NYSUT: Bigger and better than ever

After more than a decade of deliberations, labor history was made in August when the respective presidents of the AFT-affiliated New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) and National Education Association/NY signed an agreement to unify the two statewide unions effective Sept. 1. The historic agreement makes the merged union the largest in New York state, representing more than 575,000 professionals in education and healthcare.

“Unification fulfills our vision of one unified and powerful statewide advocacy organization for all teachers, higher education personnel, school-related professionals and healthcare professionals in New York state,” says NYSUT president and AFT vice president Richard Iannuzzi.

Calling the unification talks a very open, honest and accepting process, former NEA/NY president Robin Rapaport, now a NYSUT vice president, says he is proud to be part of the historic labor agreement.

Begun under NYSUT president emeritus Thomas Y. Hobart Jr., the lengthy unification negotiations drew nearer to completion this past year when the boards of both unions recommended approval. Delegates for both unions overwhelmingly endorsed that recommendation at their respective statewide conventions last spring.

“We welcome our 35,000 sisters and brothers coming on board from former NEA/NY locals,” Iannuzzi says. “I know they will be pleased at the breadth and scope of services NYSUT has prepared to offer them.”

Under the agreement, the new organization will retain New York State United Teachers as its name and will be affiliated at the national level with both the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association. New York joins Florida, Minnesota and Montana as the other states with merged AFT-NEA state affiliates.