When Lou Cammarosano started teaching in 1956 members of the profession barely met secondclass citizen status Forget having any preparation time Teachers did not have time off for lunch Principals could call a meeting at any time in the morning or evening and to keep your job yo ID: 266060
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Unions Rebel against second-class status
When
Lou Cammarosano started teaching in 1956, members of the profession barely met second-class citizen status. "Forget having any preparation time. Teachers did not have time off for lunch. Principals could call a meeting at any time in the morning or evening and, to keep your job, you had to go," said Cammarosano, who taught for 40 years in the Harrison district in Westchester County. "We were to be seen and not heard."Slide3
Original Unions
NYSTA – an NEA affiliate
United Teachers of NY – an AFT affiliateThomas Hobart
Al
ShankerSlide4
Unions Merge
NYSTA and UTNY agree to merge creating a new union
NYSUT.Part of the agreement was to disaffiliate with the NEA.Slide5
NEA NY
NEA set up a rival organization in NYS but it did not grow like NYSUTSlide6
NYSUT Grows
NYSUT membership continues to grow as it looks to organize
professionals in and out of the field of education.SRPs – School Related ProfessionalsUUP – United University ProfesorsSchool NursesSlide7
NEA Merger
Reunited
In 2006 NEA NY and NYSUT agree to mergeNYSUT agrees to affiliate with the NEASlide8
Challenges
When NYSUT was formed in the early 1970s, the political climate was treacherous for teachers.
A three-year freeze in state aid led to severe budget cuts. Striking teachers were being jeered and jailed; the Legislature had imposed a 2-for-1 pay loss penalty and one-year probation for striking public employees.In 1970, the state Legislature overwhelmingly approved a bill freezing district budgets and teaching salaries in those districts defeating school budgets.Slide9
Wake-up Call
Although Gov. Rockefeller vetoed the bill because it negated teachers' rights under the Taylor Law, it was a preview of things to come. In 1971, the Legislature approved the
Jerabek bills - which jumped teachers' probation to five years, abolished the minimum salary law, mandated urinalysis testing and prohibited school districts from granting sabbatical leaves to teachers.For many, that was the wake-up call for a radical idea: political actionSlide10
VOTE-COPE
NYSTS –
VOTE: Voice of Teachers in EducationUTNY – COPE: Committee on Political EducationBoth political arms were funded by voluntary contributions - not dues - and both supported voter registration drives and pro-education candidates in local and state elections.Slide11
VOTE-COPE
VOTE/COPE
makes NYSUT one of
the most powerful political forces
in the state of
New York.Slide12
NYSUT’s Accomplishments
In 1975, passage of a law guaranteeing tenure transfer rights and a maximum two-year probation period for teachers who switched districts
In 1977, a law providing for significantly enhanced enforcement powers for the state Public Employment Relations BoardIn1978, repeal of the Taylor Law's mandatory penalty of one year's probation for any public employee who went on strike.In1982, the state legislature passed the
Triborough
Amendment
to the Taylor Law. The
Triborough
Amendment required school districts to honor the entire contract until a new agreement was reached
Permanent annual COLA in TRS & ERS pensionsPension Equity –
a half-dozen early retirement incentives; pension supplementation and health insurance protection for
retirees.
Creation
of teacher centers (1984) and the mentor-intern program (1986
)Slide13
VOTE-COPE
provides
rebates to locals
Of all the VOTE/COPE monies collected
:
20%
gets rebated for
local assistance programsSlide14
Rebates may
be used for:
School Budget Vote
Campaigns
Support Candidates
for
Local School Board
General local union
political action activities
(voter registration, voter education, etc.) Slide15
A VOTE-COPE
contribution to fit all budgets…Based on payroll deduction over 26 paychecks
Per Paycheck
Total Contribution
$2.00
* $
52.00
*
$4.00
$
104.00
$5.00
$130.00
$6.00
$156.00
*New TeachersSlide16
Don’t be the
weak link…
Support our political action fund.
Donate to
VOTE/COPE