Eliot Spitzer did some huge favors for the state’s largest public employee union when he was governor, so it’s no surprise that the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) has endorsed him in his race for New York City comptroller.
During 15 months in the state’s top office, Spitzer added thousands of employees to the state payroll, agreed to a contract that would raise the base pay of CSEA members by about 14 percent over four years, and issued an executive order allowing CSEA to organize thousands of publicly subsidized home-based daycare providers.
The head-scratcher in the comptroller’s race is the attitude of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), which is opposing Spitzer and backing Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer in the primary. “We’re going to make sure that we do everything in our power to make sure Scott is the next comptroller,” UFT President Michael Mulgrew has said. On the surface, UFT’s participation in the “Stop Spitzer” movement shapes up as a monumental case of ingratitude on the part of the union.
After all, Governor Spitzer did two huge favors for UFT. First, his first budget initiated an unwise and ultimately unsustainable increase in state aid to schools, with an extra big boost for New York City. Second, he designated UFT as bargaining agent for newly unionized daycare workers in New York City, as part of the same executive order that channelled such workers to CSEA in the rest of the state. That translated directly into new dues revenue for the teachers’ union, which has few other avenues for growing its membership.*
Go figure.
* In proposing a school property tax cap in 2008, Spitzer did light the official fuse on an idea loathed by the statewide New York State United Teachers (NYSUT). But New York City wasn’t affected by the cap and UFT thus no reason to hold a grudge over it.
You may also like
How 1199 Earns its Reputation as Albany’s No. 1 Labor Power Broker
For the fourth time in six years, the president of New York's largest health-care union, George Gresham of 1199SEIU, has won the top spot on the "Labor Power 100" list from City &am Read More
How a Medicaid ‘Cut’ Could Lead to More Unionization of Home Care Aides
A money-saving maneuver in the newly enacted Medicaid budget could end up increasing costs in the long term – by paving the way for more unionization of the state's burgeoning home health workforce.
Read More
Pols Craft More Handouts for Sinking Construction Unions
New York’s construction unions, facing a decades-long decline, are employing a time-honored tactic: getting state government to stop people from competing with them. Read More
Union Rallies Long Island Pols Against NYC Kids
New York’s statewide teachers union has been cashing in political chits as it seeks to block new charter schools from opening in New York City, asking the senators and assemblymembers Read More
Utility board turns into union tool
The idea that the PSC would artificially drive electricity costs higher to benefit a political constituency represents a new low. Read More
New Docs Raise Big Questions About NY’s Megafab Mega-Deal
The Hochul Administration published a pair of documents concerning the Micron Megafab deal that raise more questions than they answer. Read More
City union scandal isn’t NY’s first
One of New York City’s largest public-sector unions has been effectively taken over by its national parent after an audit revealed extensive financial mismanagement. It’s the latest example of misconduct made possible under New York’s public-sector collective bargaining rules that force the government to collect hundreds of millions of dollars annually without any safeguards on how the funds are spent. Read More
Firefighter-rights bill torches local control
Two of Albany’s most-vetoed concepts are headed toward Governor Hochul’s desk, this time concealed as a “firefighter bill of rights.” Read More