School Unions Wonder At Mayor’s Priorities

School Unions Wonder At Mayor's Priorities

Local education union leaders reacted to the Mayor's State of the City address with surprise about many of the priorities in his speech - along with frustration over what was left out.

United Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten was skeptical of the Mayor's plan to insure every child in New York City schools, given his demand for health-benefit concessions from city employees.

Goals at Odds?

"The Mayor talks about the worthy goal of increasing health-care coverage for children, but wants to pay for it on the backs of municipal workers, many of whom are the parents of the very same children we are all seeking to help," the UFT leader said in a Jan. 27 statement. "We ought to be working together to expand health-care coverage across the board."

Ms. Weingarten also criticized the Mayor for speaking about the New York City Partnership for Teacher Excellence, a $15 million program that relies on help from the City University of New York and New York University, but not mentioning the contract disputes with either the CUNY Professors or NYU graduate assistants.

"Efforts to increase meaningful professional development opportunities for Teachers are always welcome," she said. "At this time, however, NYU is involved in a dispute with its graduate teaching assistants, who have been on strike for nearly three months. We urge NYU to respect the graduate students and settle this strike so we can enter into a fruitful partnership with our teachers."

'Where's the Urgency?'

Professional Staff Congress president Barbara Bowen echoed Ms. Weingarten's sentiments.

"It's great that the city is excited about the work PSC members do in Teacher training, but where is the urgency about our contract?" Ms. Bowen said in a Jan. 27 phone interview. "It's outrageous that CUNY faculty and staff have had to work for more than three years without a contract. The best way for the City to show it is serious about investing in CUNY is by agreeing to a fair contract for the PSC."

Council of School Supervisors and Administrators president Jill Levy knows something about working without a contract, with her members enduring more than 30 months without one.

"We are disappointed that a contract for school leaders was not among the Mayor's priorities," Ms. Levy said in a Jan. 27 statement.