Mayor compares UFT to NRA

On his Jan. 4 weekly radio show, shortly after the launch of the UFT’s new TV ad campaign urging him to come to an agreement on teacher evaluations, Mayor Bloomberg compared the union to the National Rifle Association, claiming both organizations are out of touch with their rank and file. “The NRA’s another place where the membership, if you do the polling, doesn't agree with the leadership,” he told the radio program host, John Gambling.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew responded to the mayor's comment with the following statement:

In the wake of the Newtown tragedy, the mayor’s comparison this morning of teachers to the National Rifle Association is completely inappropriate, and a demonstration of how difficult he can be to deal with on any issue — much less one as complex as a new teacher evaluation system.