Reject Any Attempt to Dismantle Seniority Protections

Level of Government: State

As your constituent, I am writing to share my outrage at the Senate bill (S. 3501-B) that would strip away the seniority process for union members. It constitutes nothing less than an attack on collective bargaining in New York state.

My union is, and always has been, willing to be part of any meaningful discussions about continually improving the effectiveness of our members. Our role in last year's Teacher/Principal Evaluation Law demonstrates our commitment to a carefully thought out process to guarantee an effective teacher in every classroom. We understand and support the role of performance in employment decisions. But we also understand, and a significant body of research affirms, the value of experience and the knowledge acquired through practice. I am calling on you to repudiate this bill, which mirrors attacks in other states seeking to dismantle collective bargaining and the right to organize.

This bill would wipe out a century of employment law that ensures fairness in layoffs and a process that allows teachers to speak up for what students need without fear of retaliation. It would bring back an era of nepotism, cronyism and diminished accountability to the public. In this fiscal climate, how many experienced teachers would be able to stand up and fight against budget cuts that would hurt their students if they know doing so would put a layoff target on their back?

Laying off experienced teachers would create an unstable learning environment for those children who desperately need the experience that seasoned teachers provide. I ask you to take a stand against the attacks on worker rights that are embodied in this horrific bill.

Your Name Here