The United Federation of Teachers is telling its members to come out in droves to vote for mayoral candidate Bill Thompson because he will give them back pay — even though he insists he didn't promise fat raises to win union support.
The UFT, which endorsed Thompson in the hotly contested Democratic primary, sent tens of thousands of fliers to its members reading, "Bill Thompson Stands With Us," followed by a checklist of issues he supposedly supports.
But sandwiched between promises he has actually made — to appoint an educator as chancellor and limit standardized testing of kids — is one he hasn't: "Retro-active pay."
The retroactive pay issue has become a flash point in the race because Mayor Bloomberg is set to leave office in January with every municipal labor contract long expired.
Officials have projected that providing back pay could clobber the city with nearly $8 billion in additional expenses.
Despite the mass mailing, Thompson spokesman John Collins reiterated that the candidate has not promised the UFT retroactive pay — either publicly or in private.
All of the leading Dems — seeking to win support of union workers — have hedged on providing retro pay.
The $69,705 mailer was funded by the UFT's political action committee, United for the Future, which has spent nearly $3.3 million on the race so far.
A spokeswoman for the union declined to comment.
Earlier Friday, Democratic front-runner Bill de Blasio, the public advocate, actually praised much of Mayor Bloomberg's legacy despite his anti-Bloomberg rhetoric.
"I think [Bloomberg's] been exemplary on public-health and environmental matters. I think he was right to achieve mayoral control of education, although I think he applied it in a way that was really insensitive to parents and could've been done in a much more consultative, open way," de Blasio said.
"I also think the mayor did a good job of diversifying our economy."
Meanwhile, Council Speaker Christine Quinn's campaign jabbed de Blasio after a video surfaced of de Blasio back-slapping a member of an anti-Quinn group funded by independent expenditures.
"You're doing a great job," de Blasio can be heard telling the unidentified man, who is wearing an orange shirt that reads "Don't Vote for Quinn."
Candidates are barred from coordinating with groups that do independent expenditures.
"Bill de Blasio's doublespeak has reached new heights," said Quinn campaign spokesman Mike Morey. "After creating a group called the 'Coalition for Accountability in Political Spending' — which was a failure — Bill de Blasio now celebrates and cheers on a group that has shown an utter lack of accountability in political spending."
A spokesman for de Blasio shot back: "Quinn's campaign is so desperate they are now attacking the T-shirts of people who greet Bill de Blasio on the street."
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