ALBANY N.Y. July 2, 2015 - New York State United Teachers mourns the loss of James Conti, NYSUT’s former director of field services operations and a pioneering labor activist who helped shape the state’s collective bargaining laws and policies enhancing on-the-job safety.
"Jim was instrumental in building our union into the force it is today," said NYSUT President Karen E. Magee. "The mark he made on the state’s labor movement is as significant as it is indelible, and his legacy of activism on behalf of working people is one our members should strive to emulate."
Conti played an integral role in the passage of the state’s Taylor Law, which gave public employees the right to collectively bargain with their employer. He was also a member of the Governor's Task Force on occupational health and safety.
A native of Jamestown, Conti served as president of the Jamestown Teachers Association. In 1969, he joined the former New York State Teachers Association as coordinator of its Western New York Regional Office before going on to become field services operations director of the newly created NYSUT following the merger of the NYSTA and the United Teachers of New York.
Conti died on June 29 at the age of 88. His full obituary can be found here.