Looking out at the landscape of NYSUT constituencies, Vice President Kathleen Donahue laid out a clear road map for the coming years.

"We have the strength to move our agenda forward and make the lives of our members, students, patients and families even better," Donahue said. Her plan for building stronger local unions, protecting rights on the job and fighting for living wages and decent benefits dominated her speech at the RA.

Donahue coordinates the work of the union's Program Services department, a broad umbrella of programs that touch hundreds of thousands of members. Her speech focused on many of the points of contact.

Donahue has been a strong advocate in the struggles of SRPs to win contracts that allow them to provide their families a decent standard of living while working just one job. She applauded locals in Vestal, Guilderland, Queens- bury and Wheatland-Chili, whose efforts have included community and parent outreach. "We must ensure that they receive the respect, recognition and living wages they deserve,"she said.

She saluted BOCES members for the value of their work, particularly in new "green" vocational areas, and their tireless efforts for full funding in the state budget. "We can't stop advocating for BOCES until we instill in legislators the value of BOCES and ensure their future funding," she said to applause.

The vice president praised the union's small and rural locals as they bargain to make gains similar to those of their larger colleagues. "They must gain the release time, starting salaries and retention incentives enjoyed by their larger urban and suburban counterparts so they can assume their rightful leadership roles in their communities."

Donahue urged the union's health care professionals to continue their fights for safe staffing ratios, respect on the job and a registered nurse in every school building.

She applauded retirees "who show no signs of slowing down," and asked them to be involved in training the next generation of members and leaders.

As part of her vision, Donahue said, "We must ensure that our workplaces and communities are safe, healthy environments for working and learning.

"We have to put to use the training from regional conferences, the Local Action project, our Leadership Institute, grassroots lobbying and the myriad of opportunities that NYSUT provides."

The challenges before the union "require that we speak up, speak out," she concluded to a final round of applause. "We will confront our challenges head-on and stand strong with our brothers and sisters in the fight for a better society."