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55-501: NYSUT's membership is diverse, representing all five membership categories of the AFT: preK through 12th grade teachers and paraprofessionals in the public and private sector; higher education faculty and paraprofessionals; public employees; private sector libraries; and nurses and other healthcare workers in the public and private sector. There are more than 900 local affiliates of NYSUT, which range in size from locals of fewer than 10 members to

110-829: A collective bargaining law, which eventually was forced onto the city's Board of Education by the state of New York. Despite a battle royale with the National Education Association (NEA), an infusion of cash by the AFT and the AFL–CIO enabled the UFT to win the December 16, 1961, election with 61.8 percent of the votes. In 1967, the New York state legislature passed the Taylor Law , which provided collective bargaining rights to public employees. Both

165-524: A frequent target for upstate New York anti-union activists; they claim that it severely limits the ability of governments to limit spending on unionized labor, with minimal recourse in the event the unions illegally strike. One particular clause, the Triborough Amendment, mandates that in the event of a lack of a contract, the terms of the previous contract continue indefinitely. This amendment protects workers when contracts expire before an agreement

220-670: A fund or insurer to provide an income for retirees. In addition, in the wake of the 2005 strike, the New York State Supreme Court in Kings County ( Brooklyn ), declared TWU Local 100 in violation of the Taylor Law, and issued a fine of $ 1,000,000 per day, pursuant with the guidelines set forth in the law. Two smaller unions also representing NYC Transit Authority workers, Amalgamated Transit Union Locals 726 and 1056, were fined smaller amounts. While government officials support

275-531: A group of many more than 100 members who agreed to lobby the state legislature in person twice each year. In 1967 NYSUT had created its own political action committee, VOTE-COPE, which was also melded into NYSUT. In 2005, the Committee of 100 counted several thousand members and VOTE-COPE raised more than $ 3 million in voluntary contributions. Over the years, NYSUT's political activism has led it to be characterized as 'the 800-pound gorilla of New York politics.' Some of

330-499: A hostile response. NEA leadership began to isolate NYSUT officers and delegates at conventions and other meetings. The NEA staff, working through the UniServ system (which provides services to NEA local unions), began to actively turn other state and local NEA members against the merged union. In 1976, the NEA undertook an 'image enhancement' campaign in New York state. NYSUT officials saw this as

385-436: A new, privately run Medicare Advantage plan . Large numbers of UFT retirees have complained about the proposed plan. Retired UFT members and other New York City retirees have protested that the new plan falls short and organized opposition to the new plan. In 2024, the UFT sued to block congestion pricing in lower Manhattan . The union argued that congestion pricing would worsen pollution and harm children. In May 2011,

440-545: A news conference to thank the NAACP for fighting on behalf of all kids and to press for fairness and equity. The New York City Parents Union filed its own lawsuit in June 2011 to stop co-locations and school closings, stating, “Despite inconsistent and uncertain results, the DOE continues to push public school parents into a privately managed school system where many charters perform worse than

495-508: A propaganda effort designed to undermine the merged union. At the NYSUT convention in New York City that same year, delegates argued over the merits of the disaffiliation resolution. Shanker then delivered a powerhouse speech that galvanized the delegates. The delegates responded by passing a resolution that disaffiliated NYSUT from NEA. Shanker and Hobart had, however, ignored a key provision in

550-499: A rift between African-Americans and the Jewish communities, two groups that were previously viewed as allied. The two sides threw accusations of racism and anti-Semitism at each other. Following the 1975 New York City fiscal crisis , some 14,000 teachers were laid off and class size soared. Another strike addressed some of these complaints and gave long-serving teachers longevity benefits. The Unity Caucus, formed in 1962, predominates in

605-631: A strategy of leafleting, marches and rallies, including a march on Wall Street on May 12, 2011, with 20,000 participants. Triborough Amendment The Public Employees Fair Employment Act , more commonly known as the Taylor Law , is Article 14 of the state Civil Service Law (of the Consolidated Laws ), which defines the rights and limitations of unions for public employees in New York . The Public Employees Fair Employment Act (the Taylor Law)

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660-502: A voluntary incentive program for high-achieving schools with high-needs populations. The union does not support a proposed reform of the seniority-based LIFO (education) law. In July 2007, Weingarten collaborated with Mayor Bloomberg in supporting a modified merit pay program with bonuses to schools and additional bonuses targeted for specific teachers. The UFT strongly supports the reduction of class sizes for all subjects and grade levels in New York City public schools. The UFT, under

715-431: Is a New York State statute, named after labor researcher George W. Taylor . It authorizes a governor-appointed State Public Employment Relations Board to resolve contract disputes for public employees while curtailing their right to strike. The law provides for mediation and binding arbitration to give voice to unions, but work stoppages are made punishable with fines and jail time. The United Federation of Teachers and

770-401: Is reached, as otherwise, governments could simply wait until contracts expire, and then unilaterally alter the terms. The Conservative Party of New York State , which seeks the abolition of the amendment, argues that the amendment's guarantee of a perpetual contract eliminates any incentive for unions to negotiate in good faith. Others have made the argument that while there is no corollary to

825-509: The New York Educators Association (NYEA). The NEA believed that many NYSUT locals, with at least 50,000 members, would leave the organization. While many locals disaffiliated from the NYSUT, a few soon rejoined. Over the next quarter-century, NYEA's membership stagnated, while NYSUT's exploded thanks to its leaders' decision to recruit members outside the field of education. NYSUT's membership had, in fact, been diversified from

880-511: The Teachers Union , founded in 1916, and the Teachers Guild , founded in 1935, failed to gather widespread enrollment or support. Many of the early leaders were pacifists or socialists and so frequently met with clashes against more right-leaning newspapers and organizations of the time, as red-baiting was fairly common. The ethnically and ideologically diverse teachers associations of

935-484: The decentralization plan that was being put in place to give more neighborhoods community control. The Ocean Hill-Brownsville strike focused on the Ocean Hill -Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn but, ironically, the schools in that area were among the few that were open in the entire city. The Ocean Hill-Brownsville crisis is often described as a turning point in the history of unionism and of civil rights, as it created

990-484: The "dues check-off", and imprisonment of the union's president. The law does not apply to Long Island Rail Road , Metro-North Railroad and Staten Island Railway employees, who are subjected to the jurisdiction of the federal Railway Labor Act of 1926. The law was put into effect in 1967, following costly transit strikes the previous year and is named for George W. Taylor, chairman of the commission appointed by NY Governor Nelson Rockefeller to propose amendments to

1045-709: The 140,000-member United Federation of Teachers (UFT) in New York City . Officers of NYSUT are elected annually by a Representative Assembly (RA). The RA also elects a board of directors, which determines policy between conventions. According to NYSUT's Department of Labor records, about 33%, or a third, of the union's total membership are considered retirees, with eligibility to vote in the union. Other, voting ineligible, classifications include "special constituency" (2%) and "at-large" (1%). This accounts for 203,427 "retiree," 12,663 "special constituency," and 7,731 "at-large" members, compared to 388,476 "in-service" members. Since

1100-594: The 1947 Condon–Wadlin Act . Taylor was a professor of industrial research at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton school for forty years before his death in 1972. He served as an advisor on labor relations issues to Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson. Taylor was a strong supporter of the strike in private sector bargaining. Since its passage, the Taylor Law has been cited in preventing public employee strikes. However, public employees have struck since

1155-580: The 1960s and the United Teachers of New York (UTNY) in 1971. That same year, Shanker was elected president of UTNY. In 1971, the New York State legislature, under "messages of necessity" from Governor Nelson Rockefeller , enacted five "anti-teacher" laws. One extended the probationary period for new teachers from three to five years. Shortly after, the executive director and other staff members of NYSTA began to meet with Shanker and his aides to discuss

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1210-470: The 2012 New York's 18th congressional district the NYSUT endorsed Democrat Sean Patrick Maloney . On May 5, 2006, NYSUT voted to merge with the NEA/NY, the renamed NYEA. The 35,000-member NYEA had approved the merger agreement on April 29, 2006. The merger became effective on September 1, 2006, and the newly merged union is now jointly affiliated with both the NEA and AFT. The AFT has long sought merger with

1265-503: The 2018 Janus vs. AFSCME non-union members do not pay dues. In 1960, New York City social studies teacher Albert Shanker and Teachers Guild president Charles Cogen led New York City teachers out on strike. At the time, there were more than 106 teacher unions in the New York City public schools, many existing solely on paper, while others, like the Brooklyn Teachers Association, were real unions. The motives behind

1320-517: The AFL–CIO convention and obliged, therefore, to vote against teachers when approval of defense appropriations was at issue. Shanker died in 1997. Hobart retired as president of NYSUT in April 2005. He was succeeded by Richard Ianuzzi , NYSUT second vice president and a member of NYSUT's board of directors. In April 2014, Karen Magee was elected NYSUT president. Politically, 1973 was a pivotal year for NYSUT. The union adopted UTNY's Committee of 100 program,

1375-646: The NEA and AFT began rapidly organizing new members. The NEA's state operation, the New York State Teachers Association (NYSTA), had been dominated by administrators until 1965, when they were excluded from membership. The AFT's state affiliate, the Empire State Federation of Teachers , was very small. Shanker urged changes on the AFT state affiliate. The organization was renamed the New York State Federation of Teachers in

1430-550: The NEA on a national level. But acrimonious relationships between the two unions on the local level and AFT's insistence on what NEA and its affiliates consider undemocratic practices and AFT's insistence upon affiliation with the AFL–CIO are significant obstacles. Among AFT's "undemocratic" practices are its abolition of the secret ballot, its requirement that delegates to its convention vote for officers by roll-call ballot, identifying their choices and their names in writing. The two unions have continued to work together, however. After

1485-422: The Taylor Law as a way of preventing strikes by municipal unions in New York, the unions contend that the law is harsh on them. The labor unions also contend that the Taylor Law does not provide government agencies the incentive to negotiate contracts on a timely basis and negotiate the terms of the contract in good faith. There have been lobbying efforts by municipal unions to the New York state legislature to change

1540-512: The Taylor Law, but there is some resistance or reluctance to modifying the law. With the creation and assistance of the Taylor Law, members of many organizations including the Albany, New York, Fire Department were able to unionize, becoming one of the strongest political organizations. In 1970 was the birth of Union Local 2007, which was also responsible in paving the way for all other public sector unions in Albany, New York . The Taylor Law has been

1595-522: The Transit Authority and also MTA Bus Company workers who were members of Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 100. During the 2005 transit strike, both the strikers and the MTA violated portions of the Taylor Law. Section 210 states that the workers are not allowed to strike; Section 201, Part 4, states that employers are not allowed to negotiate benefits provided by a public retirement fund or payment to

1650-495: The Triborough Amendment under the National Labor Relations Act , which governs private sector workers, those workers may strike at impasse. Some unions believe it would be fundamentally unfair to eliminate the Triborough Amendment but at the same time continuing the Taylor Law's prohibition against strikes. To do so would provide no incentive for management to negotiate a fair contract since it could always just change

1705-510: The UFT was chosen as the collective bargaining organization for all city teachers in December 1961. Albert Shanker , a controversial but successful organizer was president of the UFT from 1964 until 1984. He held an overlapping tenure as president of the national American Federation of Teachers from 1974 to his death in 1997. In 1968, the UFT went on strike and shut down the school system in May and then again from September to November to protest

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1760-748: The UFT, Randi Weingarten , resigned in 2009 to lead the American Federation of Teachers . She has clashed repeatedly with the mayors of the city; in particular with former mayor Rudy Giuliani and mayor Michael Bloomberg . Bloomberg made student promotion to third , sixth and eighth grade contingent upon performance on standardized tests , which the UFT and the New York Board of Regents have criticized as being flawed. The UFT opposes merit pay for teachers, opting for seniority -based pay, but joined in November 2007, with Mayor Bloomberg in agreeing to

1815-569: The UFT, along with the NAACP and others, filed a lawsuit against the New York City Department of Education to stop school closings and the co-location of schools. In the lawsuit, the union charged that the Department of Education was improperly closing schools. The lawsuit also asked the court to stop school co-locations. Before a court hearing on the suit in June 2011, parent groups held

1870-536: The Uniformed Sanitationmen’s Association challenged the Taylor Law at its inception in 1967. Following a 2005 strike, Transit Workers' president Roger Toussaint was incarcerated for three days under a Taylor Law ruling. The Taylor Law grants public employees the right to organize and elect their union representatives. It defines the boundaries for public employers in negotiating and entering into agreements with public unions. The law also defines

1925-441: The city made the creation of a single organized body difficult, with each association continuing to vie for its own priorities irrespective of the others. The UFT was created on March 16, 1960, and grew rapidly. On November 7, 1960, the union organized a major strike. The strike largely failed in its main objectives but obtained some concessions, as well as bringing much popular attention to the union. After much further negotiation,

1980-482: The entire contract until a new agreement was reached, and the number of strikes fell drastically. Professional development also became a concern. In 1984, NYSUT successfully pushed for passage of a state law creating and funding centers where teachers could obtain continuing education. In 1986, the union won passage of a bill creating mandatory mentor-intern programs in schools, so that established teachers would be able to mentor student-teachers during their internships in

2035-400: The event of an impasse in negotiations. For all others, except for law enforcement unions, it provides for non-binding "fact-finding," in which a panel of arbitrators make a recommendation to the parties on what is considered a fair settlement of the dispute. The penalties for striking is an additional day of pay for each day of a strike, totaling two days' loss for each strike day, removal of

2090-457: The failed merger attempt, the unions formed the 'NEAFT Partnership' to encourage joint policies on education, federal funding for public schools, and lobbying. The unions also agreed to support local- and state-level mergers where appropriate. Three other states have merged AFT-NEA affiliates: Florida , Minnesota and Montana . Among local mergers is that in Wichita, Kansas, long a battleground for

2145-513: The introduction of the law: The United Federation of Teachers struck the New York City schools in 1968 , for which Albert Shanker and other union leaders were jailed for two weeks the following year. Teachers struck the city again for five days over the issue of class size in 1975. The fine was applied during the New York City Transit Authority 1980 transit strike and again in the 2005 transit strike . The latter involved

2200-446: The leadership of presidents Weingarten and Mulgrew, has collaborated with tenets of the education reform movement, such as support for value-added modeling for teacher evaluation . In 2023, the UFT sued New York City for school cuts. In 2023, the UFT negotiated with the City for a plan that would move UFT retirees and other retired New York City workers from traditional Medicare into

2255-425: The merger agreement approved by both NEA and AFT. It stated that disaffiliation from either national group, within a five-year period of the 1972 merger, would obligate NYSUT to pay "liquidated damages" to the national organization from which NYSUT disaffiliated. NYSUT was ultimately required to pay NEA a multi-million dollar settlement. NEA responded to the disaffiliation move by setting up a rival state organization,

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2310-449: The national AFT in 1974 but continued to hold his position in NYSUT until 1984. Shanker was elected to the executive council of the AFL–CIO in 1974 as well. His election represented the first time the AFT had a seat on the council. When, however, he voted against enhanced education funding in favor of Cold War measures (like the B-1 bomber), Shanker insisted that he was elected by all the members of

2365-406: The outset. The union welcomed paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel—including bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria workers, and others. It also affiliated several independent unions of higher education faculty. In 1979, the union began organizing registered nurses and other health care professionals in both public and private sector hospitals and clinics. Shanker was elected president of

2420-403: The picket line, while another 2,000 engaged in a sick-out. It was a fraction of the city's 45,000 teachers. However, intervention by national, state and local AFL–CIO leaders pressured New York City mayor Robert Wagner to appoint a pro-labor fact-finding committee to investigate conditions in the city's schools and recommend a solution to the labor problem. The fact-finding committee recommended

2475-421: The possibility of a merger. Each union had spent large amounts of money battling the other for bargaining rights and members while the state legislature and local school districts steadily chipped away at union rights and collective bargaining agreements. In 1971, Shanker and newly elected NYSTA president Thomas Hobart entered into formal merger negotiations. The merger agreement was signed March 30, 1972. Hobart

2530-507: The public schools while failing to serve their fair share of students with special needs and English Language Learners.” On Friday, June 24, 2011, UFT President Michael Mulgrew, along with City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, announced that an agreement had been reached to prevent the layoff of 4,100 New York City teachers. The agreement came six months after Mayor Bloomberg had warned 21,000 layoffs were possible. The union had opposed all layoffs with

2585-423: The public schools. Retirement issues also came to the fore. NYSUT established a retiree division in 1976. In 1985, the state legislature passed a bill providing for full retirement benefits for any teacher aged 55 who had taught for at least 30 years. A year later, the union won passage of a bill giving school paraprofessionals a full year's retirement credit (12 months) for working a full 10-month school year. For

2640-576: The strike were wages, establishment of a grievance process, reduced workloads and more funding for public education. However to win on these issues, Shanker and Cogen argued, the city's teachers had to be in one union. In early 1960 the Teachers Guild merged with a splinter group from the more militant High School Teachers Association to form the United Federation of Teachers (UFT). The UFT struck on November 7, 1960. More than 5,600 teachers walked

2695-628: The terms for the foundation of the Public Employment Relations Board, a state agency that administers the law in matters related to public strike negotiation. The board consists of three members appointed by the governor. Each member must be approved by the senate, and only two may be of the same political party. One of the most controversial parts of the Taylor Law is Section 210, which prohibits New York state public employees from striking. For certain unions, primarily law enforcement, it provides for compelling binding PERB arbitration in

2750-528: The two national unions, and Los Angeles . Combined, the merged units represent 197,000 members. The NEA has 2.7 million members, the AFT 1.7 million. With the NYSUT merger, 681,000 members of the AFT (or about 52 percent) now belong to NEA. United Federation of Teachers The United Federation of Teachers ( UFT ) is the labor union that represents most teachers in New York City public schools . As of 2005 , there were about 118,000 in-service teachers and nearly 30,000 paraprofessional educators in

2805-553: The union's accomplishments include: NYSUT continued to expand collective bargaining rights for teachers as well. In 1981, the union won passage of a law granting collective bargaining rights for substitute teachers. In 1982, the state legislature passed the Triborough Amendment to the Taylor Law. Many school districts ceased to honor clauses they disliked in expired teacher union contracts, which led many locals to strike. The Triborough Amendment required school districts to honor

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2860-410: The union's membership are considered retirees, with eligibility to vote in the union. UFT contracts also cover some non-members, known as agency fee payers, which, since 2005, have numbered comparatively about 1% of the size of the union's membership. As of 2013, this accounts for 59,444 retirees and 2,675 non-members paying agency fees, compared to 124,145 "active" members. The previous president of

2915-630: The union, as well as about 54,000 retired members. In October 2007, 28,280 home day care providers voted to join the union. It is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers , the AFL–CIO and the Central Labor Council . It is also the largest member of New York State United Teachers , which is affiliated with the National Educational Association and Education International . Two previous unions of New York schoolteachers,

2970-693: The union, holding nearly every leadership position. New Action formed in the 1980s as an opposition caucus but, since 2003, it has cross-endorsed Unity candidates. The Movement of Rank and File Educators (MORE) is a relatively new caucus, formed in 2012. The MORE Caucus has been accused of engaging in and encouraging antisemitism in the NYC public schools. In the spring of 2013, UFT election campaign, president Michael Mulgrew (Unity) refused repeated requests to debate his opponent, Julie Cavanagh (MORE). According to UFT's Department of Labor records since 2005, when membership classifications were first reported, about 32% of

3025-441: Was elected president and Shanker executive vice president. Other offices included Dan Sanders, first vice president; Antonia Cortese , second vice president; and Ed Rodgers, secretary-treasurer. NYSUT and UTNY had sought and won approval for the merger from both parent unions, but tensions with the NEA quickly became apparent. Hobart and Shanker began promoting a merger between the NEA and AFT at NEA meetings, an effort that met with

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