UFT Delegates: Let Public Decide Term-Limit Waiver; Resolution Rejects Council Action

The United Federation of Teachers Delegate Assembly Oct. 15 approved a resolution calling for a public referendum on the extension of term limits, after rejecting a more-provocative amendment that would have unequivocally opposed the Mayor and City Council's efforts to allow runs for a third term in 2009.

The Chief-Leader/Michel Friang THE UFT VS. TWO MAYORS: Former Mayor Ed Koch told the City Council Oct. 16 that Mayor Bloomberg should be given the chance to seek a third term, but United Federation of Teachers delegates a night earlier approved a resolution stating that any change in the Term Limits Law should come via a voter referendum.

"We made a statement of principle, that in some ways was similar to what I had said before ... regardless of the fact that we have always been against term limits, but given that the voters have twice decided, as a statement of principle we said that we thought the voters should decide again," UFT President Randi Weingarten said outside the union's headquarters following the meeting.

She said that many of her members feared that a third term for Mayor Bloomberg would also mean a third term for Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein, an unpopular figure among Teachers. "Our members believe that Joel Klein is not in their corner. And so, in some ways, the dilemma for them is, as much as we are against term limits, they do not see the Chancellor as someone who fights for helping Teachers do their jobs," she said. "Ultimately that's the sentiment that we hear a lot through the membership, and I hope that City Hall and others hear that."

RANDI WEINGARTEN: Upholding a principle.

'I Can Work With Klein'

When pressed on her personal feelings, however, Ms. Weingarten seemed willing to work with Mr. Klein in the future if need be. "They try and make it an issue of me versus Joel, and at this point, after serving as president of this union with more Chancellors than I remember ... I've always been able to work with people, regardless of whether I like them or dislike them. This is far deeper than that," she said.

"The issue before the Council is extending term limits from two terms to three terms. They're not considering the performance of agency commissioners," replied Jason Post, a spokesman for the Mayor. "However, under this administration high school graduation rates are improving, test scores are up, and we're adding tens of thousands of classroom seats."

JOEL I. KLEIN: A lightning rod for Teachers.

The resolution passed states that "the UFT affirms its fundamental belief in the importance of respecting the democratic will of the people, and calls for the submission of any change in term-limits law to popular referendum."

The amendment voted down at the meeting read: "the UFT [will] unequivocally oppose the city council's bill to extend term limits and the UFT will seriously consider withholding endorsements and [Committee on Political Education] money from any Council member who votes in favor of this legislation that circumvents the will of the people."

Delegates exiting the assembly seemed mixed on the final verdict, but one Teacher was surprised that the amendment got as far as it did. "It didn't pass, but it was a lot more supported than I thought it would be," said Jim Tiernay, who works at M.S. 321 in Washington Heights.

'Block Power Grab'

Alan Reiff, a fourth grade dual language Teacher, said that the UFT's decision not to threaten Council Members pivoted on past loyalties. "The point is, the people on the City Council stood with us in the past, to help get us what we wanted, and so now they're doing something, we can't really turn our back on people that helped us," he said. "What we can say is ... we support a public referendum, it should not be in the City Council ... as a citizen of New York I absolutely agree with that. I voted for term limits [before], and I can vote again for term limits, so that's what I will do."

But another union member was disappointed with the compromise. "The UFT's principle before was that we would never negotiate with Klein and Bloomberg again ... and I feel we should block [Bloomberg's] attempt to seize power," said Jeremy Sawyer, a School Psychologist at P.S. 120 in Brooklyn.

Ms. Weingarten acknowledged how contentious the issue had been, particularly when Mr. Klein's name was invoked. "There was a big debate on the floor," she told reporters. "I understand what the sentiment is there, and I understand the sentiment, because I have fought those fights on behalf of my members with the Chancellor in very pitched ways."

Referring to a compromise over test data reached with the Department of Education in recent weeks, she added, "even when we resolved an issue, in terms of data reports, so that [the DOE] clearly and unequivocally can't use them to evaluate teachers, people still distrust that, because they distrust him."

Ms. Weingarten seemed satisfied with the UFT's resolution. "We made a statement of how ... we believe term limits should be passed. But remember, we have always been opposed to term limits. So our democratic principle has been, traditionally, to be opposed to term limits."