There was a feeling of strength and unity at the RA in Buffalo this past April.  NYSUT and its members came together after numerous victories in a transformative year for many locals. Locals achieved success in asserting political action with a no vote for the Constitutional Convention and in engaging members in anticipation of the Janus decision. NYSUT Executive Vice President Andy Pallotta’s announcement that the Assembly introduced Bill A10475 rallied the Delegates. If approved by the Senate, A10475 would overhaul the state’s current evaluations system and would prohibit state officials from requiring state test scores in teacher rating systems.  Pallotta urged Delegates to be proud and strong and continue the fight, “We have to fight and make sure everyone’s with us. We need to start calling and sending faxes and asking members of the Senate, Where are you on this bill?” Pallotta assured Delegates that the new bill preserves the key elements of local control.  He explained,  “If you have something you like, you can keep it. If you don’t like it, you can create something new.” Use the link to see the full text of Bill A10475. 
 
http://nyassembly.gov/leg/?default_fld=&leg_video=&bn=A10475&term=2017&Summary=Y&Text=Y

Delegates’ strength and union pride were praised and encouraged by invited guests. 
New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli spoke about the value of public education,  “Public education is the pathway to the middle class. It is the door to economic security and a successful life, and teachers hold the key.” DiNapoli warned it is time to fight back against attacks on public employees, on the DeVos agenda, and on those working to dismantle defined benefit plans. He assured delegates, “It is time to stand up, and I will stand with you.” Mario Cilento, President of the New York State AFL-CIO, urged members to build upon the momentum, “Labor is under attack like never before. We have to speak with our members, not to them, so they become educated and then mobilize. If we do this together, with a strategy that makes sense, we will be successful and members will know their voices matter.”
 
 
The RA is NYSUT’s annual policymaking convention and it was action-packed. Delegates approved 27 resolutions, five special orders of business and referred 14 resolutions to the NYSUT Board of Directors for further action. One resolution failed. There were a number of resolutions against state testing. Delegates approved one resolution demanding they slow down the rush to computer-based testing calling for the SED to provide research-based studies on the validity of the computer testing. In another testing matter Delegates called for SED and the Board of Regents to adopt a clear policy prohibiting schools from punishing or stigmatizing students whose parents opt them out of testing.  Other resolutions were related to higher education, health and safety, pensions/retirement, social justice, political action and civil rights. A full list of resolutions can be found at the ink below.
 
https://www.nysut.org/resources/special-resources-sites/representative-assembly/resolutions

Note: Some information from this article was gathered from the NYSUT Website.

The Building Rep as Organizer  
(This workshop is part of the building rep core curriculum)
In these times, internal organizing is probably the most important job
of a union representative. This workshop will help union leaders and
representatives to increase and refine their member engagement skills in
order to build the locals capacity and power. Included will be training
on one-on-one conversations, data collection, leadership identification,
and how to resolve workplace problems using organizing tactics. 

Tuesday, July 24, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Nassau Regional Office Conference Center
1000 Woodbury Rd., Suite 214
Woodbury, NY 11797
516-496-2035

Members can register for this workshop at the following link:
http://www.cvent.com/d/ggqdxv
The registration deadline is Friday, July 20, 2018


Certification Day
Experts from NYSUTs Research & Education Services depart will provide
information and guidance to teachers and teaching assistants dealing
with New York States increasing complex certification requirements.
Following a general presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to
have individual meetings with our presenters to discuss their particular
certification issues.

Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Nassau Regional Office Conference Center
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
1000 Woodbury Road - Suite 214
Woodbury, New York 11797
516-496-2035

Members can register for this workshop at the following link:
http://www.cvent.com/d/3gqdx4
The registration deadline is Friday August 10, 2018

Keeping Accurate Membership Records Workshop
One of the things we learned in doing our member re-enrollment campaign this year is that there are often glaring discrepancies between the membership records maintained by locals and NYSUT. Member records errors can result in problems on many levels – locals being assessed inaccurate dues amounts, difficulty contacting members in emergency situations and, perhaps most important of all in the post-Janus era, potential legal liability for your local and NYSUT if dues are withheld from people you thought were members, but in fact aren’t. This workshop will provide training on membership record keeping best practices to help you avoid unnecessary problems and keep your local running at peak efficiency.

Thursday, July 19, 2018
Nassau Regional Office Conference Center
1:30 PM to 3:30 PM
516-496-2035

You can register for the conference at the following link: 
http://www.cvent.com/d/mgqx0t 
Registration deadline is Tuesday, July 17th, 2018