Sen. Adriano Espaillat to Vote “No” on S. 3501, Which Strikes Seniority Considerations for Teachers

(New York, NY) – New York State Senator Adriano Espaillat announced that he will be voting on S. 3501 when it comes before the Senate. The legislation strikes down seniority considerations when determining teacher firings. Sen. Espaillat released the following statement regarding his position:

 “As a parent and New Yorker who benefited from our public school system, I understand the value of supporting our teachers and keeping experienced educators in the classroom. Just as importantly, I know that any bill that unilaterally undermines collectively bargained rights is a blow to all public employees and threatens to roll back hard fought progress on labor protections. That’s why I will be voting against S. 3501 and urging my colleagues to do the same.

“Even in these harsh economic times, we must withstand political pressures to abandon our principles. Together, we must continue to fight for our children’s education and make sure that any changes made to the current structure promote workers’ rights as well as educational excellence.”