Thursday, January 30, 2014

Buffalo's Rumore Taking Stand in NYSUT Split?

NYSUT President Richard Iannuzzi is losing ground in his contested April election.... Philip Rumore, president of the Buffalo Federation of Teachers, said his members are frustrated that the current leadership wasn't as aggressive as they'd hoped in responding to the state's rollout of the controversial Common Core standards. “Many of the Buffalo teachers have not been satisfied with the positions that NYSUT has taken,” Rumore told Capital on Wednesday. “Let's put it this way: If anything, we are leaning toward a change in direction, but we haven't made a formal decision yet.” ... Capital Pro
Rumore has got to be kidding. He's unhappy because Iannuzzi has not been as aggressive as he liked but he thinks Mulgrew will be more aggressive? Dreamland.
This may turn out to be a clincher. I can't believe Rumore can think that Mulgrew will show more spine than Iannuzzi but I guess he senses a winner --

Will Iannuzzi stay in if the numbers begin to look really bad? Will Randi intervene to try to prevent an April bloodbath that might split NYSUT? Even an 80-20 split is not good since NYSUT drives the AFT Unity engine.

Here's the key: will the Iannuzzi supporters stay together and form a real opposition in NYSUT? If he doesn't take leadership can they develop into a force inside NYSUT once the Mulgrew/Pallotta crew show they will back Cuomo and get nothing back for it?

Buffalo teachers ‘leaning toward’ NYSUT challengers




By Jessica Bakeman 4:22 p.m. 
ALBANY—Teachers in Buffalo will likely join their peers in New York City in supporting a slate of challengers to the current leadership of New York State United Teachers, a powerful statewide union.
NYSUT President Richard Iannuzzi is losing ground in his contested April election, with two major urban teachers' unions throwing support to challenger Karen McGee, a local union leader in Westchester. Andy Palotta, the current executive vice president and a force in Albany, is running for re-election and backing McGee.
Philip Rumore, president of the Buffalo Federation of Teachers, said his members are frustrated that the current leadership wasn't as aggressive as they'd hoped in responding to the state's rollout of the controversial Common Core standards.
“Many of the Buffalo teachers have not been satisfied with the positions that NYSUT has taken,” Rumore told Capital on Wednesday. “Let's put it this way: If anything, we are leaning toward a change in direction, but we haven't made a formal decision yet.”

MORE ON CAPITAL

Buffalo teachers pushed for state education commissioner John King's resignation months ago. Iannuzzi called for a vote of no confidence against King earlier this month, and the union's board of directors approved the resolution on Saturday.

King has said Iannuzzi's stance was motivated by internal political pressure.  Iannuzzi declined comment through a NYSUT spokesman.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

When the NYSUT Representative Assembly met a few years ago in Buffalo the Buffalo Teachers Union walked out when commissioner King spoke to the assembly. President Iannnuzzi specifically told the delegates not to join in with our 'Brothers and Sisters" from Buffalo as they walked out. The commissioner had made some very harsh cuts to their education funding and the BTU wanted no part of King. Here is a reason for the lack of support for Iannuzzi.

Tamar Flower said...

oh boy.. This does not look good.. I wonder if Rumore will be slapping himself in the a#$ if/when a new slate takes over and it does not go the way he would have intended.

Marty said...

It's Karen Magee, not McGee, who is running for NYSUT President.