We are urging everyone to vote NO in November on the proposal to have the convention. A majority no vote would kill the convention and keep what we have including our pensions. There are better ways to amend the Constitution than a convention that would be controlled by the Albany insiders who have not exactly done a splendid job of governing this state.
People have been asking about how they can make a financial contribution to the campaign against the convention without donating to the political black hole otherwise known as COPE.
NYSUT has listened and there is a dedicated fund to oppose the Constitutional Convention that we all should contribute to.
Here is a link to donate to the NO NEW YORK CONVETION FUND.
Here's the message from the website:
New York's political insiders are throwing a party, and we aren't invited.
In November, voters will be asked to decide if New York will hold a convention to rewrite our constitution. This "Politicians' Convention" would be a multi-million dollar boondoggle funded by our tax dollars... and would give Albany insiders and special interest groups the opportunity to change our state constitution to benefit themselves.
Contribute now to help us fight back! Your contribution to the No NY Convention Fund will help us get the word out about the risks of a "Politicians' Convention" and ensure that New York doesn't make this terrible mistake!
Contribute now to help us fight back! Your contribution to the No NY Convention Fund will help us get the word out about the risks of a "Politicians' Convention" and ensure that New York doesn't make this terrible mistake!
- Please contribute now!
I will be passing the hat around Middle College next week and everyone who reads the ICEBLOG should do the same in their respective schools.
39 comments:
Not too worried about a Constitutional Convention happening and even less worried that any proposals would be voted in on a referendum. A CC is very rare in New York. Of course we should put the word out to vote no, but in the end, I am not that worried about it.
We cannot spread resources around to fight the convention while fighting for survival of unions post Janus
more worried about effects of a const con then janus.
Then donate.
I'm not contributing to nothing! I'm keeping my money. Everything can go to hell. I'm retiring this year.
Well if we lose and they reduce pensions, may your be the first to be cut.
G-d bless my chapter leader who is making a huge deal about this in my school. People need to understand that you are NOT grandfathered in if you retire before the CC- it affects everybody! What if they decide to reduce our pensions to 30% rather than 60%? Spread the word and contribute.
Yeah guys, sorry, fuck off. Now we should start paying attention. I saw it written here many times about how stupid teachers are, I will add...Got a text yesterday, "Do we get a raise next month?" What a fucking idiot, like most are, after years, still cant read, still cant remember raises are may, retro is October? The uft has led us to death, and teachers are too stupid, oh well.
You don't need to be an activist to give a few bucks, vote no and tell family and friends to vote no. Not too much to ask for to protect pensions for active people, those already retired, and everyone coming after us.
Even the most cynical amongst us should agree here.
Sorry, I don't agree.
Anonymous 6:45pm
What exactly are you disagreeing with?
Voting NO to a ConCon?
Protecting our pensions that most of us have worked very hard for?
Tell us how you think this should unfold!
Anonymous 6:09 I too am angry at the uninformed/stupid. I have also had to deal with the same stupid questions about pay raise and retro. I have to explain the constitutional conv again and again even though our chapter leader and delegate have posted info and talked about it since last school year. The problem is it's not just uninformed/stupid teachers who can get screwed by a convention. I just gave my 20 bucks for the cause despite the stupid who walk among us. Roseanne McCosh
I am still not convinced that allowing the opportunity for a Constitutional Convention is such a bad idea. When the Conservative Party and the UFT both seek a no vote I got very suspicious.
Although the UFT in their propaganda doesn’t even mention pensions (they just refer to waste and a chance for corrupt politicians to take away more rights) the pension argument doesn’t hold water. The provision in the State Constitution which mention our pensions does not involve the benefit itself. Rather what appears is a guarantee that makes pensions a contractual rights which cannot be taken away once given. §7 of the State constitution provides “After July first, nineteen hundred forty, membership in any pension or retirement system of the state or of a civil division thereof shall be a contractual relationship, the benefits of which shall not be diminished or impaired. (New. Adopted by Constitutional Convention of 1938 and approved by vote of the people November 8, 1938.)” Despite this protection we have seen the movement of Tier 1 to Tier 6 done without constitutional objection because they applied to future employees when they took effect.
The issue is whether a Constitutional Convention could cause our vested rights to be lost. Would US Constitutional due process rights allow the removal or diminishment of this benefit? I sincerely doubt it. Nevertheless the Constitution could be amended to remove this provision without a Convention. If there was such a plan as the UFT argues to undermine our benefit why hasn’t it happened by amendment?
So is there an upside to the Convention? It is clear that issues about home rule, the disorganization of State government and revamping the State’s bizarre court system could be corrected. It is also clear, as I remember from the 1967 convention (my parents lobbied against the Blaine Amendment), that wrong-headed proposals can be rejected when the public understands the issues involved.
What is needed is a more full discussion of the pros and cons of the concon, not an argument free or distorted reason to reject it.
Voting NO is easy. Contributing to COPE? Well, just take a look at where that has gotten us. I won't give another dime to this corrupt union, and when I get the opportunity, I'm out.
Now you want my help? Mulgrew makes 300K, Sill makes 150K, and thats before trips, food, expenses... Ive written here many times, if you break down the contract, there are many numbers of things, any one of them could have been improved. We got destroyed at every turn...The way the retro is paid, the amount of time, the no interest, the 0 in 2016...The raises are 0 + 0 the first 2 years, then barely over 1 percent the rest of the way. The back 8 percent put into our salary 2 percent at a time makes the money owed to us even greater. They could have a least put the 8% in right away in 2014 which would have frozen the retro. Then never working to restore the 8.25% TDA, the 4-6+ observations, the zero discipline code, the forced placement, and I could keep going...
Agreed, if I wasnt crying I would be laughing. The UFT has to tighten their belt? Did I have to tighten my belt waiting for 50K in retro, for 11 years, with no interest? What about my mortgage, my kids college expenses, my basic bills and requirements? Citi Mortgage didnt tell me I can wait till 2020 to pay my bill.
As somebody who maxes out the TDA, the 1.25% drop costs me hundreds of thousands of dollars over a 30 year period. I havent heard a word about restoration. Who suffers? Not the CSA. Not Mulgrew. No more financial crisis in the city or state.
Well, now is the time to get an early contract done, that is actually fair, makes sense, and gets us something in exchange for the last, disgusting deal.
I am in the ATR pool. I admit I dont want an and every job posted, for many reasons. I have applied to approximately 20 jobs every year. I cant even get an interview, despite having over 20 years, all positive. I have had to get into fights about bathroom keys, lounge keys, travel hardship issues, abuse by students and admin, and of course, as stated, the last contract was a complete disaster. I have to get on my hands and knees for basics? And every time, guess what the answer was, fuck off, you are lucky t have a job. I will not put into cope, I will not donate to anything. Whatever happens, happens. I will gladly quit. Still waiting for a fair buyout.
But the UFT had to have a meeting at 52 Broadway instead of a $500 a night hotel. My heart bleeds. They had to have wraps instead of steak and shrimp? Oh wow. We cant even get bagels on a PD day
A Con Con is long over due. Why do politicians and union members get to avoid paying state and local taxes in retirement at the expense of non union workers. I'm a union member but also voting YES FOR THE CON CON. BRING IT ON!!!
Some of you don't get it. The CC has zero to do with how you perceive the UFT has done you wrong in the past. This is about the billions in the NYS pension funds that politicians would love to get their hands on. THEY want to play with YOUR money- the money you've worked your behinds off for for years, knowing that you will have a secure retirement. If there is a CC, your secure retirement is in the hands of people who despise the fact that teachers get a pension. And the general public doesn't care if cops, firemen, nurses, etc. get a pension- but for some reason, they resent the air we breathe.
Those of you who are in favor, I hope they come for your pensions first.
I will vote no, but still cant stand the uft, hope janus bankrupts the uft, and i will be quitting in 3 years after retro is paid.
There should no UNIONS and there should be NO PENSIONS for teachers!! I'm voting YES. For far too long teachers have had it way too good.
Anon 11:02 Why? BC that's what we negotiated. A city job used to mean shitty working conditions but great benefits. Now it's become shitty conditions and the potential to also have shitty benefits. Our TDA rate of return has already been dimished, Tier VI and more money paid toward health care are already screwing us. Until the mega millionaires & billionaires' tax loopholes are eliminated---loopholes that allow them to pay less of a percentage in income taxes than I do, I'm not apologizing for my state tax free pension. Maybe non-unionized workers should organize and unionize if they want what we have. They should seek to have what we have rather than seek for us to lose out while the uber wealthy are laughing their asses off because the working class wants to take from the middle class. We should all be demanding more from the uber wealthy rather than from each other. Roseanne McCosh
I love all the in fighting between teachers. Love those who we help us bring it all down. I hope charter schools replace every single crappy public school.
New trolls worse than Unity trolls are now here. Just know what we are up against.
What trolls? I hope you mean ones who say they are voting yes. Is it possible some people are really furious?
Im sure Sill, Hinds, Arundell, Barr, Mulgrew, Mantell are all quite happy, quite wealthy, quite content.
Some truly just want to cut off their noses to spite their faces.
Reminder to stay on topic please. Plenty of places to comment on looting. This post is about the Constitutional Convention in NYS. Absolutely nothing to do with Florida.
Haha, James deleted posts about black kids in FL breaking into, destroying businesses, stealing sneakers, and giggling about it. Wonder if that resembles our students.
I asked people a hundred times to stay on topic or at least keep it close.. Please do so.
Serious questions James...We are teachers, the students many of us deal with are like those arrested for looting. And if you look at the NY Post today, 19 year old pregnant girl shot in head in Brooklyn in Brownsville, many of us work in that area or a very similar area. I think it does have to do with the teaching topics, doesnt it? We can get shot to death simply for attending work. And some of us do think the students and how they are raised is the biggest problem, the crime, the danger, the disrespect, the welfare. Seriously not trying to be a "troll" but as teachers, on a teacher blog, this should be a main topic of conversation...And why we as educated, innocent adults with masters degrees, have to go through it.
Plenty of chances to talk about that JR. The constitutional convention isn't one of them. Every time some teen or group of black teens does something stupid we don't need to have it published here. I asked people over and over to have a little respect for the topic of the posting but some just want to raise the racial issue each day. What is the goal? To divide us and piss off the rest of us. You are free to start your own blog. I have been very tolerant but please respect the topic of the posting or at least be close.
Or maybe that group is constantly doing it which is why its brought up and it is the same as our student population.
Answer what it has to do with the convention? Nothing.
@11:36AM - Agree with you. It seems there is a divide and conquer situation going on here. The Haves of having a pension and benefits are envied by those that don't have it. Solution - instead of wanted to take away pensions from educators, people should unionize to have pensions, benefits, etc. What people don't get is that as long as benefits are taken away from certain sectors of the workforce, it leaves all sectors vulnerable. Fight for pension! Fight for benefits! Fight for good work conditions. People can be so naive.
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