Being a unionist is about being involved, and every day NYSUT is spurring our members to action – on behalf of their students, communities and profession. During his address, Second Vice President Ron Gross enumerated the programs NYSUT has launched this past year to activate and empower members, including workplace violence prevention trainings, the mental health network, and the ongoing Union for Life campaign.
“One of the great privileges of being able to oversee a department like Program and Constituency services is that I get to witness every day how NYSUT is committed to providing quality support and leadership training for all our members,” Gross said.
Gross also lauded the string of victories School-Related Professionals have notched this year in their ongoing fight to achieve equity and high-quality education for their students, thanks to the movement they have built.
“Whether it's our annual conference, our leadership institute, LAP, a Fix Tier 6 rally, Committee of 100 or lobby day, our SRPs show up in force and make their presence known,” Gross said. “They have been the force of change in many of our recent legislative victories.”
Program and Constituency Services often form the bridge between the halls of power and the halls of learning, translating legislation into tangible change in the classroom. This year was no different, with the Health and Safety team crisscrossing the state to help school districts implement the Workplace Violence Prevention Act and helping unify NYSUT’s healthcare professionals at the first Healthcare Professional Conference since 2019.
NYSUT Social Services continues to build solidarity for related service providers like school social workers, school counselors and school psychologists through NYSUT’s Mental Health Network and the inaugural Collective Care Team Lobby Day, which took place last May.
Retiree services helps organize and activate NYSUT’s “daytime army,” and Gross noted that when our members say "union strong,” they mean it. “In fact, some of NYSUT retirees have taken our Union for Life campaign very, very seriously as over 30 NYSUT members range from 100 to 107 years of age!” Gross said.
Finally, Gross noted the increasing challenges the labor movement has encountered this year, and ended with the declaration, “We will never retreat, and we will never surrender,” before introducing his daughter Sarah Gross, who sang Bruce Springsteen’s stirring anthem, “No Surrender.”