty. They parrot what they hear, not stopping to consider the depth of what they say. The impact it may have, good or bad. A good political operative is a conductor, freaking “Arthur Fiedler” of the local calliope. The various “instruments” simply play along.
Ya! Ya! Sure. Sure. …. So what? Why am I saying this? Because the calliope is playing another death dirge. And the chorus is, “Strangle him in the crib.”
So I have to wonder since he admits he was the “cleaner” or hitter on MacDonald for the Democratic people in power is he doing this now for someone else?
I do wonder why he seems to be attacking this Committee by questioning why they aren’t pushing more for pulic talks and by making statements like The School Committee depends on Union voters to get elected
So does the Council and his Mayor and Police and Fire Unions are pretty strong yet Jack doesn’t call his Council out only the school committee.
Unlike Jack I have NEVER stated I am out to do anyiones work..he has so the question is someone directing him is in my eyes legit especially in light of his “Strangle Him In The Crib” Post.
Gerry
OK—but is Paul G going to give us a breakdown of membership re Lowell and Non-Lowell?
Regards — Cliff
Why should he? Are you asking ALL Unions to do so?
We know that Many top earners in this city including the Manager are NOT Lowell residents and we don’t have a residency requirement so why should it matter?
According to Jack I guess it matters because the school committee may prostitute themselves to the Union to get elected?
As turnout dwindles, votes become precious. Some believe Democracy belongs to those that vote. It’s not out of the realm of possibility to find a SC member who rationalizes a give away to the Unions based on the fact that they participate.
Rarely, will anyone just accept the brand of “prostitute.”
How often do you hear Taupier talk about gutless pols that think first and foremost about re-election? Do they do it for ego? Do they do it because they are bored? Do they do it for the stipend and bennies? I’d bet you everyone of them thinks they are doing it for the right reasons: Serve the kids. Give the staff a decent workplace. Defend the taxpayers, ect.
Few pols take bold stands. Most just blah their way through, as most of the work is rather mundane. They blah their way through the campaign events, saying what attendees would like to hear. Hoping they get a vote and that voters will forget what they stood for.
I think all the SC candidates stated they favored public negotiations. Let’s see which ones are willing to lead and break a sweat trying to deliver.
Exactly. Roughly half of all Lowell government employees live outside Lowell, but a big slug living outside of Lowell live close. So, is the Union a disproportionate influence on the election? If so, do we care?
If the Lowell voters decide they do care (their taxes), and turn out in droves, is that anti-union?
Regards — Cliff
First, a blogger to blogger note, it is just plain rude to use my words and not link back to the blog. I won’t argue the context you have placed my words, you are preety much on the mark. But, it is BS that you don’t give readers the chance to see for themselves.
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You crack me up when you assert I am the only one discussing this. Do you remember the 2011 campaign? Public negotiations were a big part of it. Then, of course, you have to simply forget what has happened in Westford, Tyngsboro & Dracut. Yep! Ignore that. It is ALL in Jack’s head.
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If you pay attention, you’ll notice that the UTL is the mother of all lesser union contracts. It sets the standard for others to follow. So, to set a trend for all Unions, it is wise to start with the UTL.
All the smaller unions have come to terms with the SC and the UTL is slated to begin negotiations again, as the UTL contract ends at the end of June. Except, the contract doesn’t actually end. There is no sunset, so the UTL can ride the current contract until it becomes intolerable to them.
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The City Council is not directy engaged in union negotiations, so City-side unions are less of a concern. I’d be tickled pink to allow the CM to negotiate the School-side. But that ain’t the deal. The School Committee, directly voted for by Union members, negotiates the School-side union contracts. This is a fact that is not ignored by the rank and file:
Dear Retirees,
Because of the difficult time we retirees have had during the past year and a half in fighting to maintain our comprehensive health plans, people have asked about our views on city council and school committee candidates. The UTL and involved retirees have conducted numerous interviews with a number of the candidates and they have made recommendations for “those who have committed to, or have shown commitment to treat all current employees and retirees with dignity and fairness on issues of vital importance to us.” And though we may not agree on every position taken by every candidate, we concur with the following recommendations (along with their ballot number):
City Council: #5 Rita Mercier, #7 Patrick Murphy, #8 Corey Belanger, #11 Edward Kennedy, #13 Marty Lorrey, and # 15 Armand Mercier.
School Committee: #18 David Conway, #23 Robert Gignac, #24 Kristen Ross-Sitcawich, and #25 Kim Scott.
Unless you have a favorite candidate not on out recommended list, we advise you to vote ONLY for the recommended candidates.
-snip
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Could someone explain how transparency in School side negotiations hurts teachers? In my opinion, it doesn’t. What it does do is allow voters to evaluate the SC members, in real time. Lowellians should have the opportunity to assess how SC members do their job. It’s one thing to see the result. There is a lot more detail when we can see the process, step by step.
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You write this diary which spends most of it’s time slapping me around and completely hedges the serious matter at hand. Your wild eyed speculation, that I am being enlisted to attack the UTL or SC members who are in the pocket of the Union, is conjured for nothing more than smoke and mirrors. It is a pathetic distraction from a timely topic. Making it about me is laughable. Whoever you talk to is desperate to avoid the discussion. That is apparent.
I’m an activist and a blogger, not a politician. I pick sides on issues. I don’t try to kiss everyone’s tookus. You will find that my opinion, on this matter, is shared by others.
Apparently, you say John Leahy and Jim Leary had taken a similar position before. Will you spin them as pulling my strings? Or, could it just be, these sentiments are out there. And based on the discussions of the 2011 election, we know that is a fact.
So, kill the messenger, Gerry. Cherry pick what bits of info fit the frame your teacher friends will like and blurt it out. The discussion will now spread.
I hope that changes are made in the way the School Committee handles contract negotiations. However, if it is discussed, worked on in an honest manner and we find that we currently have the best process, then I can accept the outcome.
Bizzaro World! I disagree with Jack (not that strange I suppose) and agree with Gerry!
Look, this all comes down to one man. Paul Georges. The guy that everybody hates, people keep talking about how this hate for the guy makes him ineffective, and yet everyone still thinks the teachers get such a great deal.
Frankly I think the School Committee/City Council argument is a difference without distinction. Yes the school committee is elected and the city manager is appointed. But the superintendent is appointed and the city council is elected. Ultimately the appointed heads of the school side and the city side have a say in what happens. Ultimately, the elected bodies do have to sign off on both city and school contracts. Is it just the size of the teachers union that their voting demographics are stronger? But then Campi says all the teachers live outside the city? So many contradictions.
There is a difference between the school side and the city side and its there by the state constitution. Education funding from the state is guaranteed in a way that funding for other city departments isn’t. While many people might be fine with basically diverting funding that is specifically designed for the expressed purpose of education, some on the school side have taken a hard line. Thats where the discrepency comes from. Once the economy recovers, perhaps things will look different.
What’s “Bizzaro” is this being about Paul Georges. I like and respect, Paul. We just had a chat, maybe 2 weeks ago. I don’t blame him for using the tools that he has at hand to his advantage. He has a fiduciary to wrench what he can from the School Committee.
I tend to think he favors the wallets of teachers on the cusp of retiring over the public reputation of the rank and file, as a whole. That is my opinion, backed up by anecdotal evidence from conversation with a broad swath of teachers. As long as the senior teachers control the UTL, then it will be that way. They operate like a democracy, sorta.
Let’s not forget, I support this position:
“Wouldn’t it be better if kids were randomly selected to go to the charter school system by the Lowell Public School system? Parents could opt out, if they didn’t want their kids in a charter school.
That would make it more fair, imho.”
Yet, no one cries foul when I agree with Georges? Whatevs!
LOl Really Yet, no one cries foul when I agree with Georges? Whatevs!
That’s like me saying no one remembers when i oppose Lynch or agree with Rodney…LOL
Look, I just want, for once, for people to aknowledge that in Massachusetts, school funding is different from city funding and school funding is more “guaranteed” than city funding and at the end of the day, comparing what money goes to schools and what money goes to other city departments is ultimately an apples and oranges comparison. And that basically, people are complaining because the city isn’t using money that the state says must go to education to fund other things.