NYSUT President Melinda Person released the following statement in response to this year’s final budget agreement:
“NYSUT and nearly 700,000 members across the state this year made their voices heard to win a budget that supports public schools, colleges and the labor movement.
We thank the Legislature and governor for a final agreement that demonstrates these priorities.
This budget will support our current educators and attract new educators by continuing the process of fixing Tiers 5 and 6 in the pension system. It will boost the impact of our colleges and universities with additional funding and require a collaborative process to revitalize SUNY Downstate. It will restore the majority of proposed cuts to public school funding and importantly, will begin the process of updating the Foundation Aid formula to ensure every student in the state has access to a sound, basic education.
New York can and will lead the country with strong communities, engaged citizens and a world-class workforce. Our union advocacy in this year’s state budget puts us on the road to do just that.”
New York State United Teachers is a statewide union with nearly 700,000 members in education, human services and health care. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and the AFL-CIO.