Tag: Pallotta

More on Andy Pallotta

We told you earlier of this week of the war brewing inside of NYSUT between NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi and Executive Vice-President Andy Pallotta, who is believed to be backed by UFT President Michael Mulgrew.  This morning we have a few more layers of intrigue to add.  In response to things posted on the Revive NYSUT Facebook page (and subsequently removed), Iannuzzi was quoted on the Revive NYSUT Slate Lies page (Yes, there is a “Revive NYSUT” and a “Revive NYSUT Slate Lies”).

Via Revive NYSUT Lies…

BREAKING: Dick Iannuzzi responds to lies posted on Revive NYSUT

Carla McLaud, at large nysut director, called Dick directly to seek the truth regarding the NYSUT table at Cuomo’s fundraiser. Dick asked to be quoted on the misinformation being posted on Revive NYSUT.

“This is a lie. Either the writer or his source is lying. Andy authorized the table without consultation with the officers or the approval of the V/C committee. In fact, as of Friday, a request still has not been forwarded to the V/C Committee. For this reason I have frozen all contributions over $5000 to statewide parties or candidates without prior approval. This lack of judgment is why officers that provide a variety of views and insights (not 4 hand picked by one officer) is the checks and balance needed at NYSUT. This is not micro-managing, it’s good common sense. Had this come to the five officers, I am confident Maria, Lee, Kathleen and I would have opposed a $10000 contribution to Cuomo’s reelection fund.”

Richard Iannuzzi, NYSUT President

In addition we came across the memo below, distrbuted by Pallotta.  A memo with plans that Iannuzzi apparently didn’t have knowledge of…

MEMORANDUM

 TO:        NYSUT Board of Directors

FROM:  Andy Pallotta, Executive Vice President

DATE:   January 15, 2014

RE:        NYSUT’s Legislative Reception

On Monday evening, January 27, 2014, NYSUT will host a Legislative Reception and briefing in the Observation Deck of the Erastus Corning Tower at the Empire State Plaza.  The reception will be held between6:00 PM – 8:00 PM.

 The Governor and his executive staff, members and the executive staff of the Senate and Assembly will be our invited guests.

 Light refreshments will be served and a cash bar will be available.

 A copy of the invitation is attached.  If you are interested and your schedule allows, please RSVP to Karen Rhatigan at (518) 213-6000 x6626 or by e-mail, krhatigan@nysutmail.org.

On Saturday evening PJSTA President Beth Dimino delivered the following message to the members of the PJSTA…

For the record, the PJSTA will NOT endorse a slate of NYSUT Officers, led by Andy Pallotta, that endorse and use our vote cope money to pad Cuomo’s war chest! The PJSTA is leading the charge against this heinous act and will support individuals that oppose Pallotta and Cuomo!
Beth Dimino, President PJSTA
 
 

Burgeoning NYSUT Civil War

Those of you who monitor your statewide union via Twitter will have noticed a flurry of activity this week that is sure to continue until the elections at the NYSUT RA in April.  It began Tuesday evening with the creation of the @ReviveNYSUT Twitter account.  Originally and anonymously dubbing themselves a “grassroots” group seeking change within out parent union, they were later revealed to be led by current Executive Vice-President Andy Pallotta (who has been largely ineffective in regards to his role as director of legislative action… see Tax Cap, Tier V, Tier VI, etc.).  Pallotta, frustrated with NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi’s resistance to allowing Pallotta to have unlimited access to Vote Cope funds, apparently cobbled together a slate to run against the current NYSUT leadership.  To add gasoline to the fire it has been revealed that Pallotta used $10,000 in Vote Cope funds to purchase a table at King Andy Cuomo’s birthday bash.  In addition to the expected Pallotta and Ianuzzi, members of the slate Pallotta is running against Iannuzzi also attended.  They include Karen Magee (President of the Harrison Teachers) who is running against Iannuzzi for NYSUT President.  The $10,000 paid for the table went to “Cuomo 2014”.  There has been some discussion that Pallotta’s slate would seek a Cuomo endorsement, or at the very least contribute further Vote Cope funds to Cuomo 2014 should they win.

This situation reminded me of Pallotta’s trip to the PJSTA’s Union Conference Day a couple of years back (2012 I believe?).  When a PJSTA member questioned whether he could be assured that NYSUT would not endorse Cuomo for re-election in 2014 Pallotta was non-committal.  That exchange may very well prove to be prophetic.

In a separate, but possibly related story, at the UFT Delegate Assembly on Wednesday evening, the UFT’s Unity Caucus voted down a motion “that the UFT not endorse Cuomo’s reelection nor provide him with any COPE money.”  (Thanks to James Eterno for making the motion and blogging about it on the ICEUFT Blog.  Reality-Based Educator chimes in with “Why The UFT Will Probably Back Cuomo“)  Where this connects to Pallotta is that he is a former UFT member who was, in essence, tapped by UFT leadership to take the NYSUT Executive Vice-President position (traditionally this has always been held by a UFT member, dating back to Albert Shanker).  Additionally in the profile of their @ReviveNYSUT Twitter account, they are now admitting who they are and that they are “Unity Caucus members.”

It is a twisted and tangled story that is only getting started.  Norm Scott of Ed Notes Online does a much better job than I do of explaining it so be sure to head on over to his blog to read about it.  Mike Antonucci wonders about Revive NYSUT’s viability here.