THE PATRIOT RETURNS |
Vol. 28, No.2 January 17, 2006 Another Angry Missive from the Frustrated Membership
IN A RECENT NUMBER OF THE PATRIOT RETURNS, WE PUBLISHED "AN OPEN LETTER TO BARBARA BOWEN". IN THAT PIECE, AN ANGRY MEMBER OF THE PSC EXPRESSED HER/HIS FRUSTRATION WITH THE NEW CAUCUS' KRAZY KONTRACT KAMPAIGN, AND INSISTED THAT THE DEAR LEADER DELIVER ON THE LONG DELAYED GOODS. WE ALSO OFFERED OTHER EXASPERATED MEMBERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES IN OUR ELECTRONIC PAGES. THE FOLLOWING LETTER IS BUT A SAMPLE OF THE LETTERS, E-MAILS AND FAXES THAT WE'VE RECEIVED TO DATE. "Whatever happens with the transport workers' contract, their struggle illustrates how much force it takes to break through a politics deeply hostile to working people." "In the most material sense, [the TWU's] fight is our fight." --Barbara Bowen (December 15 and 21)
President Bowen: In your latest series of "contract updates" (none of which contained any actual information about our long-overdue contract) you inexplicably group college professors in with "working people," as if we are all united in some grand "fight" against some evil "politics." Aren't professors professionals? Aren't we in the Professional Staff Congress? I worked hard and borrowed money to get a Master's Degree from Yale, and I have a lot more in common with Mayor Bloomberg than with someone who cleans trash from the subway. It is the height of arrogance for you, in your pampered, released-time, golden parachute-protected position funded by my dues dollars, to think that you could possibly show true "solidarity" with the average TWU member. The worst possible working conditions on the worst CUNY campus pale in comparison to those faced on a daily basis by TWU workers in their thankless, dangerous jobs. I've never been to PSC headquarters, so I don't know what your office looks like, but I certainly don't face electrified third rails, rats, or oncoming subway trains in my classrooms. It also amazes me that you claim so much solidarity with "working people" and yet you have learned so little from them. In addition to (unfortunately) being a member of PSC, I worked many years to become a member of the IATSE stagehands union Local One--a proud working person's union more than 100 years old. Many of the leaders of Local One didn't even go to college, and yet they are far more effective negotiators and leaders than anyone currently in the PSC, because they, unlike you, know how to effectively negotiate. They, unlike you, consistently deliver good contracts for their members. They, unlike you, make tough choices about the welfare programs and don't place all the blame on the employers. Local One's president recently boasted how effective their PAC activities had been, because they had endorsed winning candidates who will deliver for the union. They, unlike you, will likely get something out of their political efforts since they endorse candidates whose interests are aligned with the interests of the membership, rather than those who might work to bring about your personal, long-discredited utopian dreams. On top of that, Local One far more effectively services their membership. This summer, I needed a form for vision plan reimbursement, so I went onto the PSC website, where, in this day and age, on the website of a union representing educated professionals, I would expect to find that kind of form available for easy download. Of course, I couldn't find the form I actually needed, but I could find documents like "International Committee Pamphlet---Globalization, Privatization, War: In Defense of Public Education inn (sic) the Americas." Amazingly, I did manage to find an email address, and sent a message to the appropriate staff person on August 3rd. I received no response whatsoever from the PSC, until a form arrived via snail mail, post marked September 15th--43 days later. Was the staffer, paid with my dues money, out on some other union's picket lines instead of handling my simple request? Local One not only understands what its role is (getting good contracts for the membership), but it also doesn't fritter away my dues money on stupid film festivals; it doesn't engage in pointless, idiotic, and ineffective publicity stunts; and it doesn't give my dues money to union staff to go out and demonstrate with other unions who have nothing at all to do with my professional life. You are entitled to any political viewpoint you want, but you are not entitled to squander my hard-earned dues dollars in pursuit of your radical agenda. Stop trying to change the world on my dime. Do your job ---your only job--- and get us a good contract. And get it NOW. John Huntington
SORRY STEVE, WRONG NUMBER! Here at The Patriot Returns, we are always flattered when the PSC's leadership takes the time to read, and reflect on, our humble virtual missives. Thus, we were pleased to see First Vice-President "Foggy" London's e-mail to members of the Delegate Assembly regarding our recent efforts. Steve pointed out, quite correctly, that the first number of our 28th volume was misdated 2005, rather than 2006. We thank Steve for noting that erratum, and we have made the necessary minor correction. It appears that our copy-editor was quite tired when proofreading this number: like many of us, he has not had a raise since August 2001, and must work a second job to supplement his skimpy CUNY salary. In addition, he needs new glasses, but can't afford them under our risible vision plan. We did observe, however, that while Steve applied his famous "foggy" math to the seemingly intractable question of the size of the bargaining unit, he did not take issue with the numbers used by the union's attorneys, or by himself and Barbara Bowen. Doubting the Dear Leader's word is, of course, a sensible policy: Steve knows this well from the 2000 PSC election. But rejecting his own testimony before the New York Assembly? This strikes us as rather strange, if not schizophrenic. In any case, ours was a printer's error, whereas Steve's might be a matter of perjury. As before, Steve again derides our "unsolicited" newsletters as "spam," and suggests that they be deleted upon arrival. (We won't comment on the delicious irony of "Foggy" using an unsolicited e-mail message to denounce "unsolicited e-mail messages.") He seems not to have noticed that each number of The Patriot Returns concludes with a "To be removed click on the following link: remove me" option. This is more than the First Vice President has offered to his virtual readership so far. The membership, however, may have the opportunity to remove Foggy and his friends from office in the spring. In the meantime, Steve's idiosyncratic take on free speech has had unintended consequences. After his last attack on The Patriot, our readership has increased by some 158 subscribers. At this rate, we'll be able to reach all the misplaced members in no time. Thanks again, Steve!
A MOST APPROPRIATE CELEBRATION!
Due to dislocations caused by their time on the TWU's picket line, the PSC was forced to postpone the annual December holiday party. The rescheduled event was held at the union's West 43rd Street offices (hardly a festive venue) on January 9th, and featured a grab bag--which some of the officers seem to have confused with our dues. From inside sources, we've learned that all had a pleasant time, including the usually dour Dear Leader. We were pleased to see that the union chose to hold it on a most appropriate occasion: the birth date of Richard M. Nixon. Their differences regarding dialectical materialism notwithstanding, we can see more than a few parallels between presidents Bowen and Nixon, from their probity to their paranoid political style. Happy Nixon's Birthday, Barbara!
The other Dear Leader greets fans at the PSC holiday party
Sharad Karkhanis, Ph.D. Forthcoming issues of The Patriot may be accessed at http://www.patriotreturns.com/. |
