NYSUT 2025 Fall At-Large Contiguous Ed 51, 52-53 Meeting

September 16-17, 2025

Highlights of the meeting include:

NYSUT Board of Directors Report by Second Vice President Ron Gross on Retiree Services

• Retiree Council Newsletters are now digital and are available online. Retired members whose email is on file will receive an email notification whenever their RC newsletter is posted online. Over 8,000 retired members so far want to continue receiving newsletter by U. S. mail. 
• 2025 Retiree Recognition Day is October 20.  Next year it will be held on October 19, 2026. 
• NYSUT Legacy Fund honors activists and includes a contribution in their name. 
• There were ten Retiree Regional Conferences this year.
• Updates from the locals are needed for the retiree membership database. 
• Retiree Leadership Conference will be held in June of 2026.
• VOTE COPE funding includes 17% from retirees.
• A new program with the AFT includes a veterans committee working with Honor Flights.

New York Senator Shelly B. Mayer (37^th District), Chair of the Education Committee gave us an article called A Summary of NYS Budget 2025-26 Important Victories for NYSUT Members.

• This year’s school budget included an additional $1.7 billion in total school aid and $100 million more in Foundation Aid than in the original governor’s budget.  Every district in New York State received at least a 2% increase. 
• BOCES CTE salary cap got the first increase in 30 years.
• Every child can have breakfast and lunch free. 
• New York State schools have a bell-to-bell cell phone ban. 

Upcoming Issues

• Progress in New York State education is in danger from the federal attempts to undermine public education (funding cuts, attacking DEI, vouchers, and more). 
• New York State is projected to lose more than $3 billion as result of federal cuts next fiscal year. 
• Senator Gianaris has proposed a new constitutional amendment to allow mid-decade redrawing of districts. 
• The increased profits utilities are getting are being reviewed and overhauled. 

Miscellaneous information:

• NYSUT political endorsements are determined by a committee’s review of the candidates’ speeches, interviews, and voting record on NYSUT issues.   It is not based on party affiliation. 
• NYSUT has 700,00 members.
• The NYSUT app, Calm, can be shared with up to five people.
• This year the fight will continue to Fix Tier VI (retirement age and length of service).
• 2025 Resolutions not yet acted on by the NYSUT Board of Directors are: increasing the retiree delegates and increasing the state minimum requirement districts must pay into healthcare for employees that retire and are retired. 
• If you go to Florida, don’t forget to help the nine branches of the NYSUT retiree units. Unions are under attack. They need members and your help.