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| Unification with NEA/NY, state politics to headline NYSUT convention UPDATE: May 4, 2006 ALBANY, N.Y. May 4, 2006 - Delegates to New York State United Teachers' annual convention this week in Rochester are expected to vote to unite NYSUT with National Education Association of New York to create one powerful voice for public education and working families. "This will be a historic moment," said NYSUT President Richard C. Iannuzzi. "Two strong education unions are uniting to bring a greater voice to advocate for our schools and our students. In unity, we will find even greater strength." The vote by 2,500 delegates to NYSUT's Representative Assembly is expected to culminate more than eight years of highly complicated talks on how best to unite the two labor organizations as one union. For more than 30 years, NYSUT and NEA/NY had separately represented teachers and other education workers in New York, and belonged to two separate national teachers' unions. The 525,000-member NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, while the nearly 35,000-member NEA/NY is affiliated with the National Education Association. NEA/NY delegates voted April 29 to approve unification. The new, merged organization would maintain New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) as its name. In addition to taking up unification, NYSUT delegates are expected to hear from a number of elected officials and candidates and to debate more than 120 resolutions that set union policy on a variety of issues. U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, state Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, along with state Comptroller Alan Hevesi and a number of candidates for statewide office are expected to address the NYSUT delegates. In addition, the delegates are expected to hear from U.S. Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-Rochester, state Education Commissioner Richard Mills and other dignitaries. NYSUT, the largest union in New York state, represents more than 525,000 classroom teachers and other school employees; academic and professional faculty at the state's community colleges, State University of New York and City University of New York; and other education and health professionals. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO. -30- |
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