I served on the UFT Collective Bargaining committee in 1975, Shanker was about to agree to a month extension to the contract when the layoff letters arrived-I believe-14,000 teachers, after a week long strike the Union hurriedly settled to be at the table after the Badillo bankruptcy, that never happened, and Shanker’s very last second agreement to purchase the bonds, Richard Ravitch was the player who convinced.
No, not a hero, but an exceptionally adept leader, a master of internal and external politics. Shanker had no real choice—NONE— but to agree to support the pension fund MAC bond purchase. Anything else would have been reckless pandering against the interests of his members, accomplishing nothing. He surely knew this. The stall was a tactic. Ravitch (at the famous "matzoh summit" in his apartment) wasn't so much convincing Shanker of the correctness of the bond purchase as he was pointing out the serious risk of pretending he might block it. Carey—who excelled at letting others take credit—and key lieutenants such as Rohatyn and Ravitch were happy to let Shanker wear the mantle of hero, as they also were to praise supposed union sacrifices after wringing other (mostly minor & temporary) concessions. But in retrospect, bankruptcy was a real possibility—and bankruptcy would have been REALLY bad for the unions. Ford did the city a favor by making the bankruptcy threat all the more real at a crucial juncture.
But PS — and I should have put this first: thank you for your comment. It's a honor to attract notice from someone who was directly involved in the high stakes maneuvering among unions and key government leaders during that very interesting time.
Thanks …
I served on the UFT Collective Bargaining committee in 1975, Shanker was about to agree to a month extension to the contract when the layoff letters arrived-I believe-14,000 teachers, after a week long strike the Union hurriedly settled to be at the table after the Badillo bankruptcy, that never happened, and Shanker’s very last second agreement to purchase the bonds, Richard Ravitch was the player who convinced.
Was Shanker the hero?
No, not a hero, but an exceptionally adept leader, a master of internal and external politics. Shanker had no real choice—NONE— but to agree to support the pension fund MAC bond purchase. Anything else would have been reckless pandering against the interests of his members, accomplishing nothing. He surely knew this. The stall was a tactic. Ravitch (at the famous "matzoh summit" in his apartment) wasn't so much convincing Shanker of the correctness of the bond purchase as he was pointing out the serious risk of pretending he might block it. Carey—who excelled at letting others take credit—and key lieutenants such as Rohatyn and Ravitch were happy to let Shanker wear the mantle of hero, as they also were to praise supposed union sacrifices after wringing other (mostly minor & temporary) concessions. But in retrospect, bankruptcy was a real possibility—and bankruptcy would have been REALLY bad for the unions. Ford did the city a favor by making the bankruptcy threat all the more real at a crucial juncture.
But PS — and I should have put this first: thank you for your comment. It's a honor to attract notice from someone who was directly involved in the high stakes maneuvering among unions and key government leaders during that very interesting time.