Yesterday marked the first day I have seen or heard of a different caucus within the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT). For decades since their founding there has been a group of individuals in control of the PFT and the collective bargaining rights of all its members. While that group has done a wonderful job of supporting and aiding teachers, nurses, non-teaching assistants (NTAs) across the city, there has been growing discontent in their lack of transparency and need for input from the membership. As a former member and activist within the PFT, I can attest to that. There is now a new group within the PFT attempting to affect change: The Caucus of Working Educators. I am glad to see their platform calls for more transparency from the union leadership and support for public education.
It would seem this idea of a group within a teacher's union is not new. As a member of New York's equivalent - the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) - I have learned more about what and how caucuses function. In this city there are two main groups: Unity-New Action and the Movement of Rank-and-file Educators (MORE) who have - on the one hand - been working together to benefit teachers all over New York and - on the other hand - competing for the leadership of the union. Each has a separate protocol they follow and wants theirs to be primary within the teacher's union.
I think these up-and-coming groups are gaining strength and I look forward to how they influence their respective cities. MORE attempted to wrest some control away from Unity-New Action in the 2013 union elections but there was such low voter turnout that no change occurred. Perhaps they can be of more influence within the UFT meetings (that is, if they are called on by UFT president Michael Mulgrew).
In Philadelphia, I am hoping that those in the Caucus of Working Educators will push to change things in their union and make PFT president Jerry Jordan think more about how he is leading the membership.
I think these up-and-coming groups are gaining strength and I look forward to how they influence their respective cities. MORE attempted to wrest some control away from Unity-New Action in the 2013 union elections but there was such low voter turnout that no change occurred. Perhaps they can be of more influence within the UFT meetings (that is, if they are called on by UFT president Michael Mulgrew).
In Philadelphia, I am hoping that those in the Caucus of Working Educators will push to change things in their union and make PFT president Jerry Jordan think more about how he is leading the membership.
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