With each conversation, we are learning new ways to achieve our primary goals: Supporting schools where students and educators can thrive; ensuring our members’ professions are enticing and sustainable career choices; and building the strength of our union. (Read all about our vision in detail on page 16.)

We are bolstered by a national movement that has taken hold across the country this summer and shows no signs of slowing down. From the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes to the UPS Teamsters contract wins, the nation is watching organizing become a strategy for hope. And they are cheering us on.

It’s already underway at NYSUT. This year we have won political fights to foster learning environments that both students and educators deserve, including passage of state legislation to qualify thousands of additional students for free lunches and to prevent violence against school staff.

We’re pushing to make the profession attractive and sustainable by launching a dynamic campaign to fix the Tier 6 pension system.

YSUT endorsed state Sen. John Mannion, D-Geddes, in his bid to represent New York’s 22nd Congressional District.

“From his time in union leadership at West Genesee to his work in Albany as a state senator, John has proven he will fight tirelessly to uplift educators, students and communities. As a teacher and NYSUT member, we know John will be the powerful voice in Washington for working-class families and strong public schools that Central New York deserves.”

Mannion was former president of the West Genesee Teachers Association and is a graduate of the union’s Member Organizing Institute. He also participated in NYSUT’s Pipeline Project, which identifies and trains candidates to run for public office.

Endorsed candidates receive grassroots support from NYSUT members, including phone banking, door knocking and literature distribution. The union also makes financial contributions from voluntary donations through VOTE-COPE, the union’s non-partisan political action committee.

Check out nysut.org for announcments of other endorsements.

ith student loan repayments set to resume in October, borrowers across the country continue to have questions about what it means for them and their particular cases. Unions have advocated tirelessly for simplification, reform and expansion of the loan forgiveness programs. And union leaders are committed to keeping members informed.

In a June 30 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the Biden administration’s one-time student debt relief plan, effectively ending the pandemic-era student loan repayment pause. Student loan interest will resume starting Sept. 1, and payments will be due starting in October. For more information and answers to frequently asked questions, visit StudentAid.gov/DebtRelief.

For assistance with your individual case, members are encouraged to sign up for one of NYSUT’s free online student loan webinars offered in partnership with Cambridge Credit Counseling. Thousands of NYSUT members have already taken advantage of this free union benefit. Through the program, counselors will help you better understand the various student loan repayment options, along with the latest information on Public Service Loan Forgiveness programs.

hink of it as a bootcamp for unionists. NYSUT’s Local Action Project helps locals improve their function and performance. Union members come together from all over the state to Saratoga Springs, where they hunker down for a week to devise a tactical plan for overcoming the stumbling blocks that prevent them from accomplishing their vision.

David Zupan, president of the third-year Carmel Teachers Association, said that LAP has helped them establish schools as central to the community. “We are an integral part of the development of the children and the future of the towns. By having these conversations over the course of these summers and then putting them into action, we’ve been able to draw more positive attention to our union and education.”

hree years ago, Schenectady City Schools laid off more than 200 School-Related Professionals a few days before the start of that school year.

Tracy Cimino was one of them.

“It was a horrible experience that still resonates in our unit,” she said. “We felt disposable. … We lost a lot of good people with a lot of experience.”

A few months later, Cimino returned to her position and has since worked her way to vice president and head of the negotiating team for the Schenectady Federation of Teachers Paraprofessional Unit, which recently ratified a four-year competitive contract. Aside from a salary increase, Cimino says she’s pleased with significant gains they made to improve members’ professional and personal lives such as tuition reimbursement for teaching assistant and teaching certificates and a mentorship program for first-year hires.

YSUT members hit the streets this summer, having one-on-one conversations with their education colleagues to discuss ways to keep educators in the profession and bolster union solidarity. The important work was part of this year’s Member Organizing Institute.

The program trains a statewide network of paid member organizers who go out into their communities, building long-lasting relationships through member-to-member house calls.

This year, participants also learned about the union’s Fix Tier 6 campaign for pension equity. Through door-to-door conversations with members in their communities, participants will serve on the front line in our mission for a fair and equitable retirement system.

“I want people to want to become teachers in the future. If they see that there is something unjust in our retirement plan, then we’re not going to get more teachers to join this beautiful profession,” said Judith Rivera, a member of the West Hempstead Education Association.

Launched in the summer of 2017, the Member Organizing Institute is one piece of a larger puzzle to activate local unions in the fight for a stronger union — and that includes a dignified retirement. NYSUT stands firm in the belief that Tier 6 is unfair, forcing some educators to work longer, contribute more and receive less when they retire.

Learn more about how you can get involved at FixTier6.org.

new NYSUT campaign will highlight the important work of educators by soliciting positive stories about teachers, coaches and other inspirational school professionals who have made a difference in the lives of New Yorkers.

Called Educator Inspired, the initiative seeks to build support and respect for the profession, bolster the ranks of educators and underscore the importance of school professionals at a time when the teaching profession is increasingly under attack.

“We all have an educator who inspired us, in ways small and large,” said NYSUT President Melinda Person. “Educators affect our lives for years to come, but many may never know how much they helped us or influenced our path in life. Now is the time to tell them how much they matter.”

Person explained that the need has never been greater for educators to know they’re making a difference as classroom professionals. Increasingly they’re being scapegoated by some politicians for doing their jobs and supporting students, a situation that’s exacerbating a nationwide teacher shortage.

“Educators don’t enter the profession for the money, they do it to make a difference,” Person continued. “We need to promote the education profession: It’s the single most important societal resource we have.”

The Educator Inspired campaign will begin to roll out this fall.

cores of NYSUT members took part in the union’s first ever Social Justice Academy in late July. The two-part program educates members about social justice issues and teaches them how to raise awareness and advocate for change in their communities. The goal is for participants to form either a local social justice or a civil and human rights committee and leave with a concrete plan to increase awareness and activism within their community.

“The locals participating this year were hand-picked, but we plan to have an application process to select 10 locals to continue the program next year,” explained J. Philippe Abraham, NYSUT secretary-treasurer, whose office coordinates social justice initiatives. Piloting the program are the Brentwood Teachers Association, Syracuse TA, Tri Valley TA, Solvay TA and the United Federation of Teachers. “The locals’ growth from March to now is incredible, they’re on fire, really energized and engaged in the work.”

Abraham noted that the pilot locals run the gamut from urban to rural and stretch across the state. “It’s amazing to see them gel and learn about their different colleagues and communities.”

The academy started in March with a weekend-long session to introduce the program and set goals and a budget. During the four-day July intensive iteration, members fine-tuned their plans, developed implementation strategies and learned about different aspects of social justice work, including community engagement, recruitment and team building, racial justice, and the intersection between poverty, LGBTQ+ and gender issues.

Why do you love what you do?

I have worked 42 years as assistant custodian for the New Rochelle school district. I love what I do because I get to watch each new generation grow up, and I get to help people from teachers to parents and kids. I have always been handy, good at fixing things and enjoy friendly communication with others. I help ensure that public spaces are safe and clean and maintain the grounds so the kids can focus on learning. I have had strong ties to the New Rochelle school district and community. My father worked for the district. Later, I decided to work for the district and even got the chance to watch my own children graduate from New Rochelle schools. The school community and relationships I have built with my coworkers have made these 42 years fly by.

Are you involved in the union?

I knew unions were essential to support because they sought to reduce wage gaps for workers of color, offer retirement security and provide equity and safety to those who join. These were just some of the main reasons I joined. I have seen how they have had our backs when we went on strike many years ago. They support us and always look into how they can negotiate better benefits. They also do outreach to the community. I am looking forward to becoming more involved.

Tell me, how do you make a difference?

I make a difference by approaching each day by going above and beyond, sharing kindness and showing a strong work ethic. It is essential to continuously interact with everyone with a smile and a good morning, it makes the day start off in a good way.

egistration is open for NYSUT’s 45th annual SRP Leadership Conference, Oct. 20–22 in Albany. The event is the statewide union’s largest leadership, professional development and networking opportunity for School-Related Professionals.

The registration deadline is Sept. 19.

Under the theme “SRPs Rising to the Challenge,” the conference features a host of workshops and sessions that benefit members in their personal and professionals lives.

“We encourage local leaders to sponsor some of your emerging or veteran SRP leaders to attend this inspiring conference,” said NYSUT Second Vice President Ron Gross, whose office coordinates initiatives for SRPs.

The year was 1984 and I had just recently immigrated from Teheran, Iran, to Queens, New York. I was temporarily living with my grandparents. My grandmother had lived in the United States for 10 years, but still spoke broken English. As I was learning how to sound out words, I realized, while watching “Wheel of Fortune,” that my Iraqi native grandmother did not know how to read or write in English. She admitted to me that in Arabic, she could only read on a third-grade level, which made it hard for her to even read Arabic books that her friends would lend her. It was a profound concept to me that the adult who was in charge of taking care of me could not read or write properly.

This vision isn’t top-down. Our priorities come from and reflect our diverse and engaged membership across the state. One thing we’ve learned from the last year of labor activism is that all NYSUT members share a kinship with other professionals across the country fighting for dignity and benefits. We are at the front lines of addressing potentially life-changing technologies and their effects on our professions, the well-being of our children, and the implications for education and the workplace of tomorrow.

These goals are broad but achievable if we work together. For a complete and regularly updated list of NYSUT’s vision and policy agenda items, visit nysut.org/vision.

hen Amy Fink, an English teacher at Maple Hill High School in Rensselaer County, searched for summer teaching opportunities, she never thought she’d find a position that would benefit her and her students. But that’s what the Schodack Faculty Association member found after applying for a project coordinator position with the Summer Career Development Ambassador Program.

The pilot initiative was launched jointly by the New York State Department of Labor and the NYS Education Department to help grades 6–9 educators better understand and explore future career options with their students.

Fink was one of 30 educators hired statewide to participate in the four-week paid program that operated in nine of the DOL’s 95 statewide career centers. Participants included classroom educators, guidance counselors and work-based learning coordinators.

ducators are heading back to the classroom with tons of new tools — thanks in part to online courses from the NYSUT Education & Learning Trust. ELT’s courses combine the latest research-based strategies with maximum flexibility so that all educators can get the training they need to succeed. Looking to up your game? Here are some of our top picks for fall:

In “Creating an Equitable Grading System for All Students,” ELT instructor Allyssa Graham, Moravia Teachers Association, examines how the grading system has been used to determine a student’s academic potential. The course also discusses methods that promote instead of punish. “The system was originally set up as a sorting mechanism that provided or denied opportunities to students. Students were tasked with meeting the needs of the industrial world and schools needed a way to standardize student progress,” said Graham. “It sends confusing messages to students about their efforts.”

In “Learning First, Technology Second,” ELT instructor Patricia Siano, Corinth Central TA, examines how the pandemic changed the way we use technology for education. “Our goal as educators is to create a technology-rich, but balanced, learning environment,” Siano said. “How can we balance purposeful integration of technology with irreplaceable in-person learning?”

his summer, Amanda Brown helped put up 10 bushels of peaches, 160 dozen ears of corn, 10 cases of blueberries, and too many green beans to remember. “The last box was like Mary Poppins, it just kept refilling,” she recalled.

The program, which also includes an educational component, is funded through a $100,000 Farm to School Grant from the state Department of Agriculture & Markets. The program is just one of the ways the state is supporting farm fresh school meals.

“We’re developing a pretty deep toolbox at this point,” said Tim McBride, school food program manager for the state agency. This year’s state budget included $50 million to be administered over five years to help schools aggregate, store, process and prepare farm products.

Brooke Schery, president of the Attica Central School NTEA, hopes that more districts will take advantage of the Farm to School programs. Visit agriculture.ny.gov/farming/farm-school for more info.

afeterias across New York are getting an upgrade, thanks to National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance grants.

Owego-Apalachin Central School District just purchased and installed a new combi-oven, using a $20,000 award. “We’re going to be able to get food out more quickly, and that’s going to help the lines move much faster,” said Sandy Phillips, site manager for the Owego-Apalachin district and a member of the Broome BOCES Support Services Administration.

In July, the State Education Department, which administers the federal program, awarded 482 grants totaling $4,786,638 to 149 districts.

“The grant really is beneficial because schools do not have that kind of funding to buy equipment. They spend their money on labor and food, so this grant opportunity alleviates that financial burden for them,” said SED’s Tara Webster, supervisor of child nutrition programs. “It also allows them to do more scratch cooking, get more local food into their schools, and offer more variety for students.”

In accordance with the NYSUT Constitution, Article IX, §§4(a) and 4(b): “Directors representing Election Districts shall be elected on a roll call vote by a majority of ballots cast by the representatives from their respective constituencies … [and in] … the event of a vacancy in the position of Election District Director, the President shall call a special election to elect a successor who shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term.”

Pursuant to NYSUT Constitution, Article IX, §4(b) and the approved NYSUT Campaign and Election Procedures, NYSUT members who were reported as elected delegates to the 2023 Representative Assembly representing the members of ED 45 will be eligible to vote in this Special Election.

hat did you do this summer? For many NYSUT retirees, the answer is simple: a lot. From helping the union chart its course for the months ahead, to representing NYSUT at various conferences, trainings and at important social justice events, NYSUT retirees, once again, proved they’re the union’s daytime army.

5 Questions for…Ethel Kline

You’ve been an educator for more than five decades. How did you start your career?

I was raised to care, not just for my own people, but for people in general. I had never thought of working in a school, but my son came home with a note from the school one day that said they were looking for parents to work there. I applied and I got the job! It was not even a full week later that I started, and I have been a teaching assistant ever since — 53 years.

Fifty-three years is a long time. What keeps you coming back?

The kids need us. They need me, and they need more people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and come in and try to do what they can. That is what I’ve tried to do.

Working with the kids means a lot to me. Sometimes I see my students out and about, all grown up. Maybe at one time, society had counted them out, or they were what we called ‘bad kids.’ Now they’ve gone on to become police officers and teachers and nurses. Even if I see someone, and they tell me, “Mrs. Kline, I’m working at Family Dollar,” I still praise them because it’s good to see them doing something good with their lives. They’re working. They’re being productive, and that’s so rewarding to see.

YSUT Member Benefits provides an update at the beginning of each academic year about how the department operates, including its endorsement process and the many endorsed benefits available to NYSUT members.

NYSUT created the Member Benefits Trust as a separately funded trust 40 years ago in order to leverage the unified buying power of its membership and offer competitive benefit programs to members and their families. The Member Benefits Corporation and Catastrophe Major Medical Insurance Trust were subsequently created in 2008 and 2015, respectively, to add to the department’s breadth of offerings.

Each of these entities is overseen by a board of appointed trustees/directors who help to ensure these benefits meet the evolving needs of NYSUT members. The Member Benefits department is under the leadership of NYSUT Secretary-Treasurer J. Philippe Abraham, chairperson of the Member Benefits Trust, and is directed by Ginger LaChapelle.

f you joined the New York State and Local Employees’ Retirement System on or after April 1, 2012, you are likely a member of Tier 6, our largest tier. Your tier determines things such as how much you will contribute each pay period, your retirement and death benefit eligibility, and the formula used to calculate your pension.

A good place to learn about your membership and benefits is our New Members webpage at osc.state.ny.us/retirement/members/new-members. It provides links to a variety of resources and important information.

First, we encourage you to sign up for Retirement Online, your self-service account with ERS. It’s the most convenient way to review your benefit information and manage your account. Be sure to keep your contact information current. You should also check to make sure you have beneficiaries listed and that their contact information is up to date.

I’ve been seeing and hearing a lot about “Fix Tier 6” recently. What’s that all about?

“Fix Tier 6” is a NYSUT campaign to encourage lawmakers to reform Tier 6 of the New York state pension system. Compared to earlier tiers, Tier 6 members will earn a significantly reduced pension and pay considerably more into the pension system over the course of their careers, due to changes enacted on April 1, 2012. Tier 6 members’ contributions increase as they earn more, topping out at 6 percent, and they can’t retire until they reach age 63 without facing heavy penalties; that could mean up to 40 years of service.

That’s not fair. My colleague down the hall started teaching three years before me, but he’s Tier 4. Does that mean I’ll have to work eight years longer, and possibly pay double into the pension system, just because I’m Tier 6?

Currently, yes. But we agree, it’s not fair. That’s why NYSUT is working hard to achieve parity with Tier 4 for our more than 100,000 members in Tier 6. Tier 4 members can retire at 55 with 30 years of service and their pension contributions cap at 3 percent and end after 10 years. The statewide union is fighting for similar improvements for Tier 6 members. On the bright side, this is a battle we’ve fought and won before. In 2000, after a decade-long campaign, NYSUT helped end Tier 4 contributions and reduced early retirement penalties. To get involved, and help NYSUT Fix Tier 6, visit fixtier6.org.