BSCTA Shines at NYSUT Representative Assembly

Darlene Darch - President

NYSUT’s annual Representative Assembly (RA) was held in Washington, D.C. this year April 25^th – 29^th. This convention is held each year to attend to NYSUT business, discuss and vote on resolutions and amendments, and to hear what is happening around the state. During the local president’s assembly, we had an opportunity to meet with the NYSUT leaders to discuss concerns. Campus violence, antagonistic school boards, and No Child Left Behind were top concerns around the state.

Attendees also had an opportunity to hear a variety of speakers, including Senator Clinton and Governor Spitzer, share their ideas and concerns on public education in New York State and across the nation.

This convention is also an opportunity for NYSUT to recognize the hard work and accomplishments of members and locals throughout the state. I am always very proud to represent the BSCTA, but this year we really did shine, earning, I believe, more awards than any other local in the state. We were winners in every category NYSUT honored. Among our accomplishments were:

Life Line Honor Award

Rob Fitzgerald (GM) was awarded NYSUT's Lifeline Award for taking action to save a life. Robert Fitzgerald came to the aid of a choking victim and successfully performed the Heimlich maneuver on her. He was one of only 10 NYSUT members state wide to receive this honor. Along with the beautiful clock, Rob’s name will be added to a plaque in NYSUT’s Suffolk Office listing all Suffolk members who have received the award over the years.

Community Service Awards

Individual Community Service Award

The NYSUT Community Service Award program is now entering its 15th year. Established in 1993, these awards were created to recognize individuals who have given outstanding volunteer service to their communities. Gail Farrell (MS) was one of only 7 NYSUT members across the state to be awarded the Individual Community Service Award.

Local Community Service Award

In addition, NYSUT created a Local Community Service Award to recognize a local's collective and sustained contribution to community service. I was extremely proud to accept this award for the third year in a row on behalf of all of our members who tirelessly help out and give back to our community.

Journalism Awards

The BSCTA was a big winner at the Journalism Awards Luncheon, earning awards in the following journalism competition categories:

"The Answer"

Our monthly newsletter was once again was a winner! It earned the "Award of Merit for New Member Issues," for an article written by Shelley Borman on our mentor program.

Best Web Site

For the first time, our BSCTA web site (www.bscta.org) was given an "Award of Merit for Best Web Site". I hope everyone, if you have not already, will visit our web site. I welcome input and suggestions for any additions and improvements.

Solidarity Award

The BSCTA was also awarded the Solidarity Award for the first time. This award is one of the top Journalism awards given. The award recognizes ties between the work of locals and national affiliates to combat what NYSUT's director of communications, Deb Ward, called "the anti-union animus out there everywhere."

"Your ability to get your political message across depends on your ability to get the message out," said NYSUT President Dick Iannuzzi, himself a past award-winner as a columnist for the Central Islip TA newsletter.

I was surprised and honored to accept this year’s Solidarity Award for the letter I wrote to Hillary Clinton concerning the anti-union remarks and altercation I had with Steve Levy last spring at a LIFER (Long Islanders for Educational Reform) meeting. Dick Iannuzzi, after presenting me with the award, asked if I would like NYSUT to send it to Steve Levy to autograph. I believe he was only joking, but I thought it was a great idea!

VOTE-COPE Albert Shanker Award

Your statewide union has a fundraising arm called VOTE-COPE. VOTE-COPE is NYSUT's non-partisan political action fund that coordinates the voluntary contributions of members and supports NYSUT-endorsed candidates and campaign committees that are pro-public education and pro-labor. The single largest category of VOTE-COPE expenditures is in the form of rebates to local unions to be used in local activities such as school board races and for passage of school budgets.

Locals who ran successful Vote-Cope campaigns were also recognized, and Bay Shore took the top honor with the Albert Shanker Award, the highest award presented. The BSCTA is among the highest contributors to Vote-Cope in the state.