Labor-endorsed candidates win
Three NYSUT-endorsed candidates in the March 20 special elections — Didi Barrett, Frank Skartados and Shelley Mayer — won election to fill out terms in the 103rd, 100th and 93rd districts, respectively, in the state Assembly.
Chris Fahey lost his bid to represent the 145th Assembly District to Michael Kearns, a Democrat who ran on the Republican line.
As NYSUT United went to press, one race was still undecided. Democrat Lew Fidler was endorsed by labor in the 27th Senate District. Republican David Storobin led the election by one vote after absentee ballots were counted in the special election to fill the state Senate seat vacated when Carl Kruger pleaded guilty to corruption-related charges in December. Both sides have agreed to let the courts decide.
RA news online, in print
Full coverage of the union's 40th Representative Assembly April 26-28 in Buffalo can be found online at www.nysut.org and in the June issue of NYSUT United.
More than 2,000 delegates were to consider 54 proposed resolutions and three constitutional amendments, that set the union's course for the coming year.
Those scheduled to address delegates, in addition to NYSUT's five officers, include American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, National Education Association President Dennis Van Roekel, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, state AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento, and Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown.