As the union representing New York City teachers moved ahead yesterday with plans for a strike authorization vote, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said the strike threat was not affecting the pace of contract negotiations, and he predicted that the two sides could reach agreement. Randi Weingarten, the teachers' union president, decided to seek authorization for a strike last week, after negotiators for the city said they were too busy to deal immediately with round-the-clock contract talks. If the union's delegate assembly votes today to authorize a strike, ballots will be sent to the 100,000 members, a process that will take several weeks. Such a vote would allow the union leadership to call a strike anytime between June and September. City teachers last struck in 1975. Abby Goodnough (NYT)þþMANHATTAN: SETTLEMENT IN N.Y.U. TENURE CASE New York University said yesterday that it had agreed to expunge its denial of tenure for Joel Westheimer, who formerly taught in its School of Education, and to pay him $15,000. In return, he has agreed to withdraw his tenure application and his charge that the university denied him tenure because he testified on behalf of N.Y.U. graduate students seeking to unionize. In February, the local office of the National Labor Relations Board said that the university had illegally denied him tenure and said it would bring the case before an administrative law judge. Karen W. Arenson (NYT)þþEAST MEADOW: ADVICE ON HEALTH CARE IN JAIL Federal experts will advise Nassau County on health care for the inmates at its jail here, Senator Charles Schumer said yesterday. A recent audit found Nassau spending $10,207 a year per inmate, or triple the amount spent in adjacent Suffolk. Nassau is under a court order to improve care, to settle a federal suit filed after an inmate suffered a beating and died. The county was planning to hire a health consultant for up to $250,000 when Mr. Schumer wrote to the United States Bureau of Prisons for free advice. Bruce Lambert (NYT)þþGARDEN CITY: TIME LIMITS IN ABUSE CASES QUESTIONED The time limit for prosecuting sex abuse of minors should be greatly extended, Nassau County's district attorney, Denis Dillon, said yesterday. State law now bars cases after the victim reaches the age of 23. Mr. Dillon urged state district attorneys to support a cutoff age of 33. After youngsters are abused ÿit can take years before they are able to come forward and talk,ÿ he said. His recent review of church files of complaints found all the cases too old to pursue. Bruce Lambert (NYT)þþBROOKLYN: BUS UNION CALLS FOR GREATER PROTECTION Transit union officials, reacting to the stabbing of a bus driver on Sunday, called yesterday for greater protection for city bus drivers. Ed Watt, the secretary-treasurer of Transit Workers Union Local 100, urged the State Legislature to pass a bill making an assault on a transit worker a felony rather than a misdemeanor. Mr. Watt said the union also wanted to talk to New York City Transit, which operates the buses, about the possibility of installing cameras, partitions or two-way pagers to protect drivers. Andy Newman (NYT)þALBANY: STATE PASSES BILL TO HELP GAY PARTNERS Seeking to help the families of victims of the Sept. 11 attack, the Legislature gave final approval yesterday to a bill that encourages federal officials to give benefits to same-sex partners of the dead, but stops short of according them the same rights as widows and widowers. Gov. George E. Pataki introduced the bills and has said he will sign them. In September, the governor issued an executive order directing the state crime victim board to give awards to domestic partners. Ken Feinberg, the special master who oversees the distribution of the Federal Sept. 11 Victim Compensation Fund, has said he will follow state laws in deciding who gets benefits. Mr. Feinberg cautioned, however, that he might still be bound by marriage and probate laws, which do not cover same-sex partners. James C. McKinley Jr. (NYT)þþHOLBROOK: TODDLER HIT BY LAWNMOVER A Long Island toddler was in surgery last night after being hit by a lawnmower his father was driving yesterday afternoon, the police said. Around 4 p.m., Nicholas Michael, who is 2 1/2, ran toward his father, Andrew Michael, who was seated on the tractor mower cutting the grass, and inadvertently put his right foot under the mower. His right foot and thigh were injured, said Officer Robert McLaren of the Suffolk County Police. The child was taken to University Hospital at Stonybrook in very serious condition, said Dan Rosett, a hospital spokesman. Tina Kelley (NYT)þþ
Source: NY Times
