NYC mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo vowed to roll again a controversial pension coverage he himself put in place as governor at a Saturday mayoral discussion board.
The previous governor dealt a blow to public worker unions in 2012 when he enacted Tier 6, an unpopular coverage that raised the retirement age to 63 and lower advantages for brand spanking new hires. However at a discussion board hosted by highly effective union United Federation of Academics, he mentioned he’d push to revert the retirement age again to 55, saying that occasions have modified.
“That’s ancient history,” Cuomo mentioned of his coverage.
Cuomo confronted instant pushback from his opponents, who accused him of operating from his personal file as governor, and even viewers members.
“No it’s not,” a union member within the crowd yelled in response to his “history” remark.
Former Comptroller Scott Stringer bashed the frontrunner’s feedback, calling him “Pro-tier 6 Andrew Cuomo.”
“Keep in mind one guy did this to us,” Stringer mentioned. “And for him to come here today and say this was ancient history is one of the dumbest things he said of our campaign.”
Former Metropolis Comptroller Scott Stringer speaks at a candidate discussion board hosted by DC 37 in February. (Barry Williams/ New York Day by day Information)
Zohran Mamdani, a present state assemblymember and himself a Tier 6 member, stepped onto the stage as Cuomo walked off.
“It was exciting to see the man who created it in person,” Mamdani quipped.
Cuomo enacted the modifications after pension prices skyrocketed within the 2010s. Pension choices undergo Albany.
“The state has the funding, the pension fund threat is over,” the previous governor advised union President Michael Mulgrew, who has known as the 2012 pension change a “sneak attack” on lecturers.
“Roll back Tier 6 so you can compete and get the best teachers and keep them.”
Cuomo spokesperson Wealthy Azzopardi on Saturday mentioned the governor’s pension choice was made to assist native governments rebound from the recession and in flip slammed different candidates’ monitor data.
“The politicians in this race attack Gov. Cuomo’s record because they have no real records of their own — even though they’ve been legislators, citywide elected officials or in some cases in office since before ‘Friends’ hit the air,” Azzopardi mentioned.
Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Academics union in 2020. (Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Day by day Information)
All contributors on the discussion board, together with Brad Lander, Jessica Ramos and Zellnor Myrie, vowed to chip away on the present pension coverage. The candidates appeared on the stage at a Midtown Hilton one after the other.
The UFT has but to endorse any candidates forward of the June 24 Democratic main.
Cuomo’s historical past with public sector unions has value him the endorsement of DC37, the town’s largest municipal worker union, which opted to throw its weight behind Council Speaker Adrienne Adams partially due to Cuomo’s pension choice, President Henry Garrido mentioned final month.
