Strike for Lives!

Health Care Workers Strike for Protections

By SEIU Health Care

 

Day 6 is behind us and day 7 has begun. Yesterday we had a press conference at federal plaza with workers from all 11 nursing homes attending. It was great to see the solidarity and for them to share their stories about why they decided it was time to stand together for change in their homes. 

You may have seen it on the news, Illinois Nursing home deaths have now topped 6,000 and 1,117 are from the 11 Infinity Nursing where SEIU Healthcare members are striking. 8 of these homes have ACTIVE Covid-19 outbreaks. Our members are fighting for PPE to be able to protect themselves and their residents. There are some members who haven’t seen family in months because they know their work can compromise or possibly endanger their loved ones. Yet they continued to go to work and to negotiate until it was clear there was no other option.

 

We are striking to win the basic dignity and respect anyone who expect to receive. How can we call healthcare workers HEROES and not provide them with PPE, Hazard pay, base wages of $15 and adequate staffing? It’s not right and it’s not fair. And we will continue to fight on.

 

To support our members there are several things you can do:

 

1. Donate to the strike fund here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/infinity-strike-fund

 

2. Share on Social Media

 

See details of how to download/and our share suggested social media here: https://seiuhcilin.org/infinity-social/

 

Option 1: “An injury to one is an injury to all” text & graphic

Option 2: Twice on Sundays

Option 3: Share the 2 PM livestream

3. Join us on the line, details below:

South Point Nursing & Rehabilitation Center	1010 West 95th St	Chicago	60643	6-10:00AM – 12-4:00PM
Momence Meadows Nursing & Rehabilitation Center	500 S Walnut	Momence	60954	8:00 - 12:00PM
Oak Lawn Respiratory	9525 S Mayfield	Oak Lawn	60453	6-9:00AM – 2-4:00PM
City View Multi Care Center	5825 Cermak Rd	Cicero	60804	9:30AM - 2:00PM
Lakeview Nursing Center	735 W Diversey	Chicago	60647	6-10:00AM -12-4:00PM
Continental Care Center	5336 N Western Ave	Chicago	60625	6-9:00AM - 1-4:00PM
Ambassador Nursing Center	4900 N Bernard	Chicago	60625	6-10:00AM - 9:30-1:30pm
West Suburban Nursing	311 Edgewater Dr	Bloomingdale	60108	7:00AM-1:00PM
Forest View Rehabilitation	535 S Elm	Itasca	60143	6-10:00AM
Niles Nursing & Rehab	8555 Maynard	Niles	60714	6-10:00AM – 12-4:00PM
Parker Nursing and Rehabilitation Center	516 West French Street	Streator	61364	6-10:00AM – 12-4:00PM

4. Join our Car caravan on Tuesday December 1^st 8am at Oaklawn rehab and respiratory or 9am at Forest view Rehab. Email me if you plan to participate.

 

Up with the workers!

#strikeforourlives #protectallworkers #onedaylonger #oneday stronger

 

EBD

 

 

Erica N. Bland-Durosinmi

Executive Vice President

SEIU Healthcare IL/IN/MO/KS

2229 S Halsted St.

Chicago, Il 60608

312.296.9898 cell

312.980.9017 office

Paretents Protest Remote

PARENTS PROTEST AGAINST ON-LINE

By Stephen Wilson

 

             In recent weeks parents of school children have been rallying and demanding to know whether it is really necessary to enforce on-line education for 6th to 11th grade classes

until December 7th and beyond. They are anxious about the falling quality of education as well as declining physical and psychological health of pupils, parents and teachers.

 

"I got a message sent to me from my teacher at 11 p.m. on Sunday asking me to do my homework for tomorrow which was originally intended to be finished by next Friday. I wrote back saying I couldn't do it! Then I read on the computer that I had got a mark two{failed }. Then I got 86% for a test. What mark do you think I should have got? {usually a student would get a four or five} Well, I got a three. We have been doing nothing but tests and more tests. I did the same test seven times! I don't mind the teacher forgetting, but why should I do the test 7 times?

  

I have been getting twos for all kinds of strange reasons. I made one mistake in the geography and I was given a two. I asked the teacher why and she gave no explanation but simply said, "Well that is what I have given and that is that". I told other friends about what problems I was having and they said they were also having this problem. As I understand it is forbidden for pupils to sit more than one test a day. But we often do seven tests a day. Most teachers just send us homework and tests to do and that is it. Only two or three teachers give on-line lessons. I think I'll end up in a psychiatric hospital if this goes on," stated Dmitri ,{Not his real name} a 14-year-old school boy. 

A Russian teacher of English Oksana Chebotareva confirmed that teachers should not give more than one test a day. She stated, "Before we decide to go ahead and give a test we have to check in the school notice board if other teachers are about to go ahead with a test so we don't break the limit".

The exasperation of school students is understandable. And many teachers never mind pupils didn't know when exactly Olympiad tests were to be held yesterday and many pupils missed them. Few people felt inclined to sit such tests on a Sunday morning and many people could not sit them because they did not have the required password. {Olympiad tests are special exams which would allow pupils who score very highly to enter universities.}

 

In recent weeks Russia, like many other countries has been hit hard by Covid 19. The number of people being infected has soared to record levels leaving many people numbed or reeling from the pressure. As many 20,000 and well over a day have been infected and the death rate is far higher than official figures. In response to this crisis the mayor of Moscow Sobyanin decided to avoid a full scale lock down instead choosing the golden mean of imposing stronger restrictions such as people with chronic illnesses and over 65 have to stay at home, 30% of workers at a company operating on-line and older school students in the 6th to 11th grade going on-line while the younger pupils go to school. Despite those measures, there seems little reprieve from this illness. And the impact of this illness on people should never be underestimated. A local Orthodox Priest I used to listen to at my local church died of this illness and teachers have also died. Peter Rezvykh, who teaches philosophy at Moscow State University stated he knew of around 3-4 philologists who work at the university who have died.

 

The switch to both on-line work and school lessons has led to a highly stressful home environment. Some teachers have become more tense and angry with their pupils, some children are losing their temper after doing on-line lessons for seven hours and there is often not enough available computers to use. Many mothers can't afford to give up their jobs to supervise their kids. But face to face lessons can be problematic. I personally have lost two face to face students because the fathers of family returned infected with Covid 19. As a result I am teaching mainly on-line.

 

Due to  those intense pressures some parents in Moscow have gathered together to protest against the policy to keep older children at home On-line. They demand that their children be sent back to school on the grounds On-line education not only represents poorer quality education but puts unneeded pressures on pupils and parents. For example, Ilona Menkova , a spokesperson for 'Parents of Moscow' argued that there was no need for schools to switch to On-line as it is not an emergency situation in schools. 

"Before, when one pupil got ill not all the pupils were sent home. Instead, we carried on studying ... There is no information available about the illness of children between the ages of 11 and 18. We demand the publication of such statistics of sick children in Moscow". The government responded by publishing such statistics and the group concluded that, "Covid 19 does not kill children. Now we know". 

Actually, we don't know. It is fair to state that there has not been enough research to prove whether children die from such an illness and it is rash to jump to such conclusions. Some people are angry about the almost light way some parents speak about only a small percentage of children being infected. They also forget that some teachers have been infected by this illness and died. The figures of teachers dying in the regions is much higher. Olga Stefanova a Teacher stated, "I am worried that some of the Russian teachers are vulnerable to this illness because many of them are in their fifties and sixties. It is not easy for teachers to go on-line. I noticed that one teacher who is nice and good with children spoke a bit nervously while giving a lesson." Nevertheless a petition requesting pupils return to school has gathered around 2000 signatures. Russian newspapers regularly report of 'Parents going to the barricades'.

 

One of the most disquieting aspects of this lingering crisis is that nobody is sure when it will end. Some school students believe that On-line lessons will be extended again and again into 2021 and even 2022! One point to emerge from this is that such a grim experience has practically killed many illusions in On-line Education as an attractive and viable alternative. On-line education is now seen as only a last resort or reserve resource rather than an ideal program of the future. Oksana Cheborateva was besieged by students at both the institute and school who told her, "Let us just hand our homework to you on school pads in the classroom rather than sending it to you electronically. We are sick of doing and sending homework On-line." Oksana happily agreed.

Burritos for Homeless

A Group Truly Responsive to the Needs of the Homeless:

Urban Bike Food Ministry Chicago

By Thomas Hansen, Ph.D.

There are something like 10,000 families in Chicago who are homeless (https://www.chicagohomeless.org/new-report-on-family-homelessness-in-chicago/).  I hope my writing on this blog and in other publications has helped in some way and will continue to help—if not by encouraging the giving of resources at least by creating  awareness out there.  I think this number is too high.  Some people would argue there should be no homeless families at all.

However, in the meantime, it is important for the homeless to find resources, to secure food and water, and to locate goods such as aspirin, Tylenol, and bandaids.  Indeed all of these things are bandaids for a much larger wound.

In one article I spoke about the wide variety of helper groups one finds out there, traveling the city to deliver goods, food, information, and other resources to people in need (“Helper Groups Who Assist the Homeless,” August 11, 2020, http://secondcityteachers.blogspot.com/2020/08/volunteer-to-help.html).  There are groups that travel, groups in churches and agencies, plus other groups of persons, clubs, and friends around the city helping in different kinds of ways.

In another article, I reported on the kinds of responses I have gotten from homeless persons about what kinds of items they actually need or want (“The Kinds of Items Homeless Persons Really Need; How You Can Help,” July 20, 2020, http://secondcityteachers.blogspot.com/2020/07/homeless-needs.html).  Homeless persons consistently tell me it works out best if the person is bringing them a donation they have asked for.  For example, if a helper is near a grocery store, they can ask what food item(s) the homeless person might like.  If the homeless persons want or need some fresh fruit like bananas, giving them a chance to ask for some restores a little dignity at the same time it gives them something relevant to their world. 

In that second article, I stressed the importance of communication in dealing with not just the homeless but all people right now in this time of crisis.  When communicating with the homeless specifically, I talked about how it is essential to get ideas and feedback from the people in need.  You can simply ask people what they want (deodorant?), if there are foods to avoid (dairy?), and if there are any special items related to the homeless person’s health (low-dose aspirin for heart patients).     

One group that is very good at listening to the needs of the homeless on the north side is the Chicago chapter of the “Urban Bike Food Ministry (UBFM),” headquartered in Memphis.  Up and down Broadway on the north side, and now into other areas, UBFM is known by many people as the “Burrito Buddies” or other nicknames because of the famous sandwiches they deliver to hungry people. 

Homeless people plan ahead—and one person talking about the ministry called the riders “saviors she looks forward to seeing Thursday night” because of not only the desperately needed food and water but also other items, their friendship, and the dignity they show to the homeless.  Susan makes a point of being around for those burritos.  “I can’t be away from my corner on Thursday because the guys will be coming and I want to see them,” she warns.   

Brought to Chicago by Wil Crutchfield, the ministry is a good example of a team of people who really care, really want to provide what is needed by the homeless.  He knows about harsh Chicago weather too, coming here from Memphis and feeling a little shocked by his first winter here—which he remembered as being “incredibly cold!”

Crutchfield brought a thorough understanding of UBFM with him from Tennessee.  He encourages the members of the group.  He tells of the goals of the group, and mentions how there are also branches in Nashville and Des Moines.

“Wil is the godfather of UBFM Chicago,” explains Randy Schlesinger, member and organizer of the mission.  “He appreciates personal growth and he is really talented in inspiring it in others.”  

Schlesinger states there are currently about 15 active members and some observers also.  He says a typical “ride” usually consists of about 4 to 6 helpers.  They have recently tried some rides in some new neighborhoods and hope to expand.  However, they can only do so much.  They will need more riders, more sponsors, and more helpers.

Schlesinger says he would be thrilled to get more riders but that you do not have to ride to help.  There is a chef who does not ride but who provides nourishment. Also, there is assistance coming not only from individuals but also from a formal sponsorship by Edgewater Mutual Aid (https://edgewatermutualaid.org/about-us).  This organization, formed in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, distributes food and other needed resources in their own right.

What kinds of food and resources does UBFM distribute to homeless persons?  They bring a wide variety of food--burritos, sandwiches, granola bars, water, and soda pop—just to name a few examples.  They also bring vitamins, women’s products, aspirin, and hand sanitizer.  Other items include socks, underwear, shampoo, masks, gloves, and when needed, certain specific items of clothing.

All of these things come to the homeless in response to need.  The members of UBFM listen to the homeless persons and respond.  Schlesinger states seriously: “there is no surplus of anything on our needs list; it all goes to use.”

When asked how he convinces people to join in the work UBFM does, Schlesinger explains how individuals can go on rides to experience firsthand the giving—and meet the people living on the street.  He says that while the group members do distribute food and goods, they also “distribute positive thoughts and ideas toward mutual growth.”  It is not just about dropping by with sandwiches.  He stresses,  “When you ride with UBFM, you receive as much or more than you provide.”      

The ministry, just like the mutual aid group, grew out of local need.  This is a grassroots effort, not a government agency.  With the local emphasis and people getting “hooked on helping,” I asked Randy how new riders or sponsors can get involved.

He explained how easy it is to find the groups: UBFM Chicago and Randy Schlesinger both have Facebook pages; Edgewater Mutual Aid has an information-packed website.  People like Randy Schlesinger and Wil Crutchfield are out there in that challenging Chicago weather helping those who need it most.

Schlesinger was excited there might be readers of this piece who could become members of the mission.  He said, “If you think you’d like to help, please reach out to me and let’s discuss it!”  He added, “There are ways to help from your home and we can always use more riders.”     

Aspira's Last Stand?

North River Plans to Move into Aspira Charter Middle School

By Jim Vail

Are Aspira's days finally numbered? The North River
Elementary school plans to move into the building that like
most neighborhood schools is grossly under-enrolled.

You could call this a strange twist of fate.

The Aspira Charter Middle School engineered an inside deal with the city in 2005 to take over a brand new building despite promises made that the new middle school would be a public school to relieve the overcrowded Haugan Elementary School in Albany Park.

Now the controversial charter school could be kicked out of the building they have called home for the past 15 years in yet another inside deal, only this time a public school has plans to move into their building and eventually take it over.

The North River Elementary Public School that currently rents space in the Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church near Montrose and Kedzie plans to move into the Aspira Charter Middle School, and eventually kick the charter operator out.

However, Dianne Daleiden, a math teacher at North River, is concerned about the announcement first made at their school's local school council to move into the Aspira building at Lawndale and Leland because there is no parking. It is difficult to find street parking, and a small lot to park for the school must be shared with the teachers at Aspira, as well as middle school teachers from Haugan Elementary who also plan to move into the building.

The proposal for North River Elementary School to move into Aspira Charter Middle School will be on the Chicago Board of Education's meeting agenda this Wednesday, November 18.

Daleiden said the Chicago Teachers Union has called for a meeting this Friday to discuss the proposed move and how it will affect the teachers at the three schools. Aspira is a charter school, but its staff is part of the CTU. 

She questioned why the union would call a meeting for teachers after the board meeting this Wednesday. The board trustees could vote on the move with minimal community or teacher input.

The Aspira name has been synonymous with corruption and inside deals ever since it took over the beautiful new building that cost taxpayers about $25 million. In 2005 the Haugan Elementary School pleaded with the board of ed to build a middle school to relieve the overcrowded elementary school. It was then agreed that the Haugan teachers would move with the 6, 7 and 8th grade students to the new building. But like an ominous creature appearing out of nowhere, they swooped in and declared that the building would be the new home of a charter school. This outraged the community, but every local politician including newly elected City Clerk Iris Martinez were in on the corrupt inside deal.

The deal made no sense at all. Aspira could not run a school, and the Sun-Times wrote several articles denouncing the decision to let them run a charter school. Aspira was so inept changing principals like Trump changing wives, not ordering enough textbooks and discipline problems so bad where gang bangers from the nearby Roosevelt High School were openly recruiting members inside the building.

It was so bad that parents formed a group called Parents Against Aspira that documented the problems at the school, pleading with Chicago Public Schools officials to remove Aspira. 

The parents led me to reporting for Substance News the horrific story of an art teacher named Basil who had to go in hiding after the Aspira community led a witch hunt to oust her. The Sun-Times ran a front page headline "Racist Teacher Fired from Aspira" that of course incited anger in the Hispanic community. Basil, who I found out was an elderly and sweet art teacher who changed careers to become a teacher had explained to the students in one class that Mexicans cleaning homes or sweeping floors is not a bad thing. All jobs have dignity, she told them. Suddenly one student stood up and screamed out, "Mexicans are only good for sweeping floors, she says!" The student then led a few other students in a march to denounce their alleged racist teacher. It was so bad that Basil told me she was afraid to leave the building when they fired her because crowds were gathering all around to denounce her. Why would they lead a posse against a little meek art teacher? She had questioned whether the school was following labor law practice, such as why were teachers not getting the state mandated amount of time for lunch break. Several years later she won an EEOC lawsuit against Aspira for the false charges and destroying her reputation.

But that was exactly how Aspira operated. It was a political operation that used protesters to line political pockets. 

And politicians like Martinez, who was the area's state senator at the time, benefited from this. Aspira director Jose Rodriguez served as her treasurer, and once served as a trustee on the Board of Education under Mayor Richard Daley until he was forced to resign because he ran the Aspira social agency that was getting city contracts, which was a conflict of interest since he was a trustee voting on awarding vendor contracts to the public schools.

Aspira corruption hit the big time when a federal lawsuit was filed against them for strip searching their female students. The revelation was an embarrassment to then CPS Chief Arne Duncan, who touted the charter operator despite the problems. The lawsuit was filed the week when President Barack Obama named Duncan his secretary of education.

Aspira made a crafty move by immediately agreeing to its staff becoming unionized, an unusual situation since charter schools fight against union drives because it would force them to pay their teachers more like their counterparts at the public schools under a CTU contract.

Aspira was able to cash in on the corrupt charter school craze because people like Rodriguez and UNO Charter director Juan Rangel got the vote out in their respective Puerto Rican and Mexican communities for the corrupt Daley regime. 

But today the tables have turned. UNO ousted the corrupt Rangel, who had worked for Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and renamed their network of charter schools Acero. Acero also has a unionized staff who went on the first ever charter school teachers strike in 2018. Rodriguez was also eventually ousted from Aspira.

Today gentrification is the name of the game. Real estate prices play a big role in deciding what schools get built. While charters have primarily invaded the South and West Sides of the city to replace the public schools that were closed, middle class families look for magnet public schools.

North River fits that bill. The school is not a neighborhood school but a semi-magnet school or non-attendance boundary school where students must apply to get accepted. This part of Albany Park is seeing white middle class families slowly replacing working class immigrant families.

The neighborhood high school Roosevelt where gang bangers once openly recruited students at Aspira has also seen a lot of change over the past 10 years. Teachers say they do not have the rough students causing problems like in years past. One former student is currently attending the University of Chicago.

Aspira like many neighborhood schools is grossly under-enrolled due to the loss of affordable housing in the city. One teacher said they have about 200 students in a building that can house 1,000.

The fact that North River pays a lot of rent to Our Lady of Mercy at a time when the city is facing a budget crisis due to the pandemic could also play a role.

The North River principal told his LSC that the alderman supports the move, but there has been no community meetings to discuss it.

Engels

TWO HUNDRED YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF ENGELS

By Stephen Wilson

 

           He certainly made a name for himself in Russia. His presence is betrayed by countless statues, squares and streets commemorating his name. In Russia alone as many as 455 streets and squares are named after him. And Russian historical journals have featured articles on him as two hundred years have passed since his birth in the town of Barmen, in Germany, on the 28th of November 1820. Due to the highly controversial influence of Marxism on the fate of Russia, Russians  can either curse him or attempt to at least establish what was the main gist of his beliefs. Have his views been distorted by the example of the Russian revolution or can you blame him for what happened in Russia? For example, one historian states in a recent article in the Journal 'Historian', Number 11,{71} November 2020, that Engels would have reacted highly negatively to the bloodshed of the revolution - 'Of course, they would have been very against all this bloodshed' states the Russian historian Alexander Tsipko.' He partly views Engels as being part of humanist movement who sought to alleviate the appalling conditions of the working class they witnessed in England during the 19th century. But some Russians are less charitable. Engels, along with Marx, have been accused not only of hypocrisy, but Russo phobia!  

 For instance, in the latest issue of the journal Rodina, {November 2020,number 11} Nikolai Andreev asks how on earth could Engels, a capitalist who owned a textile factory, complain about how capitalists treat the workers when he himself was making a profit from workers in Manchester? Did he do anything himself to alleviate the conditions of workers in his own factories such as cutting their long hours, boosting their wages and improving their dreadful housing conditions? Andreev can't find any evidence he took such measures. We just don't know. As far as I know no historian has bothered to research the fate of Engels own workers. Until then the allegations that he was a pure hypocrite lack concrete evidence. 

 I heard the same allegation being made against Engels when I was a student forty years ago. After all he could have done what Robert Owen did in New Lanark in Scotland when he not only made great improvements in the conditions of his factories, but provided decent housing and access to education. But perhaps Engels did something like this. Who knows?

 

What is evident is that Friedrich Engels played a profound role in the birth, development and spread of Marxism. Without his financial support it is difficult to imagine how Marx would have found the time to devote his time and energy to writing the work Das Kapital. Engels was modest about his role as a key partner. He declared - 'Marx could well have done without me. What Marx accomplished I would not have achieved. Marx stood higher, saw farther, and took a wider and quicker view than the rest of us. Marx was a genius.' In fact, some critics claim that Engels himself oversimplified, misrepresented and distorted the works of Marx. But what Engels tried to do was to convey the views of Marx in a simple, straightforward and more accessible way so that he would reach a wider audience. If you have ever tried to read the volumes of Das Kapital then you 'll quickly grasp this point. When I brought a copy of Volume one of Das Kapital to college a Marxist told me, "Forget about reading that. You'll never make head or tale of that. Nobody can get through that". 

 Lenin argued that, 'You cannot understand Marxism and you cannot fully explain it without taking into account the works of Marx and Engels.' It is worth noting that  2 volumes of Das Kapital are in fact the work of both Marx and Engels as Engels edited, rewrote, selected, ordered and completed them. Engels himself stated that, "There is no one but me who can decipher this handwriting and these abbreviations of words and style." Marx's handwriting was atrocious. Few people could make it out. When Marx once desperately applied for a post as a railway clerk, he failed to get the job because of his bad handwriting. One wonders whether he was greatly relieved by this rejection or regretted it.

 

Whether he played second fiddle to Marx or not he wrote many works. In 1845 he wrote 'The Condition of the English Working Class', shared authorship with Marx in his famous Communist Manifesto, The German Ideology, and later wrote 'The Origin of the Family, the Property and the State ' as  well as many other works.

 

What kind of man was Friedrich Engels? He was no doubt a very pragmatic and down to earth man who understood he had to go into business to get by. Although Engels was born in Barmen in Germany he ended up taking the reins of the family business in Manchester. He seemed to have a cheerful temperament and enjoyed horse riding, hunting foxes, as well as drinking. Although he never had a further education he was very knowledgeable in a wide area of subjects. He was a polyglot. He could speak as many as eight languages including Russian. The idea that he was anti Russian widely misses the mark. He certainly detested the Tsar, serfdom and the role Russia played in crushing the revolutions of 1848-49. However, he  had a high opinion of Russian culture and appreciated it. Engels was usually a very cheerful, warm and generous person who liked to live life to the full. But in many ways he had the opposite temperament to Marx. While Marx was very tidy and disorderly, Engels liked order; Marx was a very family-orientated person while Engels was not; Engels tended to dress with care and groomed himself while Marx forgot about his appearance. You can see this just by looking at their photos. While Engels took the trouble to trim his beard, Marx just let it sprout out and about. 

 You might think they were the odd couple. But what united them was a common belief in the fact that the working class were subjected to grave injustices and that the working class and a revolutionary party were capable of building a fairer and more just society. It is easy to understand why Engels became a socialist. The conditions of the English working class were appalling in Manchester. As many as 57% of children of the workers died before they reached the age of 5 and as many as 350,000 workers in Manchester were living in damp barracks you'd hesitate to call homes. Children were growing up with distorted  and stunted bodies and aging before their time. In the words of Marx, people grew up 'crippled monstrosities' where their talents and creativity were crushed. Marx and Engels were motivated by a new vision of humanity where a person could develop all his wider abilities and talents. Both Engels and Marx were against a person overspecializing in just one form of activity which led him or her feeling completely powerless and alienated. His idea of a communist society was spelled out as follows:

'In communist society, where nobody has one exclusive sphere of activity but each can become accomplished in any branch he wishes, society regulates the general production and thus makes it possible for me to do one thing today and another tomorrow, to hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, rear cattle in the evening, criticize after dinner, just as I have a mind without ever becoming hunter, fisherman, shepherd or critic'.{Engels and Marx,1845}

If you read diligently the works of Marx and Engels you'll discover that they were for freedom of the press and speech, and against forced labor of any kind. In fact, they aimed to liberate people from the forced labor they had witnessed in Manchester. Engels once stated that the occurrence of a revolution can become an authoritarian event as force is used. He preferred a scenario where a revolution would come about peacefully. Unfortunately, you never hear this voice of Engels or how he warned that his ideas might not be appropriate for Russia as Russia was too undeveloped and not ready for such a change. Two centuries have passed and people are still putting their own words into Engels'  mouth. The least we could do is let Engels speak for himself. That is we should patiently and properly read him.

Robots Replace Teachers?

BOOK REVIEW

ROBOTS REPLACING TEACHERS?

HOMO DEUS

A brief History of Tomorrow, by Yuval Noah Harari

Published by Vintage ,London, 2017

 

Review by Stephen Wilson

 

You cannot avoid the figure which suddenly looms up. For on the huge window of Dom Knigi in Sokol, Moscow you see his figure flanked by his works such as Homo Sapiens, Homo Deus and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century. The huge photo is of the author Yuval Noah Harari  whose presence in Russia has become inconspicuous. His book boasts of being a bestseller that has sold a million copies. His main works can be bought in Russian.

 

Part of the attractive appeal of his works lie in the fact that he is not afraid to grapple with controversial as well as relevant issues which worry so many people. His work is written in a simplistic, straightforward and concise style which renders his work more accessible to a wider audience. Some academics might accuse of him of being 'populist' but he at least backs up his arguments with listed sources. His works are certainly not dull.

 

What is more controversial is his interpretation of how he perceives the nature of humanity and his questionable interpretation of ideas. People who have read him can be forgiven for believing that he is a prophet of dark times. He argues that we might be entering a new scientific and technological age where all the old religions and ideologies will soon be either irrelevant or obsolete. He argues that a new religion called 'Dataism' will emerge where the ability to derive and use data quickly will be the key to progress. Instead of humans deciding their own destiny algorithms will. Algorithms not cadres will decide matters! Since humans can't cope with an overwhelming avalanche of information, it is best to surrender this task to machines or computers which are more efficient in processing data and arriving at solutions to the world's problems. He argues - 'Dataism is most firmly entrenched in its two mother disciplines: computer science and biology.  Of the two, biology is the more important. It was biology's embrace of Dataism that turned a limited breakthrough in computer science into a world shattering cataclysm that may completely transform the very nature of life.'{page 499}

Harari views a person as being a bio-chemical organism who does not have that much control over his body. A person not only has little control over his body, but can't control the relentless advance of technology. In fact, Harari argues that machines can do things most humans do more effectively, efficiently and economically. Therefore machines will make most professions obsolete and we won't just face a perspective of mass unemployment, but many people will be unemployable! Their lives will be so expendable they'll be superfluous. Harari bases his claim on not only current trends, but some research. For instance, you read - 'Some economists predict that sooner or later unenhanced humans will be completely useless, robots and  3 D Printers are already replacing workers in manual jobs such as manufacturing shirts and highly intelligent algorithms will do the same to white collar occupations. Bank clerks and travel agents who a short time ago seemed completely secure from automation, have become an endangered species. How many travel agents do we need when we can use our smart phones to buy plane tickets from an algorithm?{pages 363-364}

'According to research by Frey and Osborne, 2013, titled 'The Future of unemployment', 47% of U.S. jobs are at risk and there is a high probability that sports referees, cashiers, chefs, tourist guides, bakers, bar tenders and security guards will lose their jobs. Doctors will also lose their jobs because new machines can offer a more accurate diagnosis than unreliable doctors.

 

Harari declares - 'We're not there yet but it is conceivable that in the not too distant future FMRI scanners could function as almost infallible truth machines. Where will that leave millions of lawyers, judges, cops and detectives? They might consider returning to school to learn a new profession.

When they enter the classroom, however, they may well discover that the algorithms have got there first'.{page 365}

Yes, you have already guessed, robots will also replace teachers! Harari mentions how companies such as Mindojo are developing interactive algorithms that will not only teach math, physics, and history, but study and treat students better. In a very telling phrase, Harari states, 'And these digital teachers will never lose their patience, never shout at me, and never go on strike'. {page 365}

It is clear that Harari is overawed by the advance of science and technology and overestimates its power. The role of a teacher is not simply to impart knowledge but to maintain an essentially human relationship with them, to act as a kind of role model and in school, to help bring them up. Olga Stefanova, a teacher based in Moscow stated, "A teacher in school doesn't just prepare children for exams but brings them up and instructs them to tell the difference between what is right and wrong". Many pupils don't want a digital robot, but someone who can fully respond to them in a way a robot can't. 

The problems which people are currently having in banks and supermarkets are that they can't arrange an appointment with a bank manager to remedy some error. When they phone up, they often get some mechanical reply which is next to useless. The advantage of  being driven by a taxi driver or meeting a shop assistant is that this can be a source of friendship in a community. A shop assistant or a bar tender does not just sell you things but can help strengthen bonds of unity in a community. They help some lonely people break away from isolation. What if the economist Adam Smith got it wrong when he presumed the butcher does not sell his meat out of benevolence?  It is not that far fetched to imagine a mainly benevolent butcher in some part of the world that cares more about his customers than merely making money from meat!

So Harari and others should ask, 'What exactly is the real function of many of those jobs?' A doctor does not just diagnose a patient but is there to talk, treat and console a patient. The question remains, 'What is more important: doing things more efficiently, effectively and economically or serving and strengthening the well being of a community by looking after the weakest members?' Despite those dark apocalyptic predictions of most people losing their jobs there will be always be some kind of work that needs to be done. Now some people might think some new jobs may be useless. They may argue this profession is no longer useful. But this begs the question 'What is the use of use?'

 

Harari is at his best when he attempts to deconstruct the claims of nationalism and hypocrisy of some religions. I liked it when he mentioned that when people embark on projects that are doomed to failure they refuse to look reality in the eye and continue to press on. For instance, he offers the example of how the financing of the new Scottish parliament rose from an estimated cost of 40 million pounds to 400 million pounds in five years. Rather than abandon this reckless investment from 1999, the government pressed on. He also speaks about the 'Our boys did not die in vain syndrome' which prevented an early peace settlement to the First World War. The Italians did not wish to admit that entering the war against Austria was a grave mistake and continued to fight on leading to more and more needless deaths. He warns - 'Not only governments fall into this trap. Business corporations often sink millions into failed enterprises, while private individuals cling to dysfunctional marriages and dead-end jobs. Our narrating self would much prefer to continue suffering in the future, so it won't have to admit that our past suffering was devoid of all meaning'.{page 353} 

Could we apply this analysis to the example of charter schools? Although I think this book expounds a questionable view of human nature as well as offering a determinism where technology is the main catalyst of history, it still makes compelling reading.  Despite finding the conclusions of this book depressing, it is full of intriguing facts and findings. But I truly hope robots will never replace teachers. God forbid such a dreadful scenario!     

HOD Nov.

November House of Delegates Discuss Return to School

By Jim Vail

From left in red CTU Chris Baehrend Charters, VP Stacy Gates & Pres. Jesse Sharkey

The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) House of Delegates (HOD) met last November 4 to discuss the fight between the union and the Chicago Board of Education (CBOE) about whether or not students and teachers should return to the classroom.

There is a growing movement to go back to school across the country, however the number of Corona Virus cases continue to rise in the city and the date when pre-k and special education students should return to school has been postponed. They are supposed to return during the Second Quarter which began this week.

The union said it was a strategic move from CPS to provide air filters which makes it look like the schools are ready and safe, but classrooms still need air flow, and open windows are not sufficient because it doesn’t mean there is necessary air circulation and ventilation in the room.

"CPS has a strategy to win the public to go back to school, which makes it a risk to our position to make us seem to be more isolated," President Jesse Sharkey said. "If we keep saying no, it can leave us isolated, and our members will be demoralized, because it would appear we are not bargaining and we keep saying no."

The CTU pointed to a safety demands petition on the union's website to fill out: ctulocal1.org/petition 

Chicago Covid cases continue to rise, and areas of the city such as the Southwest Side and Little Village have a 28 percent positivity rate.

While the country is struggling during this second wave of Covid, it is not dire everywhere. Jesse mentioned that Maine has a positivity rate of only 1%, while San Francisco is very low as well although they have not gone back to school. Cities appear to be divided between schools in person or online.

Union officials continued to say CPS needs adequate ventilation, testing, social distancing and staffing, to make it safe.

Will there be a strike? The union said it is up to the members to decide if we need to fight should CPS demand a return to schools before people feel it is safe enough. The union said there needs to be more input from parents and teachers. Should there be a strike, the executive board would first have to authorize it, then the delegates vote in favor at the HOD and the members vote in the schools.

Should the HOD have online visitors? Visitors can’t vote with delegates, but the union could broadcast the delegates meetings behind a member portal, or live stream the meeting - but the mainstream corporate media - which is owned by big business and thus anti-union - could watch the meeting that is internal union business. Delegates discuss sensitive subjects such as problems with their principals that if made public could jeopardize their jobs, Sharkey said. Still, he said meetings should be as open as possible.

Sharkey lamented that the recent presidential election was not an outright "repudiation" of Trump as he was hoping for. There were only about 3 million more votes against Trump.

"He is anti-working class, immigrant and native workers," Sharkey said. "We don’t get stronger by crapping on our neighbors. It weakens our cause ... Unions need to organize against Trumpism."

The following Resolutions were passed:

• Resolution for CTU to stand in support of members in the schools who take collective action to safeguard their safety of families and community in defiance of employers refusing to respect rights of school staff;

• Resolution for unions to protest if Trump tries to stop counting the ballots. Against any effort to subvert outcome of the presidential election. Take any non violent actions necessary including a strike to protect our democracy for constitutionally mandated peaceful transition of power as result of 2020 Presidential elections.  (95% Yes, passes) from AFT.

The union organizers said they want to stop 3 school closings in Lawndale to build a new magnet public school. Why close these schools instead of giving the neighborhood schools the resources they need? Why are they doing this during Covid-19? They say they are working with politicians. Have meetings about this!

The union said Acero Charter trying to expand into Michigan, and they asked if this controversial charter operator formerly known as UNO was using tax dollars to expand into Michigan. They are looking into it.

There are 11 contracts with charter schools expiring in 2022. The CTU Charter Strategy Summit is scheduled in early 2021 to prepare.

"They want to divide our staffs to go back, we need to be unified," Sharkey said.

One delegate said their paid parent volunteers were being pressured to come into the building in Brighton Park where Covid positivity is pushing 20. The union said she should work with the PPC and the union organizer in her network.

One delegate asked if the union can work with the Governor to keep the schools closed during the pandemic. VP Stacy Gates said to "not hold our breath" for the governor to shut down the economy like before unless we see more deaths.

For now, it's a wait and see approach on the part of the union to protect teachers and students and the Chicago public schools focused on kids learning in schools so parents can go back to work.