GNTA News Blog

Delegate's Report: Jennifer Snyder

5/24/2016

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Delegate's Report: Luci Legotti

5/19/2016

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Delegate's Report: Joan Greenberg

5/17/2016

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Delegate's Report: Jeff Bernstein

5/10/2016

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Seven GNTA members, selected as delegates by our membership in 2014, attended the NYSUT 44th Annual Representative Assembly in Rochester from April 8-9. This yearly convention of almost 2,000 members is NYSUT’s highest policy-making body. Here's what our delegates have to say:

JEFF BERNSTEIN
GNTA High School Director

I was privileged to attend my third NYSUT Representative Assembly in Rochester representing the GNTA. It is always inspiring to hear the many speakers and meet and get to interact with other passionate unionists from around the state. It reinforces the importance of the time we commit and the work we do for our members and our communities.

One of the most important things that happens at the RA each year is voting on any resolutions or proposed amendments to the bylaws and constitution. As our statewide union, NYSUT is our voice in Albany, and the decisions it makes and the actions it takes directly affect every one of us. Just one example is APPR and the changes NYSUT has fought both for and against. The process at the RA consists of two steps. The first is a committee meeting, which discusses the resolution or amendment, and votes on a recommendation to the full RA of concurrence, non-concurrence, or to send it to the Board of Directors for further discussion. This recommendation is then presented to the full RA, where it is discussed and voted on.

This year, there were three proposed amendments to the NYSUT Constitution. I participated in the committee meeting on the amendments. The amendments addressed (1) who elects at-large directors, (2) where/how elections are held, and (3) how vacancies in at-large director positions are filled. They were each designed to allow for greater local participation in the voting process. While greater participation seems on its face a good thing, these amendments proved to be very controversial.

There are two main caucuses within NYSUT. The Unity Caucus is dominated by the UFT and other big city locals. The UFT is dominated by its own Unity Caucus, which requires its members to always vote as a block. The result is that UFT leadership is able to just about control the results of all voting in NYSUT. Stronger Together arose during the last contested election for officers and is led by members from many smaller locals from around the state who would like to bring greater democracy to NYSUT.

The three amendments were all supported by Stronger Together, as they would each provide greater local involvement in voting and selection of officers and at-large directors. Under the Constitution as it stands, only locals who can afford to send members to the triennial RA in New York City where elections are conducted can vote. Additionally, at-large directors for each Election District within NYSUT are elected by the RA as a whole, not by the delegates with each particular ED. This current system allows the Unity Caucus, and therefore the UFT, to have significant say over the election of officers and at-large directors, and therefore the Board of Directors of NYSUT.

The discussion in committee about the three amendments to the NYSUT Constitution proved to be very contentious. Those in favor argued that they would bring more representative democracy to NYSUT by (1) providing more locals the opportunity to vote in elections, and (2) allow at-large directors to be chosen by the locals they represent. Those opposed argued that (1) locals needed to be present at the RA to really understand the issues, and (2) that at-large directors were really representing all of NYSUT, even though they were chosen to represent a particular area. Those who spoke in favor of the changes were from many locals around the state, while those who spoke against were primarily from the UFT. Given the current domination by Unity and the UFT, the committee voted non-concurrence on each of the amendments.

When brought to the body of the RA, discussion of the non-concurrence recommendation of the committee led to a passionate debate between those in favor of the changes and those opposed. Reflecting the growing strength of Stronger Together, the voting took three steps. Usually votes at the RA don't go beyond a simple voice vote, but in this case the voting was close enough that President Karen McGee asked for a standing vote to get a visual. When that didn't resolve the issue, a person by person count of the delegates standing for each side was taken. The committee recommendation of non-concurrence was upheld by a vote of 900-617, and therefore there were no changes made to the NYSUT Constitution.

At next year's Representative Assembly there will be elections for NYSUT officers. There is little doubt it will be a contested election, with the expectation that both the Unity Caucus and Stronger Together will run slates. The debates over the amendments to the NYSUT Constitution portend what to expect next year. The good news is that Stronger Together continues to grow from year to year, and the debates within NYSUT will continue.

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Delegate's Report: Bill Toto

5/9/2016

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Delegate's Report: Sheila Henchy

5/5/2016

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Delegate's Report: Jim Daszenski

5/17/2015

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Delegate's Report: Michael Norberto

5/16/2015

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Michael Norberto (on the right) at NYSUT's LGBTQ information table

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Delegate's Report: Bill Toto

5/16/2015

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Seven GNTA members, selected as delegates by our membership last year, attended the NYSUT 43rd Annual Representative Assembly in Buffalo from May 1-2. This yearly convention of almost 2,000 members is NYSUT’s highest policy-making body. Here's what our delegates have to say:

BILL TOTO
President, GNTA Retired Educators Chapter

As warmer temperatures prevailed and icy Lake Erie became liquefied, again, about 2,000 delegates from all over New York State descended on the Buffalo-Niagara Convention Center for the 43rd Annual New York State United Teachers Representative Assembly. They were elected by their local unions to discuss and to debate 46 resolutions which would be the legislative program and agenda for NYSUT’s lobbyists. The delegates were also present to network and to learn. This was the first convention for the new slate of officers who were elected in last year’s contentious election. Karen Magee, NYSUT’s new president, began her first state of the union address with “ A year ago you made it clear you wanted a fighting union--well you’ve got it!…We are truly a union driven by the rank and file.” She said that NYSUT will continue to work closely with its allies: parents, community groups and other groups in the AFL-CIO. The fight must continue on many fronts to expose and to fix the test-and-punish agenda of Governor Andrew Cuomo. She attributes the governor with being the greatest union organizer in modern New York State history due to his senseless, vindictive anti-teacher and anti-public education stands. Magee's new positive vision for public education in New York State respects students, parents and teachers. It is a vision that rejects privatization and profits, focusing on what students need to learn-from preschool through college. Finally, she exhorted those present to BE the union.

Speakers are always an important part of the Representative Assembly. Randi Weingarten, AFT president, applauded NYSUT’s staunch activism against Gov. Cuomo’s attacks on public education. She rejected the notion that linking student test scores to teacher evaluation will foster improvements in teaching and learning. Regarding the battle for sanity in education with the governor and his test-obsessed allies, President Weingarten stated, “You didn’t pick this fight, but it’s not a fight you intend to lose--and we [the AFT] are with you 1,000 percent.”

When New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli was introduced, the delegates gave him a prolonged standing ovation. His office now examines how charter schools spend taxpayers’ money. “To me, it’s always been common sense to demand the same level of transparency and accountability from charter schools as we do from every other school receiving public dollars,” DiNapoli announced. He then went on to discuss the state’s pension plans and how they have recovered since the economic recession. He concluded, “You are part of well-run and well-funded pension plans. That’s the reality…There is simply no reason to replace the defined-benefit pension system with defined contribution.”

Before a final decision is determined concerning resolutions submitted by local unions and retiree councils, a specific process is followed. They are placed in seven categories prior to the convention which become seven committees at the convention. Delegates choose to attend one committee where the resolutions in that category are debated and resolved for the first time. All resolutions with each committee’s recommendations are then presented to the entire delegate body in plenary sessions for final decision-making. Supporting legislation for pension credit for veterans, school safety, overturning Citizens United and Hobby Lobby decisions, opposition to more charter schools, calling for Chancellor Merryl Tisch’s resignation from the Board of Regents, supporting the "I Refuse" movement to oppose high stakes testing, greater focus on students’ social and emotional needs, boycotting Pearson publishing and NYSUT’s Continued Engagement Plan to Fight for Public Education are just a few of the varied resolutions which were presented for deliberation.

This year’s convention can be summed up as one in which NYSUT members were praised for their efforts fighting the governor’s toxic plans and fighting for students, public education, and staying the course. “We are one,” and “Solidarity Forever” were consistent themes pervading the two-day meetings.

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Delegate's Report: Maura Carroll

5/13/2015

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New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli

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Delegate's Report: Jennifer Snyder

5/12/2015

NYSUT Executive Vice President Andy Pallotta

Delegate's Report: Jeff Bernstein

5/11/2015

Seven GNTA members, selected as delegates by our membership last year, attended the NYSUT 43rd Annual Representative Assembly in Buffalo from May 1-2. This yearly convention of almost 2,000 members is NYSUT’s highest policy-making body. Here's what our delegates have to say:

JEFF BERNSTEIN
GNTA High School Director
Village School

One of the most exciting developments at this year’s NYSUT RA was the emergence of the Stronger Together Caucus (STCaucus), which is committed to a more member-driven and democratic style of unionism. The initial meeting of the STCaucus was attended by more than 500 delegates, including 145 local presidents. NYSUT has been dominated for many years by the New York State Unity Caucus, which is led by the UFT Unity Caucus and other big city locals. Keep in mind that the issues that concern the cities, and therefore Unity, are often different than those facing suburban and rural districts. One important example is the tax cap, to which the city school districts are not bound because of the way they are funded. Membership in the UFT Unity Caucus is by invitation only, and their members are required to vote as instructed by their leadership. In contrast, the STCaucus is open to all members of NYSUT, and is committed to a more democratic union as evidenced by the two Constitutional Amendments that were brought to the floor at the RA.

The first amendment called for regional voting for the election of NYSUT officers. Elections are typically held when the RA meets in New York City. Last year only 30% of NYSUT’s locals participated in the first contested election in many years. Many small locals (several across the state are below 100 total members) simply do not have the money to pay for their delegates to travel to New York City and stay at the Hilton for a weekend, while the UFT is always able to send their 800 delegates (all of whom have taken an oath to vote as they are told by their leadership) to the RA. The STCaucus believes that this undermines democracy within our union and contributes to thousands of members feeling as though they do not have a voice. STCaucus’ amendment would have allowed the delegates of every local across the state to vote at their own regional office, minimizing travel and expenses, and making it more feasible for all locals to participate in elections.

The second amendment concerned the election of at-large directors. Currently delegates from the entire state are allowed to vote for all the at-large directors, most of whom work in different regions. This allows the New York State Unity Caucus to use the weight of their 800 UFT delegates to determine at-large directors who represent parts of the state outside of New York City. Last year, for example, at-large directors in a number of areas received less than 10% of the votes in that area but were elected because they had the support of Unity. STCaucus’ amendment would have made voting for at-large directors regional, with only members within a region eligible to vote for the at-large director for that region.

These amendments both represented a threat to the ability of the Unity Caucus and the UFT to dominate NYSUT elections. The New York State Unity Caucus instructed their members to vote against both amendments, and both were defeated despite getting strong vocal support from the floor, primarily because two-thirds were required to ratify. The actual vote appeared to be much closer to 50/50.

Following the defeat of the amendments, resolutions that address the flawed nature of the standardized tests in New York State were proposed by the STCaucus and passed by the delegates after an agreement between the leaders of Unity and STCaucus, who spoke side by side at the microphone in support. This was a sure sign that Unity has recognized that the STCaucus is not to be ignored.

Having attended the Unity Caucus meeting at the 2014 RA, which was anything but open and democratic, the STCaucus was a sure sign that the movement for bottom-up, member-driven, democratic unionism is alive and well within NYSUT.

You can find out more about the STCaucus at http://stcaucus.weebly.com/.

Delegate's Report: Sandi Cooper

5/11/2015

AFT President Randi Weingarten

REC's President Reports on the AFT Convention

9/5/2014

REC Pres. Bill Toto

With Reclaiming the Promise as the main theme permeating all the activities at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the American Federation of Teachers held its 83rd national convention in July.

All the speakers proved creative in weaving the main theme into their presentations. From California

Governor Jerry Brown, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, the dynamic Rev. Dr. William Barber II, President, North Carolina NAACP, Cynthia Nixon, Actor-Activist, newly elected NEA President Eskelsen Garcia to a host of others, the audience was inspired by the variations on Reclaiming the Promise. AFT President Randi Weingarten roused the 3,000 delegates and guests with her State of the Union address.

Her bold call to Reclaim the Promise of America included creating economic and educational opportunity for all. The unprecedented, unwarranted attacks on teachers, public schools and other public institutions, backed by big money and aided by ALEC, are starving public schools, hurting students and widening the gap among the wealthy, the middle class and the poor. Her response to the challenges is for the union, in solidarity, to: connect with the community; be solution-driven; engage, empower and elevate the professionals. She related that it is time to “fight back; fight forward; move forward.”

An important responsibility of the delegates was to debate 91 resolutions from AFT locals across the nation, first in committees, then in plenary sessions on the convention floor. The resolutions were divided into the following committees: Educational Issues, Health Care, Higher Education, Human Rights, International Relations, Labor and the Economy, Union Organizing and Collective Bargaining, Political Action/Legislation, Public Services, Retirement, Registered Nurses, Women’s Rights and School and College Support Staffs.

All seven retirement resolutions were adopted. One important issue had to do with ensuring the continuance of traditional Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Another resolution called for the adoption of a new consumer price index formula called CPI-E to determine cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) to Social Security each year. The CPI-E more realistically tracks inflation for senior Americans. The longest debate on the convention floor dealt with The Role of Standards in Public Education. This resolution, submitted by the AFT Executive Council, affirms the importance of educational standards and the promise and potential of Common Core State Standards, but severely criticizes the way in which they were developed, implemented, evaluated and the excessive testing program. The resolution decries the lack of educational practitioner involvement in the entire process. It especially attacks the rush by profiteers and corporate interests to “cash in” at the expense of children. Further, it includes many specific sensible solutions to fix what is broken and to shift the present corporate model to one that is student centered. Finally, policymakers and administrators are held accountable for the proper implementation of Common Core State Standards.

A special resolution called for the resignation of United States Secretary Arne Duncan due to his anti-teacher, anti-public school and anti-union policies. His views represent corporate America’s attempt to instill the corporate/factory model of education into the classroom. When asked to approve this resolution, the entire body stood up, cheering and chanting “yes!” While the resolution is symbolic, it sends a message to the Obama administration that its educational policies have been destructive to teachers, parents and especially students.

This convention was one of the best that I ever attended. The intelligence, articulation, passion, thought-provoking ideas and respect for opposing ideas displayed in all sessions were evidence of the high level of excellence exhibited by the delegates representing their locals from all parts of the country. The 2014 AFT Convention was both encouraging and motivating.

GNTA's President Reports on the AFT Convention

9/3/2014

Sheila Scimone

HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION: ON POLITICAL ENDORSEMENTS!

Or at least a chunk of it!

In July I was honored to attend the AFT Convention in Los Angeles, which is held every other year, as one of three elected representatives from GNTA. This year’s convention, which lasted for five days, left little time for recreation but was often inspirational, sometimes contentious--never boring.

One of the main tasks of the convention is to determine the educational, political, and social justice goals and priorities for the AFT. A number of resolutions were debated, with the hottest topic by far being the Common Core Standards. There is consensus among teachers across the country that the standards are flawed in many respects, that the rollout has been atrocious, and that the coupling of the standards with testing has been harmful to education. However, there was significant disagreement over how to address those concerns, from those who believe the standards should be jettisoned completely to those who believe they should be revised and the peripheral issues of rollout should be addressed separately. Debate was prolonged, impassioned, and sometimes downright ridiculous as the rhetoric soared. In the end, the body passed a resolution calling for the AFT to

support for the “promise” of the Common Core Standards;
reject low-level standardized testing and support the development of assessments aligned with rich curricula;
advocate for a shift away from excessive testing and test preparation toward a “support-and-improve” accountability system;
support affiliates in efforts to hold policymakers/administrators accountable for proper implementation of CCSS;
advocate that each state create an independent board composed of a majority representation of teachers and other education professionals to monitor, evaluate, and improve the CCSS;

assist state and local affiliates to ensure that:

educators are involved in creating a cohesive plan for communicating with and engaging all stakeholders;
educators have a significant role in the continuing development, implementation evaluation, and, as necessary, revision of the CCSS process;
there are adequate funds provided by all levels of government to ensure the successful implementation of the CCSS;
call for a national conversation about how best to measure student learning and support teacher involvement in all aspects of Common Core-related assessments;
work to ensure that the moratorium on high-states consequences of assessments for students, teachers and schools is extended until all the essential elements of a comprehensive, equitable standards-based system are in place.

The convention also passed a lengthy resolution calling for “the development of ‘support-and-improve’ accountability models to replace the current, failed ‘test-and punish’ systems;” another to support age-appropriate assessment for young learners; and another to overhaul high-stakes testing. A resolution against standardized assessments for students receiving special education services was referred to the Executive Council for further study.

For me, one of the most fascinating things about the convention was witnessing the interplay among the largest locals (particularly the Chicago Teachers Union and New York’s United Federation of Teachers, which tend to be antagonists) as well as the state affiliates, particularly NYSUT. It’s obvious that both the UFT and NYSUT have tremendous influence on the way the AFT leans. In watching Twitter and blog reporting on the convention (often by people who weren’t in attendance), it is evident that there’s a great deal of lingering bitterness in the wake of the recent NYSUT elections as well as concern that the UFT may have undue influence on NYSUT’s leadership. This certainly bears watching.

In August, I attended the NYSUT Presidents’ Endorsement Conference in Albany to consider political races pertinent to our state. Despite the title, the process of determining NYSUT endorsements is multi-layered and sometimes unclear. Four groups weigh in with recommendations: NYSUT Legislative Staff, the Political Action Chairs from each region of the state, the NYSUT Board of Directors, and the local Presidents of NYSUT, myself included. Some decisions had already been made prior to our arrival: for example, it had already been determined that NYSUT would not make an endorsement in the governor’s race for either the Democratic primary in September or the general election in November. It’s not clear who ultimately made that decision, although it had been obvious at the Representative Assembly in May that an endorsement of Andrew Cuomo would have faced widespread opposition from the NYSUT locals, nor would there have been strong support for Republican Rob Astorino. There was a great deal of grumbling that NYSUT should have considered a primary endorsement of Zephyr Teachout and, if she loses the primary, of Green Party Candidate Howie Hawkins. When the Long Island Presidents’ grumbles turned to loud calls for further discussion of this possibility, certain political considerations were explained to us, which most of us were able to accept, but many of us remained disturbed by the top-down, less than transparent nature of the decision-making in this case.

In terms of strategy, the other recommending groups wanted to endorse Democrats wherever possible, particularly in the state Senate, where it’s possible that a Democratic majority can be achieved this year. Among the local Presidents here on Long Island, however, there are many cases where we feel that Republican incumbents have been better for us than their Democratic challengers would be. For one thing, Democrats have traditionally appeared to favor the big five cities in terms of finances, whereas our Republican representatives have fought to return more state aid to Long Island districts. Many of us have built relationships with our Republican Senators and feel that we’ve made progress in helping them understand our issues. While we weren’t always successful in achieving endorsements for these incumbents, we were at least able to prevent alternative endorsements for candidates solely on the grounds of their being Democrats.

Two weeks after the NYSUT conference, Michael Norberto (JFK), Sandi Cooper (SMS), and I attended the New York AFL-CIO COPE Convention to consider that body’s endorsements. For the first time, NYSUT asked for a large showing of delegates in order to have a significant voice in the decision-making. There had been a great deal of speculation that the AFL-CIO would endorse Cuomo for Governor; however, discussions prior to the convention among the leadership of the various affiliates must have made it clear that such an endorsement would not be supported by the public service unions such as NYSUT and AFSCME, and the possibility was not even raised. For AFL-CIO endorsements, several groups make recommendations, but the final decision is made by the convention delegates. This resulted in lengthy debate as alternatives to the recommendations were frequently explored.

I was honored to represent GNTA at all three of these meetings and will distribute a list of NYSUT and AFL-CIO endorsements for all races pertinent to our members within the next month.

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Delegate's Report: Jennifer Snyder

Delegate's Report: Luci Legotti

Delegate's Report: Joan Greenberg

Delegate's Report: Jeff Bernstein

Delegate's Report: Bill Toto

Delegate's Report: Sheila Henchy

Delegate's Report: Jim Daszenski

Delegate's Report: Michael Norberto

Delegate's Report: Bill Toto

Delegate's Report: Maura Carroll

Delegate's Report: Jennifer Snyder

Delegate's Report: Jeff Bernstein

Delegate's Report: Sandi Cooper

REC's President Reports on the AFT Convention

GNTA's President Reports on the AFT Convention

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