COVID Safety Call to Action: MORE UFT issues statement for a FIGHTING UNION; Organizes emegency call
(Excerpt) For immediate release by MORE UFT –
Weak testing protocols, an understaffed and disorganized situation room, and a refusal to send schools remote all led to the current spike in COVID cases in our schools. We understand that this is Mayor De Blasio’s crisis. De Blasio’s decision to keep schools open has directly led to thousands of students, staff, and their families being exposed to and infected by the current COVID wave.
All week long COVID cases in New York City schools have spiraled out of control and the response of the UFT, controlled by the UNITY caucus, has been ineffective at keeping our school communities safe. There has been no attempt to organize chapters to fight back; no calls for pickets, protests, or rallies; no proposals that would do anything to meaningfully pressure the Department of Education to go remote until break began or more quickly close schools that had clear evidence of COVID outbreaks. And while staff and students reported to schools all week, Mulgrew spoke to the morning news from the safety and comfort of his home. [more]