Unions Need To Fight Back
McNally at NYCESPA Meeting Outlines Labor Counter-Offensive
by Yuridia Peña
CSA Executive Vice President Peter McNally’s speech at the 78th annual NYC Elementary School Principals’ Association Convention was among a number of topics that sparked buzz among the attending educators, union leaders, elected officials and advocates. In addition to Mr. McNally’s speech that railed against recent attacks against public employee unions, topics of conversation throughout the day were the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the slated closure of low-performing schools.
“We are the unfair target,” said Mr. McNally. His zeal for the topic was transferred to members during the luncheon, which
brought cheers from the crowd. He said all workers should have the right to a good pension and a living wage, and that CSA stands in solidarity with the labor community through its ongoing participation with the Municipal Labor Committee in its fight against the public uproar that blames unions for the state’s economic plight.
Mr. McNally said that the private sector workers should have what union members have: the right to collective bargaining, fair pensions, adequate health insurance and safe work conditions.
In addition, Mr. McNally said, the upcoming budget cuts from Albany will be another important battle this year. “It’s no longer the fact that we are under attack … we now have to fight for public education,” he said.
Deputy Chancellors Shael Polakow-Suransky and Laura Rodriguez were among the dais guests which also included Comptroller John Liu, Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan and NAESP President Barbara Chester.
The NYCESPA Convention is a daylong event at the Brooklyn Marriott which features more than a dozen workshops and a keynote address plus the gala luncheon. This year’s keynoter was Dr. Sally Hampton, who gave an in-depth analysis on CCSS. Dr. Hampton is a senior scholar at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. During Dr. Hampton’s presentation, she strongly advised that schools focus their budgets on implementing the CCSS.
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