Friday, September 25, 2009

My Union Hero And Villain

As many of my readers know, I have complained about our union leaders since they seem to have lost touch with the members in the trenches they represent. For example, I have never had a union leader ask me my opinion of issues of importance to the teacher (except those stupid surveys that nobody in the union takes seriously). However, in the sea of uncaring and clueless in he classroom union leaders there are some shining stars. One of these shinning stars is Amy Arundel who has time and again went out of her way to help teacher due process rights. Amy is a special representative headquartered at 52 Broadway and tackles some of the more complex issues that cross her desk. Presently, she is looking into principals that skirted the DOE hiring freeze by hiring special education teachers for mainstream classes or long-term subs. All Chapter Leaders need to contact Amy if your Principal is guilty of hiring special education teachers for regular education classes. While I have had no personal experience with Amy Arundel, I Had heard from numerous teachers how helpful she has been in dealing with their issues. She is not beyond making calls to the DOE to work out potential problems and does not hesitate to file a grievance if the DOE refuses to work out the problem.

On the opposite side of my spectrum is Leo Casey, the "Unity" spin mister and apologist for the terrible 2005 contract that has doomed many a teacher and has made the classroom a more hostile environment. Apparently, Leo has not been in a classroom since the great flood and it wouldn't surprise me that it was Leo Casey who told the Unicorns that the rain coming from the sky was just a shower and continue playing rather then board Noah's Ark. This is the same Leo Casey who told us how wonderful it was that seniority transfer and bumping is no more and now is strangely quiet as the ATR population exploded into the thousands as a result of it. Most of them senior teachers. Yes, and it is the same Leo Casey who thought the probable cause section of the contract was a great idea since it will eliminate the pedophiles and perverts from the system. However, it also allowed the DOE to charge any teacher with it merely based upon Hearsay, and when the teacher is found not guilty of sexual misconduct, the Arbitrators never gives the teacher back the money they lost while being suspended for up to three months without pay and benefits. Further, Leo seems more interested in Durfur and Mexico than the overcrowded high schools that he is supposed to represent. To understand Leo Casey you just need to go back to his infamous Edwize article of October 20, 2005 where he defends the indefensible 2005 contract and insults teachers in the process.

When it comes to the UFT, my hero is Amy Arundel. My villain Leo Casey, who else?


Anonymous said...

Amy should look into the schools of Staten Island, Districts 21 and 20 that did not follow the procedures of the Hiring Freeze.

Chaz said...

I believe she is doing just that. Please call her if you have evidence of principals doing that.

JUSTICE not "just us" said...

Chaz another great entry. If I become the UFT Rep for my soon to close school I will depend on your blog to continue to keep me informed. Thank you.

I agree with your statements on the two individuals you mention.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately Amy doesn't make decisions about how far her actions will go. She has been rebuffed by the likes of Leo Casey, but your point is well taken.

Anonymous said...


Once again you back another union hack. Amy Arundel is a self serving unity hack and your love affair with Betsy Combier is on the same level.

Both people are self serving and use the teachers for getting over. You need to look behind the masks that they wear.

Neither of these women actually give a damn about teachers. They use us to feed on.

Get a friggin clue.

Anonymous said...

Chaz let me clarify about Arundel and Combier...

Arundel was a special rep for medical arbitration. A position that had scored no wins in 25 years. You would figure that someone in that position would help a teacher who was facing medical arbitration for fitness. The only thing she could do along with the "expert" Gene Rubin, was, tell the teacher that the process would cost $800, while the teacher was off of payroll. Or, that the teacher could resign. This was the level of concern and help that Arundel could muster. I have absolutely no doubt that she is working just as hard to go after bad principals.

Is it not these treacherous cretins that are responsible for the predicament that teachers find themselves in today?

As for "Lady Combier" this wonderful opportunist was responsible for attempting to destroy the Teachers4Action lawsuit.

She came to the various rubber rooms and started to question litigants to find out as much as she could about the strategy and details of the lawsuit. Divide and conquer courtesy of the UFT.

This was done because she was working for the UFT and the UFT was being sued by Teachers4Action.

The reason for sueing the union was the active role the UFT has had in hurting the teachers in the rubber room. You can google the case and see to what degree your union has screwed thousands of teachers who were sent to the gulags.

Betsy was sued as well by Teachers4Action. She ended up mouthing off to the judge. The interesting thing is that an employee of the UFT she was represented by the white shoe law firm Stroock, Stroock, and Lavan. The same firm that defnded the amazing Randi, the same firm that defended the Swiss and German bamks for their plunder of funds from holocaust victims.

Incidently, the same firm that Randi was a parner in. So the so called rubber room advocate is really a creature of opportunity who has abused her position to screw teachers who actually stood up to the union and the system.

She does untold damage when she "advises" the unfortunate victims of the trials process. She is not a lawyer and therefore should not be dispensing legal advice. Unless one is an attorney it is against the law to do so.

Since the entire 3020 process is corrupt it makes little difference what anyone says or does.

The illusion that anything can really be done to stop arbitrators who are wholly corrupt is pure nonsense.

When you get your shitty NYSUT lawyer to misrepresent you and force you to settle to some ruinous fine and/or suspension, just ask yourself if the union is affording you the same representation as they did Betsy Combier.

Your not getting the revolting and odious Chucky Moedler, Star Attorney of Stroock, Stroock and Lavan at $840 an hour.
No you will be getting the bargain basement scumbags of NYSUT. People who shouldn't be lawyers because they are part of the process.

When you wrote about Betsy and Amy you succeeded in thoroughly nauseating me. Your blog read like a high school paper extolling the virtues of some cheerleader who is considered to be popular at the moment.

The description of these two women can only be described as asshole creeping. Why don't you do some serious research first, before presenting a whitewash image that Goebbels would be envious of.

Chaz, most of the time your blog serves a noble purpose by helping the unfortunate people who are caught in the snare of the rubber room torture process.

However, as a member of the council of elders, that means someone whose time in this mess exceeeds yours by a good measure,junior, it would be advisable to look before you leap.

You need to look at the people who you are advertising as such wonderful creatures with due dilligence.

When you describe these examples of what is wrong with the system in favorable terms you do us all a terrible disservice.

Do not instill false hope in openly corrupt and opportunistic individuals who will only hurt teachers in their hour of need, as have these "stirling" individuals.

A concerned member of the Council of Elders.

Chaz said...


can only write about what I know. If you have addeitional information I would be happy to investigate it. However, your attack on Betsy Combier is unfair just because she was the one who identifed the teachers4action lawyer for what he is.

Howe many teachers4action teachers took his advice and refused to attend their 3020 hearing? What were the results? Termination! Great strategy.

As for Amy Arundel, I can only go by what other teachers have told me about how helpful she has been.

Anonymous said...

Chaz, I do not think that Arundel is a hero because she was part of the ATR Agreement and did not do a good job to help the teachers. They are in the same hole as before because she (Arundel) and Mendel did not keep track of the HIRING FREEEZE. We would like to know -- How many teachers are ATRS and how many got jobs. She has the numbers.

Chaz said...


The ATR agreement was a great idea. It is not Amy's fault that the DOE and the principals did not live up to the agreement.

Anonymous said...

Should she and the rest of the UNITY leadership have realized that DOE does not follow agreements unless there are sanctions for violating the agreement written within the agreement itself? As a matter of fact, the ATR agreement explicitly excludes sanctions against agreement violations and relies, instead, on DOE good faith. WHO ON EARTH WOULD SIGN THAT? Unity...knowing it looks good to the masses...while at the same time further screwing the ATR's.

Anonymous said...

is it possible that the diatribe from "get a friggin clue" and the rant from a member of the "council of elders" were actually written by NYC school teachers?
pity the poor kids- this is the level of intellectual discourse these two have sunk to- comparing Arundell to a Nazi and using hackneyed expressions like "hack" to describe her?
i would pull my kids out of any classroom where these two were teaching- what a disgrace to an honorable profession, but that is the problem with blogs where moral cowards feel free to make ad hominem attacks on someone they dont even know!
did these two get their G.E.D or just sent away to a mail order house for their college diploma?
I happen to know and admire Ms. ARundell and those two dont have the stature to carry her breifcase. she works harder for the members than anyone I know. grow up you pathethic simple minded losers! I am turning over in my grave.
-John Dewey

Chaz said...

To all: Even in bad organizations there are good people who care and produce. I find it objectionable that some believe that all "Unity" people are the same. I try to find those good people who are for the members.

Anonymous said...

Dear "John Dewey,"

From the contents of your missive it would appear that you are employed by the same corrupt union that pays the salaries of those two horrid women, Betsy and Amy.

It's nice to read your appraisal of an individual's education. It is a shame that you cannot go about your mission of extorting yet more funds from the victims/members of the UFT (which has not represented teachers for quite some time, and which now extorts money from more non-teachers than teachers).

I hope that you enjoy your double pension, expense account, gas allowance and cell phone at our expense.

You will soon become extinct since the union is moving to invalidate itself. The give backs and horrendous contracts assure this outcome.

As for your rant about Nazis, wasn't it the Vichy who based their policy on collaboration?

Ring a bell? Since you have nothing better to do than read educational blogs, I suggest that you do not embarrass yourself and the hoods that you work for by writing responses to what you read.

Why don't you redouble your efforts to shake down your marks instead of being a total blowhard?

It is good that you admire people who serve no viable function except to bloat themselves at our expense. Perhaps you admire Amy because of the money she is taking from the members.

As far as teachers, you wouldn't know a good one if he slapped you in the face.

Unity Hack, get a friggin' clue.

Anonymous said...

Ms. or Mr. John Dewey -

1. If you, yourself, are no moral coward, why are you not identifying yourself?

2. "John Dewey?" Please pardon my ungrammatical expression now: You are a champion in the field of thinking who you are! Translation: to use "John Dewey" as a pen name is just a bit fatuous and laughable.

3. You seem to have a problem with matters such as simple capitalization. Did you, do you teach children in your care to write thus?

4. I'm truly sorry if you believe that disparagement of Amy Arundell is either undeserved or malicious.

I know Amy too well. I know her in several capacities, including her incarnation of UFT teacher.

I believed, once upon a time, that Amy was both reasonable and responsible.

Amy Arundell is neither. Amy Arundell excells at hoodwinking teachers into placing confidence in her. She, like every UFT "suit," literally lives off the work and suffering of those who truly labor - teachers.

One of her stock ways of helping teachers whom she is hired to protect and defend is to advise, with much phony and sickening show of sympathy, that we quit our jobs.

Do your research, child, and cease attacking your intellectual and moral betters.