Untitled Document

June 11, 2007

MEMO TO: WesternNew York Delegation

FROM: Philip Rumore, President, BTF

RE: Wage Freeze Legislation

To say that school employees are angry about Mayor Brown’s proposed legislation to treat school employees differently from City employees so that the City can place its employees on their correct salary steps but the Board employees are placed three (3) steps behind their correct placement, is probably the understatement of the century.

We most strongly oppose any change and expansion of the BFSA’s power in current BFSA legislation that would:

Allow the BFSA to have the sole power to determine whether individual covered entities separately have met certain conditions.
Allow the change from the BFSA having authority over “city and employees” of covered organizations to “city and/or employees” of covered organizations.

Once again, this greatly expands the authority of the BFSA.

This is nothing more than a power grab by the BFSA and those pushing the new legislation under the ruse of ending its authority.

The BFSA has already lifted the wage freeze for all covered entities (see enclosed). Some have stated that it only allows for a one step advance. Our attorneys disagree. Why not let us find out who is correct?

We note that there is an attempt to fast track this legislation. No wonder.

Why the rush?

In answer to some assertions by the School Board:

Thanks to your assistance, the District received an additional $40 - $47 million increase in State Aid this year.
The District will, by statute, receive at least a $132,000,000 increase in “Contract for Excellence” aid over the next four (4) years.
Future projections, as per the absurd BFSA legislation, only allow for guaranteed increases in revenue but do allow for projected increased expenses. In other words, the BFSA legislation allows for projected increases in expenses but not for projected increases in revenue. Therefore, of course, it will always look like a doomsday scenario.

Does anyone believe that employees will agree to anything less than the increments and longevity increases already in their contracts over the next several years? Employers would jump at the chance to negotiate a zero salary increase over the next several years while providing only step increases. We guarantee they would miraculously find the funding for that.

The District insists that it will cost it $20 million to put employees on the step on which they belong. Sound like a lot? You bet. That, however, is the amount that will be lost by employees and their families next year. That is in addition to the $29,000,000 that Buffalo teachers have already lost during the freeze.

We hope that you would not want to involve yourselves in a bitter and divisive situation and piece of legislation and will instead let the parties or courts reach a conclusion.

PR:ls

cc: Richard Iannuzzi, President, NYSUT
Alan Lubin, Exec. Vice President, NYSUT
Steve Allinger, Director of Legislation, NYSUT
BTF PAC Committee
BTF Executive Committee