Poor Philip Nobile, NYCATR's gadfly correspondent. Just as Sisyphus spent an eternity pushing a boulder up a mountain, only to see it roll back down, so Nobile has spent most of this school year begging the DOE and the UFT to relieve him of hardship commutes from his home in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn to ATR assignments in Staten Island. NYCATR has published some of his previous rock-rolling correspondence with the UFT gods and goddesses; below is the latest installment.
Message #1
Date: January 12, 2012From: Philip NobileTo: Thomas Bennet (UFT BASIS High School representative), Howard Schoor (UFT Brooklyn Borough Representative), Amy Arundell (UFT Special Representative)
Dear colleagues:
According to hopstop, Tottenville is 18.6 miles from my house, entailing a 1:57 commute by public transportaion. This assigment exceeds the roundtrip time limit by almost an hour! How can the union allow this abuse?
My New Dorp assignment was changed to Automotive after I complained to Tom last month. I would like the same consideration for Tottenville.
Whatever was done before can be done again, presumably.
Please let me know what you can do, not just for me, but for all ATRS.
Thanks for your consideration.
Philip
Message #2
Date: January 12, 2012
From: Howard SchoorTo: Philip Nobilecc: Debra Poulos (UFT Special Representative)
We will try to get your assignment changed. You can also file a grievance if you choose to do so.
Message #3
Date: January 12, 2012From: Philip NobileTo: Howard Schoor
Howie,
Any luck? What was the method? Whom did you call? What did they say? How did it happen the last time? If DOE said no, how do I grieve? Would this be a first? Thanks.
Philip
Image credit: http://www.mythweb.com/encyc/zooms/sisyphus.gif
I also have the same situation, I am from Staten Island and all of my assignments have been in Brooklyn. I did get a Staten Island school only after I called in a rage to Amy Arundal. If it is possible to do when a complaint is made than why can't it be done on a weekly basis? After reading your letter I will again begin to complain. I can't wait to see our schedule for regents week. I am sure we will be given the latest assignments of the day.
ReplyDeleteI would like to add 2 more things, first, I need to correct the spelling of than to then, I was on the phone talking at the same time as typing. Second, we should post our next assignments on Friday and switch them ourselves. I was informed by some of the schools that they are sometimes sent different ATR's than who they were expecting. Perhaps it is time we took matters into our own hands.
ReplyDeleteI have had assignments that take over an hour to get to, but they are all within BK high schools. I'm not sure there is a real way out of this and, much as I sympathize, it's not a battle I want to fight. I'be been cursed with long commuted my whole career, but until I became an ATR, the jobs were worth the trip. It's not the trip, to me, but the job. Sure, i chafe at taking a car service not to be late to a day which might feel meaningless. But, I'd hop a freight train to teach somewhere I loved.
ReplyDeleteThat's me - Dumped ATR. I really would go anywhere for a good or even passable or just a high school job. I've had interviewer suggest,"at your stage of the game" - referring to me, that I wouldn't want the hard job they were interviewing for and had to beg them to go through the motions of interviewing me. We are tougher than they thinly. I like to let them. Know I am no stranger to adversity. I won't let them get to me over a commute. It's talking to me like i am a child that I cant stand
ReplyDeleteI meant, "We are tougher than they think." I want to let them know I am no stranger to adversity. I don't want them to use silly excuses like I'm too old to make the trip to deny me a job. I'll MAKE THE TRIP. Give me a chance.
ReplyDelete