around the uft

Holiday cheer

by Jim Callaghan

Jan 17, 2008 12:42 PM

More than 225 Brooklyn chapter leaders spent a night dancing, laughing and connecting with one another on Dec. 11 at a holiday gathering in the union’s borough headquarters.

Declaring the event a “supervisor-free zone,” UFT Brooklyn Borough Representative Howard Schoor presided over the festivities. He had plenty of help from his staff.

Lisa Fung Fernandes, chapter leader at PS 69, said the party was relaxing. She liked the idea of being able to network with other chapter leaders and discussing issues that they have in common.

“Most of the time we spend talking together is in school but it is always cut short because of time constraints,” she said. “It’s also fun meeting the people who work for the UFT, to be able to connect faces with voices on the phone.”

She said the best part of her role as chapter leader was “putting smiles on members’ faces” when she was able to help them.

Seated at a table with her colleagues from District 32 was Cynthia Monteleone, described by her district representative, Kathy Sharko, as a “super-efficient leader.” Monteleone said “It’s nice to get together like this. Too often, you feel isolated in your building because things get so hectic.”

District Representative Ellen Driesen said: “It’s important to relax like this and not always be stressed.”

UFT President Randi Weingarten dropped in and mingled. Then she helped Schoor and Special Representative Ilene Weinerman hand out raffle tickets for dinner. High Schools Representative Charlie Turner tended bar. “Finally, they found something important for DRs to do,” he quipped. Although he was not bearing gifts, Special Representative Anthony Sclafani looked resplendent in his Santa Claus outfit, ringing his bell and doing his best Jolly St. Nick imitation.

Schoor said the only thing he regretted about the night was that there was no time to play “pin the tail on the DR.”