NYSUT is prepared to grow in a post-Janus world
The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Janus v. AFSCME overturned a 41-year old legal precedent that preserved a union's right to collect fair share "agency fees" from non-members. It culiminates years of attacks by wealthy, anti-union, anti-public education advocates who want to break the labor movement and privatize education.
"We have been preparing for this decision for over a year, and the work our leaders and the NYSUT staff have done to engage members and organize our union has been unprecedented and has seen overwhelming success," said President Andy Pallotta.
NYSUT's organizing campaign is proving to be the best way to reach our members and strengthen our union. The union's right to be the exclusive bargaining agent of workers remains in full effect.
President Pallotta recently sent a memo to local presidents and PAC coordinators to provide details on a number of issues members should be aware of. Please contact your union rep or your local president or if you have any questions about the Janus decision, union membership, or NYSUT's organizing campaign.
(Photo: Yonkers Federation of Teachers members say Betsy DeVos can take her emails and stuff 'em!)
Don’t believe the anti-union spam!
Within hours of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on Janus v. AFSCME, NYSUT members began receiving emails encouraging them to drop out of the union. The emails are part of a $10 million campaign by the Michigan-based Mackinac Center, a conservative think tank founded by none other than U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and her husband.
We knew these types of attacks would be coming — you can expect more misleading emails, phone calls, workplace and house visits by Mackinac and other anti-union groups like the Empire Center, the Freedom Foundation and the National Right to Work Center.
They want one thing only — to break our union. If you receive an e-mail like this, please contact your local president or your union rep, but otherwise mark as spam, delete or ignore. Clicking on a link, sending a testy reply or any other action will just result in them contacting you more frequently.
Our union’s ability to fight for our contract, protect our rights and our students’ rights comes from everyone sticking with the union. We’ve been preparing for this day for quite some time and we will prove to all that our union is strong and here to stay!
ELT is a tremendous union value for members
Too many districts are not providing school-related professionals with the professional development they need, so the union is filling in the gap, NYSUT EVP Jolene DiBrango told SRP instructors at summer training this week. "You are a walking advertisement for the power and value of our union," she said, noting NYSUT's Education and Learning Trust has more than quadrupled its offerings just for SRP's. For more, go to elt.nysut.org.
More news
- Teacher's aide with serious illness finds value in the sticking with union.
- To help members write comment letters on the state's ESSA plan, NYSUT has prepared talking points explaining that schools should not be penalized for opt-outs. Comments to SED are open through Aug. 17.
- Jim Wood, a pillar of the house of labor and a founding member of NYSUT, passed away this week. A sixth-grade teacher from the Rome TA, he served from 1975-1988 as the assistant to the president. From 1988 to 2003, he was NYSUT executive director.
- NYSUT activism pays off as Gov. Cuomo promises to solve safe health care staffing in 2019 budget process.
- The 2018 edition of Educator's Voice, NYSUT's professional journal, is available online; there is still time to propose articles for next year's edition.
Editor's note: This summer the briefings will be published biweekly through the Labor Day weekend. Enjoy the season!
Check us out on Facebook and Twitter.