November 7, Vote NO on ConCon

If New Yorkers vote to hold a convention in Albany, it will be nothing more than a party for lobbyist and corporate special interests at the taxpayers’ expense. During the last convention, 80% of delegates were political insiders. It would give them nearly unlimited power to weaken regulations and permanently cut taxes for the wealthy.

The labor movement has struggled for over a century to win the worker protections we deserve. The right to organize, collectively bargain and protect pensions could be wiped away in a backroom deal if the special interests win the right to hold a convention.

When Wall Street lobbyists and political insiders dominate the convention, they will send us the bill. A convention could cost hundreds of millions of dollars with unlimited staff salaries and taxpayers will end up picking up the tab.

REMEMBER TO FLIP YOUR BALLOT AND VOTE NO ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION QUESTION.

TAKE ACTION:

On Saturday, October 28th at 10am, join us for Labor Walks: 
Staten Island - UFT STATEN ISLAND, 4456 AMBOY ROAD
Brooklyn - CWA LOCAL 1109, 1845 UTICA AVENUE
Queens - UFT QUEENS, 97-77 QUEENS BOULEVARD
 
On Saturday, November 4th at 10am, join us for Labor Walks: 
Staten Island - UFT STATEN ISLAND, 4456 AMBOY ROAD
Bronx - SANDHOGS, LIUNA LOCAL 147, 4332 KATONAH AVENUE
Manhattan - COMMUNITY VOICES HEARD, 115 EAST 106TH ST, 3RD FL

10 Reasons to vote no on the Constitutional Convention. 

1. IT IS A WASTE OF MONEY 
A Constitutional Convention is projected to cost $340 million in taxpayer money and could seriously damage current benefits and protections for at least the next 20 years.

2. IT IS A POLITICIAN’S CONVENTION 
During the last Convention, 4 out of 5 delegates were career politicians and Albany insiders who will earn two salaries every day during the Convention that has no time limit.

3. THE RIGHT TO UNIONIZE 
Workers’ rights to organize, and form and join unions at free will would be at risk.

4. COLLECTIVE BARGAINING 
Remember what Scott Walker did in Wisconsin? Voting against a Constitutional Convention would help safeguard collective bargaining rights in New York.

5. PENSION PROTECTION 
Public employee pensions are currently protected by the State constitution, but a Convention could remove those protections. Also at risk? Workers’ Compensation, unemployment, retirement systems, and contributions.

6. CIVIL SERVICE LAWS AND RULES 
The current system of competitive lists and job protections as we know them could be undone. Awarding political patronage jobs instead of hiring people based on merit, could become the norm.

7. SOUND BASIC EDUCATION 
The current Constitution guarantees children the right to a free public education and limits the use of funding for school maintenance and establishment.

9. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS 
NYS’s Constitution has the nation’s strongest protections for “forever wild” areas in the Adirondacks and the Catskills. Greedy developers could push to undo these safeguards for profit.

9. SOCIAL SAFETY NET 
The State Constitution now ensures that New York provide for its citizens in need with welfare and unemployment benefits, emergency healthcare, and homeless shelters, to name a few. All of this would be on the line with a Constitutional Convention.

10. VOTING RIGHTS 
Restrictions and stringencies on voting rights could be implemented with a Constitutional Convention, including diminishing polling sites and requiring government-issued identification. This would ultimately reduce the number of eligible voters.