Letters to the Editor

Congratulations on securing 55/25 agreement

Mar 14, 2008 3:33 PM

To the Editor:

I must offer UFT President Randi Weingarten my sincerest thanks for assuring New York City public school teachers the 55/25 plan, as I considered it a cornerstone in our negotiations with the Department of Education. Randi must be commended for her desire to respect the voices of our union members.

I very strongly believe that my desires, as expressed in our last UFT survey, have been met with the 55/25 plan. We, the members of the UFT, have a president who is every bit as influential and efficacious as the great Al Shanker. She has followed through on so many of the issues that most directly affect our careers, such as in her negotiations with the city for pay raises, medical benefits, tax-deferred annuity plans and many other economic issues. Less directly, yet equally important, she has made the school environment safer, fought for class-size reductions and new school construction, and made the micro-management issues far less acrid. Her ability to work so well with a very teacher-respectful, education-oriented New York City mayor has proven invaluable to our profession.

Please understand that we should, and do, feel extremely fortunate to have you and all the UFT officers in our corner. I know that our members are fully aware that it is through UFT surveys, solidarity, COPE donations, reading the New York Teacher and union involvement at the school, city and state levels that we can affect change! Thank you so much!

Joseph A. Musachio, IS 34, Staten Island