1 Education Drive

Room F-3293 Garden City, New York 11530

Fight Unjust Budget Cuts: Join NCCFT and NYSUT in a Rally to Education New York State

Despite overwhelming public support for education funding, Governor Cuomo’s proposed budget will reduce state aid to Nassau Community College by 10%. The New York Times notes that it is apparently easier to make painful cuts to the middle and working classes than to extend relatively painless tax surcharges on the wealthy.

These budget cuts are not only about finance. They are about undermining public labor unions. Wherever we turn, there are forces committed to destroying our Collective Bargaining rights. These anti-union, and more to the point, anti-teacher forces have taken to the airwaves and are repeating their mantra, blaming the poor, sick, aged and public employee and in our case, the teacher unions for the financial mess.  Their constant repetition is a deliberate strategy  to deflect  blame from the Wall Street greed and corruption that really created the crisis.  Remember them?  You can see the organization of these attacks on the middle class around the country not only in Wisconson, but in Ohio, Indiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and of course, lets not forget Florida (really, lets not forget Florida).  And now, these attacks have come home to New York.

The NCCFT is planning several programs to help you understand how to take back the narrative in your community and on campus.  Look for information forthcoming very soon.  In addition, NYSUT is holding large rallies around the state to galvanize the membership while educating the communities.  When the Nassau regional office of NYSUT first proposed a Nassau Rally, the NCCFT immediately offered to help and proposed that the rally be held on the Nassau Community College Campus.  We have available facilities and NYSUT was willing to pay whatever the College fee would be.  For reasons beyond my humble understanding and limited patience, the College administration refused NYSUT access to the campus.  So, the rally is being held at the Hofstra Pool Complex, Building 49 on Thursday, March 24 at 6pm.  We are asking everyone who is planning on attending this Rally to stop by the NCCFT office before 4:00pm Thursday to pick up your free NCCFT t-shirt to wear at the rally.   We’ll also have materials available for sign making on Thursday from 4:00pm until 5:30pm in the NCCFT conference room.  Refreshments will be served.

-Frank Frisenda, NCCFT VP for Classroom Faculty

And now for a little Monday Morning Music emphasizing the beauty of organized and coordinated movement. Be amazing!