Wednesday, February 25, 2015

ANOTHER BILLION DOLLARS FOUND IN CITY BUDGET

Comptroller Scott Stringer has found an extra billion dollars over what Mayor Bill de Blasio projected in the city budget.  Are the Unity supporters still saying the cupboard was empty when we settled for 10% over 7 years and we will have our retroactive payments for 2009-2011 deferred so we won't be made whole for those years until 2020?  How much more money has to be found before Unity will admit that Michael Mulgrew did not get us the best deal possible?

Other unions also don't stay neutral when a politician goes after them. For example, the Chicago Teachers Union opposed Mayor Rahm Emanuel's reelection and their endorsed candidate, Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, is now heading into a runoff with Rahm because the mayor did not get the necessary 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff.  Rahm spent millions of dollars and had President Barack Obama's endorsement. In spite of this, it was 45% to for Rahm and 34% for Chuy with other candidates getting the remainder. It still won't be easy to win but it is possible. 

Our strategy in New York is best summed up by a commenter called Raving Apologist:

 Raving Apologist said...
"Don't blame me." "It's the best we could do." "We are at war...Now, Tweet!" "We will be sitting out the 2009 Mayoral endorsement process." "We will not be endorsing anyone for the Democratic gubernatorial primary." "We have to stick together as a union."


Thanks to Harris Lirtzman for sending out the latest budget news and the Chicago results.

12 comments:

Ms. Tsouris said...

I know a Unityista who's a chapter rep at an elementary school in the Bronx. Last summer, he told me how the city is "broke". I laughed at him and asked him if the union thinks we are all that uninformed and stupid. He also told me what terrible teachers the ATRs are. I asked him if his school closed and he wasn't rehired, how he'd feel after a couple of years of changing schools every week. Such callous scum, these so-called Unity representatives.

Chaz said...

It doesn't surprise me one bit. I did write about how the City had more money coming in that was hidden in the budget and that we shouldn't vote for the contract.

Anonymous said...

“Trust me, Wilbur. People are very gullible. They'll believe anything they see in print.”
― E.B. White, Charlotte's Web

To some it up: This happens when the Unity Caucus needs to spread their fictitious information in their Unity newsletters which is given to the CLs, who are beholden to the Unity Caucus.

Anonymous said...

I thought the last quote came from Mr Ed the talking horse. Didn't he talk to Wilbur too?

Anonymous said...

Not ALL chapter leaders are Unity. It is often true that those CLs that are not Unity are ostracized by their District Reps.

Anonymous said...

Dr. Marvul,
I told you so. Stop being running with the sheep.
http://atradventures.blogspot.com

James Eterno said...

Get in touch with us if you need support. We're happy to help.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the offer of support, I retired in the mass exodus that Unity couldn't even figure out how to properly fund, after writing a carrot, I mean contract, to encourage all those eligible to leave.

One would think that a New York rank and file would be feisty and not take the crap that is handed down by Unity.
Looks like Chicago has it over us by far.

What will it take for the members to stand up to recreat a union that has their best interest as its first concern?

ed notes online said...

Chuy is a creation of the Chicago Teachers Union when Karen Lewis had to drop out. Amazing how that social justice union in Chicago managed to pull this off - they have left-wing political smarts because they have a coherent political direction which enabled them to be clear that they had to stand against Rahm, while the UFT/NYSUT waffled with Cuomo and is afraid of the word "left."

Anonymous said...

You can only blame the UFT PRESIDENT, an inept, naieve, ill-informed, MICHAEL MULGREW.

How did we wind up with such a dummy as our leader?

I guess its just a reflection of our membership. I am embarrassed to be a member of this union.

Anonymous said...

Chicago and Cuomo is not a fair comparison. CTU did do a great job in this election but that's because they can influence city politics. They haven't been as successful at statewide politics. Look at their governor now. Just as bad as Cuomo If not worse because of a complacent legislature. UFT couldn't move the whole state even if they wanted to. To big and out of reach

Anonymous said...

What about NYSUT? Remember when Chuck Schumer upset Al D'amato. That was us.