Poll Finds New Yorkers Oppose "Last In, First Out" Layoff Policy

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A new poll shows that the majority of New Yorkers agree with Mayor Michael Bloomberg that layoffs should be based on performance, not seniority.

According to a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday morning, 85 percent of those surveyed do not support the "last in, first out" policy, believing layoffs should be based on performance. Eleven percent of city residents surveyed and 13 percent of state residents surveyed think layoffs should be based on seniority.

The policy has been heavily criticized by the mayor.

Governor Andrew Cuomo says he too wants changes as State Senate Republicans push new legislation to change the last in, first out process.

The governor says merit should play a role in layoffs.

"A better system that the last in, first out seniority based system is a system based on merit, which means that you then need an objective evaluation system to evaluate that merit. We don't have that system in place in the state yet," Cuomo said.

The State Assembly has not yet taken up a bill on the issue.

Thursday's poll also found the teachers union, the United Federation of Teachers, has considerably more support in the five boroughs. Of city residents surveyed, 50 percent said they thought the unions were playing a positive role in improving the education system. That's compared to just 33 percent statewide.

The poll of more than 1,400 registered voters was conducted by phone from February 15-21.

The margin of error is +/- 2.6 percentage points for that entire group, and 5 percentage points for survey results just from New York City.