A 15-year effort has paid off for NYSUT's school district retirees — the achievement of a permanent moratorium on unilateral changes to their health care plans. Gov. David Paterson signed the moratorium into law as part of the Tier 5 pension bill.
"We never, ever gave up," said Eileen Darwin, president of the Huntington Association of Retired Teachers, who spoke with her husband, Manny, from their Long Island home. Manny Darwin is president of the South Huntington Retired Teachers and Retiree Council 20.
The permanent moratorium means the health insurance of retirees in a K-12 local cannot be reduced unless a comparable reduction in benefits is negotiated for inservice members in that local.
The state had renewed a temporary moratorium each year since 1994, which always left open the possibility that the governor could veto the measure.
"This has been a legislative priority for NYSUT, and this is proof that legislative action by our members reaps results," said NYSUT Exective Vice President Andy Pallotta.
Vice President Kathleen Donahue, who oversees retiree issues for NYSUT, also praised the grassroots work of members.
"NYSUT works in tandem with its membership, and our greatest strength comes from the passion and persistence of individuals who speak with one voice," she said.
NYSUT's retiree activists recounted that long effort as they celebrated the victory.
"Those of us who have gone to the Committee of 100 since the 1990s have been waiting for the Legislature to do this," said Loretta Donlon, who represents retirees on the NYSUT Board.
The Darwins noted the hard work of NYSUT members, officers and staff for keeping the issue at the forefront of retiree concerns. Eileen Darwin spoke often over the years about the issue with NYSUT leaders, including President Dick Iannuzzi.
"I could go up to him and ask, 'What's going on with the moratorium?' and he would tell me," she said.
Suffolk and Nassau retirees combined as a formidable presence in lobbying for the permanent moratorium. When they joined their upstate colleagues, NYSUT retirees became a force to be reckoned with, Eileen Darwin said.
"We worked very hard with our locals," she recalled. "We had a really fantastic network. We worked from the tip of Long Island to way up north."