NYSUT Retiree Council 45 Holds Annual Meeting
The NYSUT Retiree Council 45 held its annual meeting on June 20, 2023, at the CNY Living History Museum in Cortland, New York. The meeting was well-attended by 24 members, who heard updates on a variety of topics, including the upcoming regional conference, the Fix Tier 6 campaign, and the Cortland County Office of the Aging.
Mark Padgett, the NYSUT Retiree Services Consultant for RC#11 and RC#45, gave an update on the upcoming regional conference, which will be held on September 13, 2023. He encouraged members to attend and help reach the goal of 100 attendees. Padgett also discussed the future of NYSUT's retiree newsletter, which will soon become an opt-in newsletter.
Hello, Friends!
I started this letter while in Albany representing NYSUT RC #45 at the annual Presidents Conference and the Representative Assembly. We are being kept busy with one of the main topics being Fix Tier 6. NYSUT is providing us with plenty of information on what work we have ahead of us. This proactive plan has worked previously when members of Tiers 1 - 3 worked diligently to get us a better retirement tier with Tier 4. My husband and I were personally impacted by the fight and were able to retire under Tier 4's pension plan. Now it is our turn to pay it forward for the Tier 6 members. The more of us involved the more timely and effective we will be. I have included an article in this newsletter outlining some history and NYSUT's material to help you understand the gravity of the situation and action steps for you to take.
We spent time reviewing and adopting many of the 33 total resolutions that were presented at the 2023 RA. The resolutions pertaining to Fixing Tier 6 were passed and they stress the importance of mobilizing our members, inservice AND retirees, to help with the fight. Several LGBTQ+ resolutions were discussed and passed. Of special interest to retirees, Resolution 33 was adopted. This resolution asks NYSUT to initiate and support legislative efforts to improve COLA for New York State Teacher Pensions. We have had a few retirees asking about this over the last few years. There have been more than two decades of inflation since the basis of the COLA was computed on the first $18,000 of our annual pensions. It was my pleasure to be a part of that conversation!
Please consider sending in your voluntary contribution if you haven't already. Contact us if you wish to attend our spring general meeting and luncheon. We have a full slate of officers, delegates and board members who are all very excited to represent your needs over the next three years!!!
Stay safe this summer and enjoy your time outside and with family!! Please keep in touch.
In solidarity,
Vicki Darrow, President, NYSUT RC #45
Dear Fellow Retirees,
Hello! I am quite excited to be writing this letter and as our daily temperatures increases so do our NYSUT RC #45 duties. Personally I can NOT wait until spring weather in central NY. I have spent quite a bit of time in Wilmington, NC as well as visits to Florida, Alabama, and South Carolina. I am all for any place that allows me to hike, bike, and paddle a kayak or canoe.
Recently, while in Cortland for March, I explored the Lime Hollow Nature Center. We highlighted the nature center in our last newsletter, and I had to revisit it. The Chicago Bog was a breathtaking sight in the winter. Please send me another hidden gem for the May/June newsletter and help us retirees to explore our beautiful state. As RC 45 members, you know the wonderful hidden gems in your area. Let us hear from you! If you are not comfortable writing an article on our website, just send me a suggestion at
This spring as RC 45 President I have two obligations. The first is a two-day ED 51 Annual Meeting with several guests including Andy Pallotta (NYSUT President), Melinda Person (NYSUT Executive Director), and Beth Chetney (NYSTRS Trustee). There will be a Q&A session with her, and since there are a couple of resolutions regarding our COLA at the RA, it will be nice to hear from her. The second is the NYSUT Representative Assembly in Albany at the end of April. I suspect that "Fix Tier 6" will be a resounding theme throughout every NYSUT event.
We have three spring board meetings coming up, March 21st, April 18th, and May 16th. After that, we will be having a general meeting on June 20th at the CNY Living History Center. In addition to the general meeting, we will have a catered lunch, elections, and a tour of the museum. Please plan on joining us if you can.
Additional RC 45 election information and a nomination form:
https://nysut-rc45.org/index.php/who-we-are/our-board/2023-board-election-information
Feel free to attend one or all of our monthly board meetings as a guest. Learn what we do and how much fun we have doing it! Remember that RC #45 is your connection to NYSUT, the union you were a part of as inservice members. Join us in our endeavors as retirees. Contact me for more information.
Take care and keep in touch with each other here in the RC45!
In solidarity
Vicki Darrow - President, NYSUT RC #45
President, NYSUT RC #45
Dear Fellow Retirees,
Hello, friends! It has been a while since we have spoken. I would like to welcome our new retirees to our ranks. It is great to have you aboard. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to a retiree who has a couple years under their belt…… we can help you with all sorts of advice. My biggest issue is that I can’t imagine how I could ever fit teaching back into my day!
I have just returned from a two week road trip to Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. We did an incredible amount of hiking with many friends and well over 300 geocaches were found and logged. If you are curious about geocaching visit geocaching.com and look around. It has been a wonderful addition to our post teaching life.
RC #45 is launching a scholarship for a graduating senior who is a child or grandchild of an RC #45 member. To access the application, which will need to be postmarked between March 15 and May 31, 2023, please log in to your account on our website nysut-rc45.org. You will find the full application there.
We will be having a 20 minute general meeting at the NYSUT Fall Retiree Conference at the Doubletree in Binghamton on Wednesday, October 19. Watch for more information and register to attend. These conferences are always informative AND fun, with good food and great company. You will meet several of our RC #45 officers and Mark Padgett (our NYSUT Retiree Services Consultant). That is a big title for the gentleman who serves as a liaison between retired members, retiree councils and NYSUT headquarters. He does a great job and is greatly appreciated by us. At this conference we will have raffle tickets being sold to benefit our new scholarship fund. We will have a few baskets to win.
In June we will be having a general meeting to elect our new slate of officers for the next three year term. We are seriously looking for SRP representation on our board. While all positions are currently filled, we are looking for new interested retirees to join our ranks as officers, delegates, and board members. If this sounds intriguing to you, please feel free to attend one or all our monthly board meetings as a guest. Learn what we do and how much fun we have doing it!! Contact me for more information!
In solidarity, Vicki Darrow
President, NYSUT RC #45