Meet the president: District 10

Miller Photography

Mulgrew addresses the group.

Miller Photography

UFT District 10 Representative Marcus Escobar (standing) meets with PS 54 teacher John Lewis and MS 390 paraprofessional Rosemary Carrsquillo.

Miller Photography

Lawrence makes her comment about SESIS.

Just hours after Mayor Michael Bloomberg lashed out at the UFT during his State of the City address on Jan. 12, UFT President Michael Mulgrew held a Meet the President event with District 10 members. PS 32 Chapter Leader Jerry Power, whose school’s student chorus performed at the mayor’s address, said he was pleased with the performance of the students but not with the mayor’s message. In introducing Mulgrew, UFT Bronx Borough Representative Jose Vargas reminded members, “Whether there are issues in your school or not, an injury to one is an injury to all. We have to stick together.” Mulgrew insisted that the mayor’s remarks were intended to “drive a wedge between individual teachers and the union; he doesn’t get that we’re the same thing.” A senior teacher, who asked to remain anonymous, noted an increase in harassment of senior teachers. Mulgrew urged members to “document, document, document abuses and keep in contact with the union.” After Letanya Lawrence, a PS 226 special education teacher, said members were stressed out by SESIS, Mulgrew reminded them that “we’re in arbitration now, in spite of the Department of Education’s trying to stop it. So document every instance where they asked you to do work at home.”