N.Y. COMMISSION REPORT SPELLS TROUBLE

Recently, the New York State Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness issued a report that contained a series of recommendations which, if adopted, would reduce pension benefits, increase health insurance payments and erode collective bargaining rights of public school employees, as well as other N.Y. State government workers.

Dennis Hughes, N.Y. State AFL-CIO President, stated that the recommendations “were seemingly prepared under the misguided concept that it is the responsibility of working men and women to cure the economic ills of local government.”

The recommendations include:

·        A study to create a new Tier 5 pension for public employees with less benefits or possibly a defined contribution plan

·        Mandated, minimum health insurance contributions for all local government workers

·        Mergers and consolidation of various small school districts

·        Reopening and renegotiating collective bargaining agreements when local school districts merge or consolidate services

While there are many interests intent on pushing these recommendations through the State Legislature, NYSUT, along with other AFL-CIO unions will be hard at work to protect the public workforce and insure the defeat of the proposals.

This, once again, underscores the need to contribute to VOTE/COPE,

NYSUT’s powerful and effective political action committee dedicated to protecting its members right, sound educational practices, and an effective public school system.