The Lay Off Issue Framed As All About LIFO

Just watched CBS 2 and the layoff issue was framed almost completely around the seniority issue.

Not should layoffs be done, but why do veteran teachers get protected?

So there you have it from one media outlet - the layoff issue framed completely from Bloomberg's perspective.

Bloomberg is not put on the defensive for insisting upon layoffs when the city has a budget surplus, $2 billion in extra tax revenue, and the governor has declared no layoffs have to happen under his proposed state budget.

Instead, the teachers union is the problem and the layoffs will happen unless LIFO is changed in Albany.

Heckuva job, UFT.

Somehow an issue which should be of moderate difficulty to frame - layoffs don't have to happen because the city has a budget surplus, $2 billion in extra tax revenue, and the governor has declared no layoffs have to happen under his proposed state budget - you guys have managed to allow Bloomberg to frame as: the evil teachers union won't change seniority so schools with newer teachers are going to lose 70% of their staff.

Let's see if the UFT can change the framing of the story by the 6 PM news.

They had better, or Bloomberg is going to get what he wants.

And make no mistake, if seniority changes occur, layoffs will happen every few years instead of once every two generations.

UPDATE: This NY Daily News article isn't much better than the CBS 2 report - it's all about how seniority and LIFO will exacerbate the problems with the layoffs instead of looking at whether layoffs actually have to be done.