City’s teachers union sent out a quiz about the state’s upcoming vote on a constitutional convention asking: Will the convention likely result in “a lifetime supply of pizza” or “the loss of rights and benefits that working families depend on?”
The question is meant to be sarcastic and the answer — that it will rob workers of benefits — is designed to paint an unflattering picture of the convention. The quiz is one aspect of a hard-fought union campaign against Tuesday’s ballot proposal that could open the state’s constitution to any and all amendments.
Proponents of a convention — nicknamed “Con Con” — argue it presents a rare chance to make much-needed changes to the state’s constitution, which could include adding language to boost school funding. Besides education, Con Con supporters argue it could invite revisions to the very way the state is governed, including ethics reform and major changes to the judiciary, as well as address social issues like abortion protections.
However, opponents, argue the convention could be hijacked by conservatives who are hostile to labor protections. Since convention delegates would be selected from Republican-leaning State Senate districts, the teacher union reasons that a convention could erode teachers’ rights and send money to private schools.
Here’s what you need to know about how Con Con could affect New York state education:
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Why is New York City’s teachers union so against this?
Teachers union representatives are worried that a constitutional convention could put pensions and workers’ rights at risk. New York state’s constitution enshrines the rights of workers to collectively bargain and organize, said United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew. It also protects pensions, which union officials fear could be on the chopping block during a convention, he said.
“I think the state has a lot to lose tomorrow,” Mulgrew said. “It would be a huge mistake for New York State to have this process.”
Are there other education issues at stake?
Some advocates fear a constitutional convention would allow money to flow to private schools. The state constitution contains an amendment prohibiting the use of public money to fund religions schools, wrote Donna Lieberman, executive director of the NYCLU, in an op-ed opposing the convention. The last time New York held a convention in 1967, a proposal that would have allowed public funds to cover religious schools gathered steam, but eventually proved too controversial.