At a time when access to health care is being recognized as a basic human right, NYSUT has helped correct an inequity that kept some union members from enrolling in the state's Family Health Plus insurance plan.

Union staff and member lobbyists, bolstered by concerns raised by School-Related Professionals, won over legislators to make the necessary changes this session so hundreds of union members now have a clearer path to health benefits.

"We want every union member to have a good contract, working conditions and benefits,"said Kathleen Donahue, the NYSUT vice president who oversees SRP issues.

"As soon as we realized there was a hole in one part of the safety net, we moved to patch it up."

Family Health Plus is a state health insurance program for qualified adults who do not have health insurance on their own or through their employer. Last year, the income limit for a single adult was $10,400, and $14,000 for a couple with no children.

Unfortunately, when the law first passed in 2005, it provided that if a school district or other public employer provided a benefit plan — even if the employer paid only a bare minimum in premiums — those public employees would be excluded from Family Health plus coverage.

That put SRPs at a disadvantage because some work only three or four hours a day. Paying whatever premiums the district set would eat up a huge percentage of the minimal take-home pay these workers make.

"Now that this law has been changed and eligibility extended, it brings fairness to more of New York's working families and NYSUT SRPs," said Alan Lubin, the union's executive vice president.

NYSUT first learned about this issue from a member of the Johnson City Employees Association, a Southern Tier local led by Carolyn Toner.

After learning of the legislative victory, leaders wrote a letter to NYSUT, saying, "Thank you for fighting for this just cause. It is an honor to be part of a family truly committed to its members."