ALBANY, N.Y. May 3, 2018 — New York State United Teachers has signed a five-year contract to hold its policy-making conventions in Albany through 2023, a decision that will bring more than 2,000 educators — and their tourism dollars — to the capital city for the first time in more than three decades.
“We are excited that NYSUT delegates and their families will be coming to Albany to do the union’s business, boosting the local economy by millions of dollars,” said NYSUT President Andy Pallotta. “Using the Albany Capital Center and the Empire State Plaza Convention Center complex as sites for our annual convention will give NYSUT members a chance to hear first-hand from their elected leaders and state education policymakers.”
NYSUT’s Representative Assembly has not met in Albany since 1987, when the union outgrew available hotel and meeting space. The opening of the Albany Capital Center in 2017, as well as the construction of new downtown hotels, means that Albany now has enough meeting space, restaurants and hotel rooms to accommodate the union’s Representative Assembly.
NYSUT expects to utilize 1,500 hotel “room nights” during the peak day of the convention and about 1,000 hotel “room nights” at other times. The more than 600,000-member NYSUT will encourage delegates to dine at restaurants downtown; on the Wolf Road strip; and near the airport; where hotels will also house union members. NYSUT will use a shuttle bus system to bring delegates to downtown Albany each day.
The NYSUT Representative Assembly, which sets union policy on education, labor, social justice and legislative issues, will bring delegates, visitors and guests to Albany from May 2-4, 2019, and May 1-2, 2020. Future NYSUT conventions will also be held in the spring.
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.