December 19, 2013
By Harry Nespoli, Chairperson of the Municipal Labor Committee
“It is unfortunate that Mayor Bloomberg would use his last few days in office to blame unions yet again for the failure of his own Administration. He should remember that the very people he blames for the city’s financial problems are the same people whom he lauds for keeping this the safest city in the world, working around the clock after Hurricane Sandy, and teaching our 1.1 million public school children.
“Over the past 12 years, we have watched New York City’s middle class get squeezed from every side. Unlike the private sector where workers jump from job to job and have higher pay, our municipal workers spend their entire professional lives working for the city knowing that they will be able to have a secure retirement. Pensions are at the heart of that commitment. Does he really believe there is something wrong with a City employee having adequate healthcare and a reasonable pension after 25-30 years of serving the public?
“As Mayor Bloomberg goes off into his retirement, he should realize that others who have worked just as hard deserve it as well.”
The Municipal Labor Committee is an association of New York City municipal labor organizations representing approximately 500,000 active and retired New York City workers across approximately 100 unions.
