As expected, the New York State United Teachers is declining to back AG Andrew Cuomo’s gubernatorial bid, saying there will be “no endorsement at this time” – a decision the union’s president, Dick Iannuzzi, does not expect will be revisited prior to the November general election.

However, NYSUT will also “not be working against” Cuomo, Iannuzzi told me last night. This is an important distinction, particularly when it comes to the AFL-CIO endorsement, which will be decided at the umbrella labor organization’s convention in Albany this weekend.

“We’re obviously going to discuss it at the AFL-CIO, but I am going to be urging – and I have the support of the overwhelming majority of the board of directors – to ask the delegation to allow me to first indicate why we have made no endorsement at this time, and then not participate so if the will of the body can go forward and endorse (Cuomo), then they will,” Iannuzzi said.”

A candidate must receive two-thirds of the weighted AFL-CIO convention vote to receive its nod. The vote is based on how many members present participate.

NYSUT is big enough so that its active “no” vote on Cuomo would make it difficult for him to hit the threshold necessary to get the AFL endorsement, especially if the public employee unions, which are not pleased with the AG’s proposed wage freeze and other parts of his “New NY Agenda” plan, also decided to oppose him.

However, if NYSUT simply remains neutral, then Cuomo only needs to secure the support of two thirds of the AFL members who do vote. That shouldn’t be a heavy lift for him, since he has been pushing hard to lock up the support of private sector unions.

Just this week, Cuomo landed the backing of the NYC Building and Trades Council and the painters union. He already has the nods of the state Building Trades Council, the RWDSU, UFCW Local 1500, and District 15 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

(I’ve written before about Cuomo’s sensitivity to appearing anti-union and his attempt to make a clear distinction between the public and private sectors at a time when the former is being widely blamed for helping drive up the unsustainable spending in government).

NYSUT also won’t be blocking any of its affiliates – most notably the powerful downstate teachers union, UFT – from going their own way in endorsements if they so choose.

That happened the last time NYSUT decided to remain neutral in a governor’s race back in 2002 when then-state Comptroller H. Carl McCall (the official Democratic designee after Cuomo dropped his longshot primary challenge one week before the September election) squared off against GOP Gov. George Pataki. The UFT backed Pataki.

Iannuzzi said Cuomo “clearly indicated that he would like NYSUT support in conversations,” adding: “He’s been to the AFL-CIO and has expressed an interest in labor support; obviously we’re part of labor.” When I pressed him on whether the AG had specifically sought the support of the teachers union, Iannuzzi admitted: “I can’t say that he reached out to me personally.”

As Jimmy Vielkind noted, NYSUT has decided to play hardball with the Legislature – particularly the state Senate – by pulling its support of nine Democrats and 19 Republicans who had previously run with the union’s support.

On Long Island, which is expected to again be a battleground in the fight for control of the Senate, NYSUT issued one lone endorsement to Sen. Ken LaValle – a major Democratic target, although he got a boost earlier this week when his opponent, Regina Calcaterra was tossed from the ballot after losing a residency challenge (she’s appealing).

Iannuzzi told me the SUNY empowerment plan, which his members strongly oppose, was a big factor in the union’s decision not to back many incumbents, particularly Buffalo Sen. Bill Stachowski, who emerged as the champion of that plan and (unsuccessfully) held up the budget in hopes of getting a deal to benefit UB 2020.

With the exception of Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos, for whom Iannuzzi argued no endorsement “at this time”, these decisions are final and won’t be revisited.

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