Thousands join rally to ‘Save Our City’

UFT President Michael Mulgrew speaks to the thousands of union and community members who came to protest budget cuts and stand up for the vital services that help the city run.

UFTers were out in force on June 16, joining thousands of parents, community members and fellow city workers at City Hall to fight for the critical services that New Yorkers depend on.

With state lawmakers threatening to cut as much as $500 million in city school aid, Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposed budget for next year slashes more than $1 billion. The city would lose firehouses and senior centers, while libraries would have their hours and days chopped.

City services of all types — from sanitation to hospitals — will be adversely affected. The protesters fear that after-school programs and tutoring for students would disappear, while class sizes would soar.

“If we don’t make education a priority, we are lost,” said Alice O’Neil, chapter leader of Food and Finance HS, who came to stand up for her school and her students.

“If you stretch the rubber band too far, it will break,” said Isabel Abreu, a GED teacher in Manhattan, who added that “a lot of services we take for granted will be gone” if we don’t stop these cuts.

“Who’s going to save this city?” asked UFT President Michael Mulgrew, leading a chant from the stage as he emceed the event. “We are!” came the response from the crowd. “Are we going to fight? Are we going to push back? Are we going to win?” he asked rhetorically. Loud cries of “Yes!” came thundering back from the spirited crowd that stretched all the way from City Hall Park down past Federal Plaza, blocks away.

“Schools have taken a 12 percent cut in the past two years,” he said. “Who does that hurt? The children. Are we going to allow children to get hurt?”

Mulgrew introduced labor leaders and politicians — including City Comptroller John Liu and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio — who all promised to stand together and prevent the devastation these cuts would create.

When 9/11 happened, “New York police officers ran toward the Twin Towers, firefighters went into the building and sanitation workers backed us up with equipment,” Patrick Lynch, president of the New York City police union, told the crowd. “New York needs every one of you. They say they don’t need us; I say they’re wrong.”

Lynch noted that the city has a smaller police force today than it did on Sept. 11, 2001. “That’s a recipe for disaster,” he said. A common theme among speakers was that the economic crisis, created by Wall Street high rollers, should not be borne exclusively by the city’s working people, by losing either their jobs or necessary services.

“We are not your bailout package,” said Norman Seabrook, president of the correction officers’ union. Perhaps the showstopper of the event came last, as 9-year old Kassandra Rivera of PS 234 in Queens came up to the stage to speak just before 6 p.m.

“The mayor has all this money to make stadiums, but he doesn’t have money for schools,” she said. “That’s not fair. The children are the future!”

The crowd roared its agreement.

College students Liza and Ross Weinstein joined UFTers in standing against cuts to education.