Lubin named NYSUT executive vice president emeritus

ALBANY, N.Y. Aug. 24, 2015 — Alan B. Lubin, who directed New York State United Teachers’ legislative and political action operations for nearly 17 years and spearheaded innumerable legislative successes, has been named NYSUT executive vice president emeritus.

NYSUT’s Board of Directors recently honored Lubin, a resident of Clifton Park, in recognition of his more than 45 years in leadership roles in the 600,000-member union.

“Alan Lubin is a towering figure in NYSUT’s history. For nearly a half century, he has stood as a strong voice for working people and social justice in the halls of the Capitol and a fighter for equal opportunity for every child in classrooms across New York state,” said NYSUT President Karen E. Magee. “He is incredibly deserving of this honor.”

NYSUT Executive Vice President Andrew Pallotta, who succeeded Lubin in January 2010, said, “When he served as NYSUT executive VP, everyone at the Capitol knew Alan and respected Alan. And, no matter what side of an issue they were on, everyone liked Alan because he is knowledgeable, humble and generous with his time and attention. He is a giant in the history of the UFT, of NYSUT and teacher unionism nationally.”

Lubin served in leadership roles at NYSUT’s largest affiliate, the United Federation of Teachers, from 1967 until his election as a statewide officer in 1993. His accomplishments as executive vice president included passage of a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) that helped protect public employee pensions from inflation; record school aid increases; and enactment in 2002 of a law requiring schools to be equipped with Automated External Defibrillators. School defibrillators have been credited with saving dozens of lives in schools and on athletic fields across the state. Lubin, who is also a co-founder of the Business and Labor Coalition of New York (BALCONY), remains active in union issues and is on the board of the New York Rural and Migrant Ministry and other social justice groups.

“This is a tremendous honor. I am proud to have worked my entire career to give teachers and other education professionals a real voice in the workplace, and to fight hard for those whose voices would not be heard without strong representation,” Lubin said.

New York State United Teachers is a statewide union with more than 600,000 members in education, human services and health care. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and the AFL-CIO.