Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last Thursday that the city's spending plan for fiscal year 2016 would include over $4 billion in reserves. He also once again pointed out that income taxes were coming in ahead of forecasts and he even acknowledged that the city economy is in a recovery.
De Blasio stated, "The economy continues to grow, with New York City adding 120,000 private sector jobs in 2014 for a record 3.5% growth."
Remember these little tidbits of information fellow UFT members as we examine our next pay stub that will include a 1% increase while we also finally will see the first 2% of the 8% salary increases that most other city employees received back from 2008-2010. We will not have the money from those years fully added to our checks until 2018. The back pay from 2009-2011 will be given in lump sums in October of this year, then in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Furthermore, the Mayor in his budget presentation showed how city workers will soon be contributing healthcare savings to the city.
I keep recalling last year when UFT President Michael Mulgrew claimed the city's cupboard was empty as he sold us his substandard contract. The evidence continues to mount that the president was more than a little wrong.
I recall Mulgrew telling the DA that anyone who said we were going to make additional healthcare contributions was a purveyor of myth. I hope he's right, but de Blasio's statement certainly suggests otherwise.
ReplyDeleteMM discussing retro at the executive board on 5/5/14: "The City of New York does not have 2.1 billion dollars (brief pause) for teachers".
ReplyDeleteSaid with a harsh tone that suggested he might be punching people in the face if they didn't like that *fact*.
This is a "progressive" mayor?
ReplyDeleteThe cupboard is bare for the teachers, god knows why, when we have millions to give away to charter schools.
One would think that de Blasio would see what the deal is but let's remember his connection to Hilary Clinton and who he really is.
It's the name of the game now to take from the middle class. The middle class gives to both ends. Why let anyone have anything more than bare minimum unless you are very wealthy?
Teachers are a great target because the goal is to destroy public education, no pay pension, no educate the population, no thinking, no revolt.
25 hedge fund managers took home in 2014, a lackluster year, $11 Billion in combined income.
ReplyDeleteBill Gates is now worth $80 billion in personal wealth, not that of his company but his own funds.
What is wrong with this picture?
The French did it, and we inspired their soldiers right here on our soil.
Fuck DeBlasio. I'm withdrawing my Cope. Let's starve the UFT so they have no money to relect that traitor. He's a delusional hypocrit.
ReplyDeleteWhat does he say about 18 year olds with 10 credits who assault teachers. What about ALL students running around using cell phones to make calls, text, listen to music, watch porn, and the supervisors dont even put these things into OORS. Sounds like fraud on the highest level. What about students who are in the halls cutting all day and then being given attendance awards. What about students who noshow all year and then are given credit recovery or makeups in every class, which amounts to no work, and passing grades...I can keep going if people need more examples. Oh, it must be the ATRs fault, or because im not using Danielson properly.
ReplyDeleteThis one seems to have hit a nerve, a raw nerve.
ReplyDeleteIt hit such a nerve that we cant do anything about it. A 9 year contract no less...
ReplyDeleteVote for a new chapter leader and new delegates this spring and then help work to vote Mulgrew and Unity Caucus out next year.
ReplyDeleteAnd join Stronger Together at the state level to get some change there. 10 bucks is a bargain.
ReplyDeleteThe UFT also said $54,000 was to given if you retired last June. Only 35,000 was paid. I have 10 friends who have gone down to UFT headquarters numerous times. They are gathering retirees for a class action suit. The UFT has refused to meet with any of them!
ReplyDeleteAnonymous above, Please post information about class action suit on the Fed Up and Pissed Off Retired teachers Facebook page!
ReplyDeleteThis clown Mulgrew was too busy hanging out with the
ReplyDelete"Occupy Wall Street" crowd to pay attention to where the economy was trending. Dumb as wood. Lets send him back to the woodshop.
I'm a retired teacher living outside of NYS. Seeing the problems with our union I'm asking my colleagues to join Stronger Together and MORE caucuses so we can change the faux democracy that is shamefully shown in our union. I've spoken to several of my friends, who tend to be ostriches when it comes to union issues. I told them if they continue to sit there and be run over and over by our union's deal with deformers, they hard-earned rights will be completely diminished. I even told them why would they want to react and get involved when it's too late. Do they wait until our TDA is mismanaged, mishandled to the point that their money is significantly reduced because the UFT board members on TRS are watching out for their image and not our money? Do they want to get involved when Governor Quid Pro Cuomo makes a Faustian deal with legislators to change the pension law and the present payout? I must have told them to get their heads out of the sand and get involved now. Join the caucuses that believe in democracy and unionism. We have a chance to oust Mulgrew and his cronies and elect a union president that's there to actually represent the rank and file and to protect their rights. We have a chance to elect a new union president that will not stay neutral or silent in any election. We have a chance to elected a new union president that is not doing Randi's bidding in her gosh-awful crusade of the Common Core. Randi can only be removed, no more her making robo-calls in favor of the deformers, if we elect a new union president in the UFT. Once that happens it will be a domino effect for the beginning of the end of NYSUT and AFT presidents.
ReplyDeleteWe need to show our anger by voting in favor of a new union president in a Stronger Together Caucus because we deserve MORE.
I 100% agree. Got a robo call from the AFT wanting to know who I was going to vote for. It certainly won't be Weingarten or her bunch. Hey retirees from last June you're owed $19000! Start screaming or the UFT will keep it.
DeleteThe $54000 number was a mistake on your part. It clearly stated that $54000 was an example for those at top pay for retro payments by 2020. At the signing you were owed around $35000 retro and then the city is borrowing going forward for those working(the delayed 8%). That is how it becomes $54000. Those working are not getting the 8% in their pay going forward so the retro amount grows.For retirees the only thing growing is if you have not been recalculated at the higher pay.
ReplyDeleteAnd the UFT said retire by 6/30 to get the larger sum. Now they are saying if we waited until 7/1 we would have gotten 19,000 more. The union is complicit.
DeleteSo why won't anyone from the UFT explain that or even meet with retirees from last June? I have to get it third hand from a blog!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to vote.
ICEUFT Blog is the place to go for accurate and usually up to date union information. Keep coming back and tell your colleagues about us.
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