Thursday, July 30, 2015

City Has A Record Budget Surplus Thanks To The Inferior Contract Negotiated By Our Union Leadership.


 It wasn't long ago when UFT President Michael Mulgrew pleaded with the membership to approve a substandard contract claiming the City had a limited amount of funds and if we refused, we would be sent to the "back of the line" and get less money.  The scare tactics worked and the members approved the contract with a  pitiful 1.4% annual raise for the ten year period from 2009-18, with much of the money back-loaded to as far as the year 2020!

Just yesterday, the City Comptroller, Scott Stringer told the press that the City has a whopping $5.9 billion dollar budget surplus and the City revenues have increased by 7% or 1% over the 2009-13 average of 6%.

Where did the budget surplus come from?  Partly from the economic recovery that greatly increased tax revenues and the cost savings from the public sector contracts that our UFT leadership rammed down the throats of City workers.  That's right, the City is experiencing record surpluses while freezing school budgets, fails to reduce class sizes, and continuing the Bloomberg tradition of  "education on the cheap" policies under Bill de Blasio.

What bothers me most is that most every economist predicted that the City was on track for a major economic recovery and even before De Blasio took office, the City budget was realizing an increase in revenue.  Yet our union leadership ignored the economic reality and wanted the new Mayor to look good as a tough negotiator.  Therefore, we all received an inferior contract. 

All I can say is "with a friend like Mickey Mulgrew protecting our profession, who needs enemies"?  For more information on the budget surplus and our union selling out the members, read the ICEUFT  blog .

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mulgrew acts like a DeBlasio employee, not a union president. I honestly see nothing in Mulgrew that warrants him being in that position. Portelos is getting my vote.

Anonymous said...

Just imagine...a union president like Portelos!

What a wonderful day it would be for all who believe in public education.

It would signify an Enlightenment, and the closing of one of the most corrupt "faux" leaderships in the history of the City of New York...the packing up of Mulgrew who has stabbed a knife into the backs of teachers across New York, an imposter sitting in an office that should be the residence of a true union leadership...a leadership that should seek honesty and integrity, while ensuring that corporate crimes such as those we are witnessing in the 21st century would be checked and negated.

It would symbolize a Golden Age...a time when public schools and teachers would reclaim the mantle, the promise, the dream that has placed New York as a leader in educating our citizens. An opportunity for all...as we turn back the Common Core pushers, the VAM traffickers, the Danielson peddlers, the MOSL junkies. It would signify a restart...a new beginning...in the fight to destroy the 1% serpents that choose to daily destroy the lives of citizens, so that they may run to the bank with their stolen profits.

An election and victory of someone like Portelos would usher in the dawn of a new beginning.

Many in the borough of Queens proudly casts their vote for Mr Portelos.

Anonymous said...

Just imagine...a union president like Portelos!

What a wonderful day it would be for all who believe in public education.

It would signify an Enlightenment, and the closing of one of the most corrupt "faux" leaderships in the history of the City of New York...the packing up of Mulgrew who has stabbed a knife into the backs of teachers across New York, an imposter sitting in an office that should be the residence of a true union leadership...a leadership that should seek honesty and integrity, while ensuring that corporate crimes such as those we are witnessing in the 21st century would be checked and negated.

It would symbolize a Golden Age...a time when public schools and teachers would reclaim the mantle, the promise, the dream that has placed New York as a leader in educating our citizens. An opportunity for all...as we turn back the Common Core pushers, the VAM traffickers, the Danielson peddlers, the MOSL junkies. It would signify a restart...a new beginning...in the fight to destroy the 1% serpents that choose to daily destroy the lives of citizens, so that they may run to the bank with their stolen profits.

An election and victory of someone like Portelos would usher in the dawn of a new beginning.

Many in the borough of Queens proudly would cast their vote for Mr Portelos.

Anonymous said...

10:24,
You know someone better, a human being ( not some malcontent's cat), who actually WANTS to run? If you please let us all know- otherwise
shut the fuck up and vote for Mulgrew.

Rage Against The Levine said...

I knew him at 49 but he's got zero shot. Good luck waiting until 2020, most of us will never see that money. I work on SI and know 75% of the teachers don't vote nor care.

Portelos is a great leader but come on, the fix is in. Mulgrew now, Mulgrew tomorrow and Mulgrew forever.

Unity sucks.

Bronx ATR said...

To 10:24,
Mulgrew consistently screws teachers, in so many ways - monetarily, ethically, legally, but you sarcastically attack Portelos? I don't understand that. It's plain ugly. Do you want more Mulgrew? Do you want to run? If you do, announce your candidacy and I'll consider voting for you. Heck I'll consider anyone who's running, but I don't know of anyone who has had the guts to throw their hat in the ring other than Portelos. What you're doing, whether or not you realize it, is actively supporting Mulgrew.

NYC Educator said...

Kind of ironic that de Blasio is regularly excoriated by the press for being so liberal. The fact is, thanks to us, he extracted the lowest pattern for bargaining in my living memory. In fact, as far as I know, it may be lowest pattern ever.

Anonymous said...

Anyone who even dreams of voting for Mulgrew has to have their head examined. How many examples of lousy leadership do you need? An atrocious contract which throws ATRs under the bus, gives a raise not even commensurate with the cost of living raises, a public embrace of the horrific Commie Core, a non-response to Cuomo's wanting teacher evaluations counting 50% on test scores, misuse of union funds to bankroll the commie Occupy Wall Street gang's use of UFT warehouses, misuse of union funds to subsidize the UFT "representation" at the Eric Garner demonstration, misuse of union funds to waste on lavish banquets, padded and unnecessary jaunts to exotic locales on the pretense of "studying their education system", sits idle while teachers are abused and harassed left and right. Road kill would give us a far more effective leader. Mulgrew has not only allowed a once-powerful union to become a paper tiger, he has lit the match for its total demise. He belongs in a cell, not in a leadership position.

Anonymous said...

I resent the implication 1250 that Mulgrew is in any way affiliated with communism...we dont want him...communists have principles

Anonymous said...

Love the countdown to Mulgrew's last day in office. www.mikemulgrew.com

Wonder if he sits and stares at it.