Mayor Bloomberg has made an offer to the teachers--a 2% raise on up to 70K for each of two years, and nothing above that. For teachers at max, that's a 1.4% raise per year, even though the tabloids will keep shouting 2%.
If we don't jump and say "Thank you sir, may I have another?" he'll fire 2500 teachers. A few days earlier, he was firing 8500 teachers. So in some strange way, we seemed to be making progress.
Then Joel Klein sent an email to the principals rationalizing this whole thing--we're closing the budget gap and teachers are paying for it. Never mind all that collective bargaining nonsense. We don't need no stinking UFT, or CSA.
As he just proved by closing 19 schools, against the will of everyone who spoke at public forums, he's Mayor Bloomberg and he does what he wants, when he wants, how he wants.
Actually he's got no such option. He has to deal with us and CSA whether he likes it or not, and it's better to wait him out than take crumbs--and that's what we're being offered. I hope our leadership really, truly understands that.
Nonetheless, the whole "Screw you all, I'm Mayor4Life and I'll do what I want" tactic is cute. And Joel Klein is relentlessly charming, as always. It's no wonder he inspires such fierce loyalty amongst our ranks.
Here's a counter-proposal. Remove all the odious givebacks from 05, the 20 minutes from 02, stop the idiotic 37.5 minute classes, and then we'll talk about taking less money.
What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
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