Says It Would Cause “Chaos” if New York’s Public Employees Were Given Same Rights that Workers Enjoy in Other States 

Cuomo Would Have Cracked Down on West Virginia Teachers

NEW YORK, NY – If Andrew Cuomo had his way, the historic gains that teachers made this year in West Virginia, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Arizona would not have happened. While Cynthia proposed this week to allow public sector workers like teachers to strike, the Governor has staunchly opposed it – going so far as to laughat reporters who asked him if he would support changing the Taylor Law, this morning. It would cause “chaos,” the Governor responded.

Cynthia Nixon released the following statement on the issue.

“Governor Cuomo attacked unions for most of his first two terms — pushing to cut pensions, and retaliating against teachers for not supporting him in his campaign for governor.  While Cuomo has done an election year about-face and started aggressively courting the support of union leaders, today’s comments make clear that the Governor remains anti-worker at heart. We should be standing alongside our brave teachers, not cracking down on them for fighting for fair pay and dignity and better education for their students.”

In New York, public sector union members not only lack the right to strike, but are also harshly penalized when they do. The President of the Transit Workers Union even served time in prison for striking in 2005, and the Union was fined $2.5 million dollars.

Cuomo’s Anti-Union Record
Cuomo Referred To Teacher Unions As An “Industry” That Serves The Interests Of Teachers Rather Than Students. According to the New York Daily News, “A passionate Gov. Cuomo upped his war with the teacher unions on Thursday, charging that they represent themselves — not the students. During an appearance before the Daily News Editorial Board, Cuomo said the only way change will come to a broken education system is if the public is better informed. ‘If (the public) understood what was happening with education to their children, there would be an outrage in this city,’ Cuomo said. ‘I’m telling you, they would take City Hall down brick by brick. ‘It’s only because it’s complicated that people don’t get it.’ Cuomo referred to the teacher unions and the entrenched education establishment as an ‘industry’ that is more interested in protecting the rights of its members than improving the system for the kids it is supposed to be serving.” [New York Daily News, 1/23/15]

New York Times Headline: “Cuomo Vows Offensive Against Labor Unions.”Before taking office, Cuomo planned to “transform the state’s weak business lobby into a more formidable ally” and then went on to spend millions to support “his strategy to isolate, destabilize, and ultimately defeat” labor unions and pass a business-friendly budget. [New York Times, 10/24/10; New York Post, 11/23/10]

Cuomo Pushed To “Broadly Limit Retirement Benefits” And Restrict Pension Benefits of Union Members, Including Law Enforcement. According to the New York Times, “Cuomo’s proposal would still cause significant changes to worker retirement plans” and “benefits for law enforcement officers and firefighters…would also be scaled back….“Congratulations to Governor Cuomo for another grandstand play for the attention of his millionaire friends at the expense of the real working people of New York,” Danny Donohue, president of the largest union of state workers, the Civil Service Employees Association, said in a statement.” [New York Times, 6/8/11]

“Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo Has Escalated His Fights With Teacher And Public Employee Unions That Did Not Endorse His Re-election By Targeting Major Policy Changes The Unions Oppose.” According to Newsday, “Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has escalated his fights with teacher and public employee unions that did not endorse his re-election by targeting major policy changes the unions oppose. Cuomo, a Democrat, battled organized labor regularly during his first term over contracts and pensions. Now, just weeks after his re-election, he’s roiled the Public Employees Federation, the white-collar state employees union, by attempting to turn more than 2,500 union jobs into nonunion posts. He has also angered the teachers’ unions by threatening to change teacher evaluations, the process for firing teachers and the probationary period for new hires, and by vetoing a bill he negotiated to slow down the impact of Common Core academic standards on teachers.” [Newsday, 1/4/15]

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