Elizabeth Langiulli
A union's strength lies in its chapters and locals. That belief has governed Elizabeth Langiulli's career since she became a union activist while teaching English at John Adams High School in Queens. Langiulli is a recipient of NYSUT's "Not for Ourselves Alone:" Sandy Feldman Outstanding Leadership award. An active unionist, Langiulli began her teaching career in the late 1950s, eventually serving as a UFT chapter leader - at the time, one of only five women high school chapter leaders in the city. She was later elected a UFT district representative and, within four years, appointed a Queens borough representative by then-UFT President Feldman. Langiulli served as a member of the NYSUT Board of Directors and worked as a special assistant to the current UFT president, Randi Weingarten.
Jeanette Pietrantoni
When Jeanette Pietrantoni returned to Syracuse in 1968 after serving in the Peace Corps, a lot had changed. The Taylor Law granting teachers the right to organize and bargain collectively had passed and teachers were forming their own unions separate from administrators. A former high school English teacher, Pietrantoni returned to the classroom and the union, writing a weekly newsletter. Just a month after being elected Syracuse TA president in 1976, Pietrantoni was faced with division in the local when the two state organizations disaffiliated. She went on to serve on the NYSUT Board, as well as NYSUT's Membership Services Committee, now known as the Member Benefits Trust, and computerized the AFT's Defense Committee. Pietrantoni will receive the "Not for Ourselves Alone:" Sandy Feldman Outstanding Leadership award.