NYC teachers' union sues Eric Adams over budget cuts

A union of public school teachers is suing Democratic Mayor Eric Adams of New York City over his proposed budget cuts to offset the cost of its migrant crisis, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

Adams, on Sept. 9, announced that the city would be cutting all agency budgets by five percent amid high expenditures on sheltering illegal immigrants who have crossed the U.S. border with Mexico, and who have been transported to the city by Republican governors of southern states. In response, the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) filed a lawsuit in state court against the mayor for the cuts, arguing that they violate state law guarantees of certain initiatives, according to the AP.

“This is going to become difficult and ugly. We have never had an administration try to cut their schools when they have historic reserves and their revenues are all up,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew during a news conference outside the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan on Thursday.

Among the cuts imposed by the Adams administration are a hiring freeze for the New York City Police Department and the closure of the public libraries on Sundays. The city’s education department will have its budget cut by $1 billion over two years.

“From time to time, friends disagree. Sometimes it ends up in a boardroom and sometimes it ends up in a courtroom,” Adams said at a news conference on Thursday, the AP reported. Adams has blamed the cuts on the influx of migrants, saying that they will “destroy” New York City.

Even as Adams is cutting the city’s budget, figures from the city’s Independent Budget Office suggest that New York’s fiscal situation is not dire. Contrary to Adams’ claims of a $7 billion budget deficit, the office projects that the city will have a budget surplus of $3.6 billion at the end of fiscal year 2023-24, with a deficit of $1.8 billion the following year, the AP reported.

Adams’ approval ratings have declined to 28%, the lowest in recorded history. Apart from the migrant crisis, he is currently the defendant in a civil lawsuit for alleged sexual assault and his 2021 campaign is under a federal criminal investigation for allegedly receiving unlawful foreign donations from Türkiye.

The UFT is the largest teachers union in New York City, with nearly 200,000 members. The city’s largest public-sector union, DC 37, has also sued Adams to block the cuts, the AP reported.

Adams’ spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline, and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact [email protected].

DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW

Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!