Mayor Bloomberg set the stage yesterday for a showdown with the teachers union by refusing to back off a plan to get rid of 6,100 of its members as early as next month.
The threatened cut — which would include 4,100 layoffs and 2,000 through attrition — was part of a gloomy $65.7 billion executive budget for 2012 presented by the mayor at City Hall.
Bloomberg made it clear there was an alternative to what would be the largest reduction in the 75,000-member teacher corps since the 1970s: concessions by the powerful United Federation of Teachers.
“Where there will be fewer workers, unions could step up to the plate and share the pain a little bit between their existing members to protect some of them,” the mayor suggested.
UFT president Michael Mulgrew issued a terse one-sentence response indicating the union’s position hadn’t changed since Bloomberg first proposed an even larger number of layoffs last November as a lever to convince the union to support changes to seniority rules.
“Same smoke, same mirrors, same attempt to blame others for his decision to lay off thousands of teachers, despite increased state aid, hundreds of millions in new revenues and a surplus,” Mulgrew charged.
Even with the tough talk publicly, sources said the two sides are in discussions privately and have made some progress.
Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott told reporters he received an e-mail from Mulgrew “while I was in the press conference” on the budget.
“This is a problem that could be solved,” insisted one source.
Bloomberg came under immediate pressure from the City Council, which has to approve the budget by June 30, to spare the teachers.
Speaker Christine Quinn and Finance Chair Dominic Recchia, two key members who are on good terms with the administration, pledged to “do everything in our power to prevent teacher layoffs.”
The mayor laid the blame for the city’s budget woes on Washington and Albany, which he said had cut $1.7 billion in education aid that the city had to make up, leaving less for all other agencies.
“The message here is this pulling away by the federal government and the state from helping cities,” said Bloomberg.
Gov. Cuomo gave a gentle shove back, saying through a spokesman that he looked forward to working with the administration to create jobs for all New Yorkers.
“The governor will also continue to work with his partners in labor to find savings within government in order to avoid similar layoffs at the state level,” said Cuomo spokesman Josh Vlasto.
Most of the cuts Bloomberg laid out as possibilities in November were inching closer to reality — barring intervention by the council, which has restored many of his cuts in previous years.
“It’s going to be harder this year,” warned one council source. “There’s too much to restore.”
The Fire Department was looking to shut 20 engine companies to save $55 million; libraries stood to lose $91 million, which would limit some branches to three days a week; and even prisoners in city jail had to do their part.
To save $350,000, the Correction Department decided to cut back on “commodities” such as ketchup served with meals.
The Sanitation Department was examining whether to start charging non-profits for garbage pickups starting in 2013 to generate $17.5 million.
Still, the mayor said core services had been preserved. He also boasted that the budget declined from $65,977,059 to $65,714,564. Actual spending, however, was up because $3.2 billion in expenses had been pre-paid with funds from the 2011 budget.
Bloomberg’s budget cuts
Police
2011 BUDGET: $4.8 billion
2012 BUDGET: $4.5 billion
2011 HEADCOUNT: 50,008
2012 HEADCOUNT: 50,113
Uniformed ranks will sink to 34,309 as of June 20, 2012
Schools
2011 BUDGET: $18.9 billion
2012 BUDGET: $19.2 billion
2011 HEADCOUNT: 133,677
2012 HEADCOUNT: 127,439
Mayor’s threat to lay off 4,100 teachers will result in larger class sizes
Fire
2011 BUDGET: $1.8 billion
2012 BUDGET: $1.6 billion
2011 HEADCOUNT: 15,825
2012 HEADCOUNT: 15,138
Plan to close 20 engine companies will increase response times, says fire commissioner
Parks
2011 BUDGET: $370 million
2012 BUDGET: $300 million
2011 HEADCOUNT: 6,437
2012 HEADCOUNT: 4,856
Fees for recreation centers, tennis permits and ballfields all going up
Transportation
2011 BUDGET: $366.8 million
2012 BUDGET: $323.9 million
2011 HEADCOUNT: 5,111
2012 HEADCOUNT: 4,388
Parking rates going up to at least $1 an hour citywide
Sanitation
2011 BUDGET: $1.4 billion
2012 BUDGET: $1.3 billion
2011 HEADCOUNT: 9,226
2012 HEADCOUNT: 9,168
Officials studying whether to start charging churches and other nonprofits for garbage pickups in 2013