Thursday, April 15, 2021

MAYOR RELUCTANT ON EARLY RETIREMENT INCENTIVE

The article below by Bob Hennelly is from the Chief Leader Civil service newspaper. Thanks to a friend who got it from behind the Chief's paywall.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew is in quite an awkward position on the Early Retirement Incentive. He is arguing that since we received the best funding ever in the State budget, we should reduce class sizes but at the same time he wants to encourage thousands of senior teachers to retire early.  He has to convince the city that they can hire many more cheaper new teachers with the savings from the ERI. Will that be a persuasive case? 

Beware of Mayor de Blasio asking for something back from us. Mulgrew talked up the ERI since last year. Can he afford not to close a deal now?


Mayor Pumps Brakes On Extensive Use Of Retirement Incentive | News of the Week | thechiefleader.com

Mayor de Blasio was less than encouraging April 13 about offering an early-retirement incentive to city employees after state legislators included that option for non-uniformed employees as part of the state's $212-billion budget a week earlier.

He explained that while it was his call on whether the incentive was extended and to which employee groups, he was "also very concerned about getting done the work we need done for the people as we try to bring this city back."

'Does It Make Sense?'

"It just happened," he said during his daily media briefing. "We are trying to look at it and decide if it is something that makes sense for New York City, and how to proceed. And we will be talking to our union partners."

The push for the retirement incentive, which would provide eligible employees with a month of additional pension credit for each year of service up to 36 months, came from the Municipal Labor Committee beginning last summer in the wake of his threatening to lay off up to 22,000 city workers unless the unions agreed to $1 billion in savings to deal with a $9-billion budget gap caused by the impact of the coronavirus.

The unions had produced $800 million in short-term savings by deferring payment of wage and/or benefit increases by the time Congress approved President Biden's American Rescue Plan which provided the city with more than $6 billion in added Federal aid. The union savings came in return for a no-layoff guarantee through June 30, which the Mayor said would be extended for another 12 months if the city received at least $5 billion in combined state and Federal funding above what it previously had been given.

Although the no-layoff guarantee had sharply diminished the urgency for a retirement incentive to reduce the number of city workers, Albany sources said District Council 37 and the United Federation of Teachers had continued to press the bill.

'Fair and Just'

In a statement following its inclusion in the budget, DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido said the retirement incentive was "not only fair, but also just" for employees who kept the city's "roundthe-cloc essential services" running throughout the pandemic.

The bill, sponsored by Assembly Committee on Governmental Employees Chairman Peter Abbate, stipulated that city employees deemed eligible by the Mayor and their agency heads would have the option to retire early, either based on having reached age 55 with 25 years of service or getting up to three years of additional service time and pension credit to make them eligible to retire at a younger age and with less time on the job.

According to union officials, the coronavirus, which has killed more than 300 city workers, has taken a particularly heavy toll on older employees at a higher risk of suffering long-term health consequences if they recover from the virus.

Shelly Shulman, the president of the Managerial Employees Association, which has 16,000 members who are ineligible for union representation, said in an April 13 phone interview that they were concerned that they would be excluded from the program.

'Don't Exclude Us'

"We want to see transparency and as many people as possible eligible to take it, and we don't want to see anyone harmed because they don't have a union," he said. "It should be based on what the legislation said, not on union politics."

Mr. Shulman noted that MEA members were often required to serve in jobs that left them vulnerable to infection.

"We lost Derik Braswell, who worked at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens--Ground Zero for the pandemic," he said. "He, along with others, had to go out on the hospital floor and help feed the patients.

Mr. Braswell was part of a trio of employees at Elmhurst Hospital that included Wayne Edwards and Communications Workers of America Local 1180 shop steward Priscilla Carrow, who managed the personal protective equipment inventory and all died early on in the pandemic.

'Give Managers Fair Shot'

"Older people are happy to see the possibility of early retirement, but everyone is paranoid other people are going to get it and they won't," Mr. Shulman said. "Managers should have a fair shot based on their title."

"We are working with the unions right now to try and figure out just who will be eligible, but there are far fewer people who will actually qualify," City Council Member I. Daneek Miller, who chairs the Committee on Civil Service and Labor, said during an April 13 phone interview.

He explained that the de Blasio administration had to assess the consequences if significant numbers of people in some job titles took the incentive "on the impact on the services getting delivered." The lack of civil-service exams the city has given since the pandemic meant there was a limited pool of replacements on hiring lists.

"The city hasn't done a lot of hiring in a lot of titles over the years," he said. "We have to really take a look at how efficiently we have been, or not been, delivering services. Just how prepared are we?"

Mr. Miller said raised concerns before about the lack of replacements for a municipal government that "even before COVID was likely to see two thirds of its workforce eligible for retirement over the next five years."

Current Attrition a Factor

Gauging which employees, and in which agencies, the city can afford to lose will be informed by the existing attrition rates for those jobs.

The Independent Budget Office just reported that last year the city's headcount shrank by 8,000. The Mayor had implemented an attrition plan early in the pandemic to not fill 5,000 civilian employees jobs as they became vacant, allowing agencies to fill just one of every three positions as staffers left.

For 2021, the planned headcount reductions included 723 in the Department of Social Services, 308 for the Administration for Children's Services, 297 for the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 175 at the City University of New York and 141 for the Department of Parks and Recreation.

Last year, according to the IBO, the largest headcount declines were in the NYPD, which lost 1,802 uniformed employees; the Department of Education, which lost 1,767 pedagogical staffers; and the 893 uniformed staffers lost by the Department of Correction, the 558 civilian NYPD staff who departed; and 536 uniformed workers in the Department of Sanitation and 486 in the Fire Department.



59 comments:

Anonymous said...

The common sense answer to this in terms of the DOE is this. Place every last ATR who does not plan to take the ERI into appointed positions to replace retiring pedagogues. The other thing is replace the rest of the people retiring with newbies fresh out of college. I mean after all isn't it a principal's dream to pare down the the Fair Student Funding driven Galaxy in every school. Hire two teachers or two counselors for every "expensive" veteran. Start doing this now. Don't wait until August 31st to start doing this. Open the opt in ERI period say, May 1, and give everybody two weeks to declare if they're opting into the ERI. Make the window for putting in papers to the TRS between May 1 and August 1. This way, there's enough time to recruit new staffers, and actually utilize the Open Market system for a change to replace retiring staff. Makes too much sense though.

Anonymous said...

Pay us money owed before doing this. And a raise.people can leave or not without eri.most who say they will leave are bluffing I bet.just like people who said they would leave if Trump was elected.give us a raise and pay us what we are owed.

Anonymous said...

Why would the city offer an ERI when all it has to do let Labor Day arrive? Anyone that can get out, will - with or without an ERI. Even deBlasio is intelligent enough to know that, while using it to slap down Mulgrew, who has dared contradict him recently. For that reason alone ,the ERI is dead - remember to vote Mulgrew out. DeBlasio is winning on all fronts. Cuomo and Mulgrew are now his coffee boys. Who’s the real Italian now, Andy?

Anonymous said...

Back in November DeBlasio was very enthusiastic with Early Retirement Incentives for all city workers—both uniformed and non-uniformed.
So what happened? Well, one thing is the several billion dollars federal rescue money coming to the city that will avoid the need for layoffs till at least June 2022. So why push for layoffs—for any city worker.

Anonymous said...

I just heard we are going to have to forfeit any claim for 2020 spring break pay if we want this incentive. I didn't really hear that but that is something I could see the UFT giving away.

Anonymous said...

3:18: Exactly. If it makes sense, the DOE will do the opposite. Good idea though especially about ATRs.

Anonymous said...

Just when you thought that you couldn't hate Big Bird enough, he pulls this shit. The funny thing is how many people simply hate working in the DOE. I've been on the job fo over 20 years and I am now seeing newbies who are already burnt out. The only good thing is that it is crystal clear how much Mulgrew has disenfranchised the entire rank and file, including the retirees. Maybe, just maybe, we will see the end of the Unity Machine next year.

Anonymous said...

This is from todays TRS website—‘The recently passed New York State budget includes early retirement provisions for certain public employees, which may include some TRS members. However, the City must first decide on the scope and other detail before TRS can provide any information. We will post updates when available on our website and social media.’.

On the one hand, it looks very promising for granting granting liberty with ERI’s - but now it’s been reported that DeBlasio is acting like a Captain Queeg—and may grant for just selected groups of city workers.

So Mr. Mulgrew where are you —and act like a Mr. Roberts.

Anonymous said...

Mulgrew and DeBlasio are half brothers.

Anonymous said...

Another uft special. Thanks for the dues. Real smart. The dumbest in NY.

Anonymous said...

Cuomo is keeping quiet trying save his ass, after grabbing everyone else’s. If you slaves want out, have the UFT put pressure on him - he’ll do anything to keep his political career alive, even giving what he considers the scum of NYS, NYC public teachers, an ERI. Only thing is de Blasio hates Andy and will put the kibosh on it just to F**k him and Mulgrew. Good luck, slaves.

Anonymous 5 said...

I hope the Unity Machine is burnt at the stake.

Jc said...

Thank goodness for this blog. There's no info anywhere else! Of course NYC is going to act like a petulant brat because gd forbid city would graciously accept anything the state offers, especially now that mayor can act mightier than governor! Sorry, just soooo tired 😪 of all these politicians & do nothing union heads. Basically Cuomo kicked it to De blasio, who's kicking it to agency heads. Classic case of passing buck & potential blame. So much for deblasio's rah rah rah for eri

Anonymous said...

Well the 1 positive thing I can see is if Deblasio says no to ERI or takes something away from the people who can't get out is that we can still leave our crappy union in June and for tHose left hopefully they remember this next year and get Mulgrew OUT.

Anonymous said...

Might be that DeBlasio will be the only NYC employee to get an early retirement—because come Dec 31 at midnight—he’s out of here and hopefully retired from public service for good.

Anonymous said...

Just read Broward County teachers are getting $1500 bonus, we can't even get paid for Spring Break 2020 and the city/state has Billions!!!!!!

Not will to die yet said...

How about Bozo changing his mind on something he agreed with earlier?

Anonymous said...

Mayor D and Gov C

The argument that there would be a shortage of teachers if the ERI is passed is weak....as of today, there is still a surplus of teachers in NYC...some schools I go to have three teachers in a room and a para!

Give me my ERI!

Anonymous said...

Exactly “not will to die yet.”
Several unions deferred payments into their accounts in return for no layoffs for a year and for the Mayor’s support of the ERI. Now he’s back peddling.

David Suker said...

Can we start a pool of money for those of us that want to drop out of the Union and contract with an attorney to handle our expenditures in case we’re brought up on charges? It could be equal to what we currently pay in dues and act as an insurance policy of sorts.

Anonymous said...

9:19: What happens when the money dries up? Are teachers going to be left out in the cold?

Shelley said...

The Mayor has been better for workers than anyone, maybe ever, and he continues to support workers while trying desperately to deal with the budget.

Have we forgotten just how desperate we were only a few short months ago? We were threatened with massive layoffs. Our pensions and our annuities were on the blocks.

We avoided the cuts by making deals with a progressive, super worker friendly mayor. And we will be made whole soon.

The Mayor may need a little help on health care, yes. But I think he will do this.

In the short term, while the wolf in Albany plays his "I hate the teachers and the unions card", pandering to businesses as he fights for his political life, the Mayor can exercise some power without the Wolf sticking his snout in the city's business.

Why wouldn't the mayor agree to most of the bill?

Though he has money now, the long term budget problems for the City are far from solved. He can save a ton by doing this.

He does like to say that he needs the workers to make more sacrifices to serve the people who have been bludgeoned by the pandemic, but he has to know that the services he wants to provide can't be provided for long with the workers he's got. He needs and will get more automation, more overlap of job descriptions and duties, and reduce the cost through further pension "reform" Tier 7 and 8 ....

I say he signs it.

Anonymous said...

1-3% raises. No improvement in working conditions. 12 years waiting for money earned in 2009. Worker friendly mayor my ass.

Anonymous said...

Bloomberg lawyers keep their jobs to make teacher lives miserable. de Lazio is not our friend.

Anonymous said...

DEe Blasio kept schools open last Marchtoo long causing 100 DOE deaths. Worker friendly? I think not. Dinkins much more worker friendly.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 318

Good assessment of how a principal would use this retirement incentive to lower their FSF budget, get rid of appointed senior teachers, and replace same with new/un-appointed teachers willing to be abused. Additionally, these Principals would also wind up having a surplus of cash to misappropriate.

Namita Dwarka from Bryant did this exact thing a few yrs ago..all senior teachers replaced with untenured newbies fearful of losing their jobs....and then a missing $200,000 that she never explained.

No one has been watching the city cash register for more than a decade.

Just time to sit back and laugh.

Why hasn't anyone picked up on this

Anonymous said...

Hey 10:32, I'm 3:18 from yesterday lol. Exactly, the Principal's would be drooling over the idea of all their six figure veterans leaving clearing out a lot of room on their FSF driven Galaxy budgets. I'm quite sure CSA is going to push hard for this ERI as strongly if not strongly than the UFT. And it's not only the money we're talking about, we're talking about molding and brainwashing a whole new wave of $60,000 Tier Six newbies to fit their vision.

David Suker said...

If you had a pool of teachers the money shouldn’t dry up because not all the teachers would need the lawyer at the same time, plus that’s something that would be in the contract with the lawyer. I’m not big at complaining about this worthless Union, I’d rather look for solutions. If anyone is interested I’m sure you can find a way to contact me.

Shelley said...

I recall that Dinkins's massive layoffs caused workers to jump off roofs.

No comparison.

De Blasio kept us working.

Anonymous said...

There are some people here that DeBlasio too much credit for being friendly to city workers especially the UFT

First of all, DeBlasio is not exactly a friend to the UFT—but compared to Bloomberg/Klein- anything is an improvement. But, if remember correctly, the progressive DeBlasio wasn’t endorsed by the UFT during the 2013 Democratic primaries. But he always seemed He seems to have some sort of weird stranglehold relationship with Mulgrew over the past 7 years—as DeBlasio is clearly the boss. Maybe mayoral control over the schools was never a good idea.

Second of all, there was no need to delay those last retro payments an additional 9 months . No other city union had to endure an 8 year period with retro pay. City money has always been put aside for that purpose and there was no excuse. It just added total insult upon more insult.

Third, recent contracts with DeBlasio haven’t been that great with minimal salary increases and the 2014 contract was extended an additional 6 weeks—as the city all of a sudden claimed there was a shortage of funds to pay 2014 retiree retro—Also, blame Mulgrew for that fiasco.

Fourth, you still have an ATR pool, fair student funding, and a bloated bureaucracy at the Tweed/Klein DOE Palace at Chambers Street along with the other borough offices. So, very little change from the Bloomberg days.

Fifth, some claim our pensions and TDA’s are on the block—but why? Aren’t they connected to Wall Street—which went up 16% in 2020 and is currently up more than 20% for 2021. So, how does DeBlasio get credit for saving pensions, TDA’s etc.?

And lastly health costs have been rising steadily—for both active and especially for retirees—in the last 8 years—with DeBlasio at the helm—(Bernie Sanders keeps telling it like it is ). Just hope DeBlasio can do something that isn’t catastrophic with healthcare costs—but it’s up to Mulgrew to deal firmly with the city—whether it’ this Mayor or the next one.

The only credit I would give DeBlasio is that he been tougher on Charter expansion than Bloomberg. However, it’s still a mystery on how the Eva Moskowitz Charters have been all remote since March 2020–even as DeBlasio has pushed for opening public schools since last fall.

The bottom line, if DeBlasio should balk on signing an ERI bill for teachers or anyone—then he totally he is contradicting his own statements of support for the ERI back that he made back in November.. It would be s slap in the face of any city worker with a legitimate reason for wanting to leave as an early retiree.

Anonymous said...

Teachers were not laid off under Dinkins.

Anonymous said...

1975 Abe Beame teacher layoffs almost 10,000–No comparison to Dinkins or anyone else. Always remember Bloomberg threatening layoffs—even as the city was in decent financial shape

Anonymous said...

I read complaints about here day and night about how terrible teaching is, how it is so awful that you have to pass undeserving kids but now some here change their tune thinking they can get a buyout if we kiss the mayor's butt. New York's most obsequious. Just like Mulgrew.

Anonymous said...

So the Mayor takes five days pay away from all managers, many of whom worked the front lines through the pandemic and everyone is surprised he's doing an about face on the ERI? The Mayor has been gutting the managerial force for years - earlier taking annual leave days from us and a negotiated raise. This mayor cares nothing about his work force, be it rank and file or managerial.

Anonymous said...

@anonymous381

Principal Dwarka continues at senior staff-
https://www.pacermonitor.com/case/26444829/Cho_v_New_York_City_Department_of_Education_et_al

-highest turnover in Queens high schools (and this is from new unturned teachers as well)

-Worst teacher evaluations in Queens high schools (and probably entire city)

Will the new chancellor acknowledge this???

Anonymous said...

It never ceases to amaze me how badly people want out of this job. I understand it, of course having felt exactly the same way. I hope that you folks who want out, get out. It’s incredibly sad when one considers the idealism, enthusiasm and caring that most people started out with and with what was supposed to be a fulfilling career. The UFT doesn’t even attempt to start that conversation - it’s not in its best interest. it just speeds ahead with the apparition of an escape. However, it really would be in the best interest for all NYC educators to have that conversation openly and honestly. Start with why the career is now a job, what happened to it and how it can it be fixed. As you folks retire many of you may revisit these questions and other unresolved issues may surface along with your physical body from that hole. Some of these issues may strike at the heart of who we think we are as people and the value of our life’s work. For those who let this job take precedence over their family, it will be very difficult and some of those folks are dreading retirement. Each time I see an ERI blog posting I imagine a picture of people clawing to get out of an in ground jail with Cuomo, deBlasio and Mulgrew looking down at their captives - something like the Black Hole of Calcutta (where the colonial British prisoners of war were once held after British indifference precipitated the attack on Fort William). New York City should be renamed The Municipality of Indifference and the DOE the HOLE. Best of luck with living life to the fullest.

Anonymous said...

The mayor doesn’t give a fuck about anyone making what nyc teachers make. He wants our money for more pet projects that go nowhere. The man is an incompetent tool who sees us as part of the privileged class.

Anonymous said...

12:34. In nyc it’s much easier to get of jail.

Anonymous said...

To Shelley —Please don’t give any fake news or disinformation about Dinkins and teacher layoffs. It never happened. Sandra Feldman supported him in 1989 and he won. By 1990, the UFT got a 5.5 wage increase as most other unions got less and Dinkins got hell from the usual big business big shots. However, he cut funding for school services a couple years later—but NO teacher layoffs—and by 1993 —he was on bad terms with Feldman and he lost UFT support in 1993 re-elect –which he lost.

And as a footnote—it was Koch as a 12 year, 3 term mayor — who had total disrespect for the UFT—but there were no layoffs—and the Bloomberg/Klein 12 year regime that threatened over 4000 layoffs in 2012. I remember that well because I had to prepare many first teachers for that scenario.—but never happened. Just hard to believe that even Giuliani and the UFT seemed to be more tolerable with each other.

Anonymous said...

1:38, 😂🤣lol.

Anonymous said...

To 1:38. That’s true. It’s even more difficult to get out of Monopoly jail.

Anonymous said...

Dinkins lost because of street crime. UFT lack of support had nothing to do with him losing. Needles, crack vials, condoms in front of school every morning. Many teachers would leave to find, radio or battery or tires and rims stolen. Squeegee guys shaking you down at red lights. Dinkins’ nyc was a sewer. Giuliani cleaned it up. Bad for teachers doesn’t mean bad for nyc. Good for teachers doesn’t mean good for nyc. NYC needs a strong mayor. NYC teachers just need one who will pay up. Let’s be honest about it.

Shelley said...

Hey Friday, April 16, 2021 2:06:00 PM

Check your disinformation, please.

I never said anything about Dinkins and teacher layoffs.


Prehistoric pedagogue said...

The whole jail escape analogy is very sad-funny. I remember attending the luncheon the UFT gives for the newly-retired every November(pre-plague of course). People were swapping horror stories of the hellholes they had taught in for decades. We were all drinking and laughing like a bunch of POW’s who had escaped the Nazis. Many of us said that it was the first wholehearted laugh they’d enjoyed in years. How tragic that retirement from a learned profession is looked upon as a commutation of sentence

James Eterno said...

Dinkins won by 2% with UFT endorsement in 1989. He lost by 2% without it in 1993. For the record crime rate started to go down toward the end of Dinkins' term.

David Suker said...

Dinkins lost because black people didn’t come out and vote for him after the Crown Heights Riot betrayal when he suddenly forgot he was black. You gotta take care of your base.

David Suker said...

Dinkins lost because black people didn’t come out and vote for him after the Crown Heights Riot betrayal when he suddenly forgot he was black. You gotta take care of your base.

Anonymous said...

Dinkins lost in 1993 because of the misconception about crime rates In NYC. Crime rates actually came down in 1992-93. In addition, he lost a good deal of the Jewish Democratic support because of his indifference with the Crown Heights riots—and his inaction to end the black boycott with the Korean Food Market in Flatbush. The UFT was neutral —didn’t support either candidate.And then it became Giuliani time. The UFT didn’t

David Suker said...

Good analysis. I’d like to see a demographic breakdown of the votes comparing the 1988 and 1992 election. I still stand by my analysis as well, but I think yours adds to it.

Not will to die yet said...

Enough about Dinkins

diBlasio has to sign off on this ERI .

Let’s hope that any side deals that Mulgrew makes include Bozos signature on the correct line.

Anonymous said...

Just curious, what leverage does UFT have to get mayor to sign ERI?

Anonymous said...

Every other Friday night I would drive over the 3rd Ave bridge and be shaken down by squeegee guys at the red light off the Deegan. Once Giuliani cleaned up NYC, that stopped. Those of us who didn't travel in gentrified NYC neighborhoods know what NYC street crime was like under every mayor. Dinkins sucked. He pandered to criminals just like Deblasio does.

Not will to die yet said...

Did Cuomo sign the budget yet ?

Anonymous said...

If the ERI passes, anybody 55+ should grab the service credit and jump ship (as long as it puts them past 30 or 25 years). Is it a windfall? Nope. Does it help many in the 55+ crowd? Yes.

Not will to die yet said...

I am sure many Uft members will stay on the job in an effort to pad FAS.

I will head for the hills if diBlasio sign off on it. He is back peddling because at this time the ERI is not one of his pet projects.

So close yet so far.....

Prehistoric pedagogue said...

Not Willing: Come on! It’s pedaling. Not peddling. You’re better than that

Anonymous said...

Two interesting articles in the Chief Leader about the early retirement incentive(ERI). The Mayor has some explaining to do regarding his back tracking on this matter. He forgot that for 6+ months he enlisted the support of two Brooklyn legislators, powerful unions and the City Council to get the ERI approved in the State budget. Now he acts as if he had no previous knowledge of the ERI and that his team was not involved in the negotiations. For one, the Bill has very specific opening and closing timeframes. Those dates were not pulled out of the sky. Someone agreed to them. Maybe the Mayor?

Not will to die yet said...

Prehistoric,
Better to pedal something for UFT members then a crooked side deal for Mulgrew or his sisters company. Or one of the many fake education consultants that creep into the picture every few years.

Not will to die yet said...

Ignorant spelling error on me ,

Sorry!