The New York Observer » NYSUT

Court Battle Delayed, at NYSUT’s Request

ALBANY—The court battle between David Paterson and education groups will be postponed, at the education groups' request.

A hearing on a suit filed by New York State United Teachers (and others)--which contends that Paterson acted improperly when he stalled aid payments to schools, citing a lack of cash--will now be held Jan. 20 Read More

Paterson’s Legal Rebuttal

ALBANY—Here's the memorandum of law that lawyers for David Paterson filed yesterday in response to a suit by education groups who say the governor improperly stalled aid payments due schools.

No major surprises. Paterson's lawyers formally contend what the governor has said: since he is not terminating payments, just delaying them, with statutory Read More

Paterson: Court Fight is Against ‘Insolvency’

ALBANY—David Paterson this morning vowed he will fight in court "to keep New York State solvent" against education groups that are suing him to prevent delays in aid payments.

"I will not be intimidated in this process. I absolutely will not shirk my responsibility. I will not let those special interests ruin the state's Read More

Cuomo is Representing Paterson, DiNapoli, Megna Against Ed Groups

ALBANY—Lawyers from the Office of the Attorney General will be representing New York in a lawsuit filed by several education groups, an aide to Andrew Cuomo said.

The attorneys are preparing a reply that will be filed tomorrow in Supreme Court in Albany County, the aide said. Cuomo is constitutionally obligated to represent the Read More

Paterson Asks Why Education Groups Think They’re ‘Extra Special Interests’

ALBANY—David Paterson just held a press conference to attack education groups who are suing him, saying the "special interests" have joined legislators who "stuck their heads in the sand."

"What these groups have said is, 'We're not special interests, we're extra special,'" Paterson said in the Red Room. "We're supposed to get all of Read More

NYSUT: 400 Charter Schools is ‘Ridiculous’

ALBANY—A plan to double the number of charter schools is not getting a warm reception from two education groups that just sued David Paterson.

"There are ways of doing it, of raising the cap and also of raising some of the problems they're having with charter schools. Any thing is discussable. We haven't said, Read More

Education Groups Sue Paterson

ALBANY—As threatened, a coalition of education groups announced on the (cold!) Capitol steps they have sued David Paterson, saying his decision to stall education payments (which were to be sent Tuesday) is unconstitutional.

The suit says that Educational Law requires the governor to make payments on a fixed schedule, that he is Read More

Professors Union Launches Newspaper Blitz

Late in the budget game, the NYSUT offshoot representing SUNY and CUNY faculty and staff is taking out ads in newspapers statewide aimed at parents with students returning for Thanksgiving, decrying proposed cuts which mean "she won't graudate on time."

"What? Another year of college! How are we going to afford that?" the ad, Read More

Paterson Campaign Goes On Air

ALBANY—As had been predicted, David Paterson's campaign released two new ads to try and boost his still sagging poll numbers.

Each television spot--produced by Murphy Putnam Media, the same firm that produced the positive ads for Representatives Scott Murphy and Bill Owens--acknowledges the mis-steps that Paterson has made, and portrays him as Read More

Labor Brags About the Owens Win

SARANAC LAKE—It did come down to a battle of the boots here in the 23rd Congressional district, and the unions which aligned by Bill Owens at the last minute are touting their victory.

"The late labor candidate won," said Ron McDougall, the president of the Jefferson-Lewis-St. Lawrence Central Labor Council (and the husband Read More

How Labor Works (Now) for Owens

PLATTSBURGH—The door to Bill Owens' Durkee Street war room is marked with marker on a white board, probably because it was working against him until this Saturday.

I found half a dozen members of NYSUT and the AFL-CIO there, making calls in a fourth-floor conference center next to a pile of glossy door-hangers, water bottles Read More

Scozzafava’s Labor Support, Like Scozzafava, Breaks for the Democrat

ALBANY—In August, Larry Bulman wasn't convinced Bill Owens would win his race to replace John McHugh in Congress.

"It's simple: boots on the ground," Bulman, the Saratoga County Democratic chairman and the political director for the plumbers and steamfitters union, told me over lunch. "Which means union support. That's how we won Read More

NYSUT Backs Scozzafava, Says Boots Will Trump Money

ALBANY—Will it come down to money versus bodies in NY-23?

Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava just secured the endorsement of another big union--New York State United Teachers--which has committed to activating its 33,000 members in the district to Scozzafava's campaign. Scozzafava has also secured the endorsement of the Jefferson-Lewis-St. Lawrence Central Labor Council. Read More

Labor Leader: ‘How Many Times Does He Have to Tell Us He Doesn’t Want to Be Governor?’

ALBANY—A top official at NYSUT is very upset with "a growing pattern of problems" from David Paterson, and said openly that he doesn't see how the union could support him for election.

"If the election were today, absolutely not," said Alan Lubin, NYSUT's executive vice president. "By 2010, it depends. What we've yet to Read More

In Poughkeepsie, Paterson Will Dine Among Friends

ALBANY—David Paterson is hitting the rubber-chicken dinner circuit, appearing as the guest of honor in Poughkeepsie on Thursday at the Dutchess County Democratic Committee's annual Salute to Labor Dinner.

Jane Barber Smith, the Democratic county chair, said she invited the governor in April, but he confirmed the invitation only in the last two weeks. Read More