Donna Benishake of Wallkill TA and Ron Simon of the New Paltz United Teachers go over the hefty agenda from the pre-RA conference.
Big eyes, giant ears and broad shoulders - sounds like a tall order, but nonetheless, these are some of the ingredients of an ideal leader for a School-Related Professionals union.
At a Thursday training, hosted as part of the Local and Retiree Council Presidents Conference, SRP leaders from around the state were challenged to list the attributes of a successful union leader. Some of the participants went even further than the large eyes and ears.
"They'd wear a cape and have a big heart," said Nancy Peluso, Unit 8 president of the Syracuse TA.
Session leaders Margaret MacCartney, NYSUT's SRP coordinator, and Shelly Clements, a labor relations specialist in the Rochester regional office, challenged attendees to develop these "super leaders" within their organizations.
One of the key ways to do that is by becoming more effective at delegating. Many union leaders at the session discussed the difficulties with delegating union work, from overcoming member excuses to making sure the job gets done right.
Clements and MacCartney urged SRP leaders to break down responsibilities into manageable, bite-sized pieces, so that tasks won't seem daunting when leaders ask members to get involved. That's a strategy that has worked for Debbie DePalma, a chapter leader with the Monroe-Woodbury TA.
"I tell our building reps, 'I'm not going to ask you to do a lot of things, but when I ask you to do something, I need you to be there,'" she said.
Clements also stressed the importance of SRP leaders allowing for open communication in their organizations, pointing out that a closed-minded approach can stifle members who may want to become more involved in the union.
"Good leaders are looking for opportunities, not just shooting down ideas," she said.