February
Treasurer Report 2/22
SHEA VOICE
Spring Edition
Spring 2023
May - June
Volume XV No. 5
David Etkin,
Editor
President's Message:
As we embark on another year of working together towards our shared goals, I want to bring your attention the significance of: VOTE-COPE.
VOTE-COPE, NYSUT's political action committee (PAC), serves as a powerful vehicle for us to make our voices heard and shape the political landscape in favor of workers' rights. It is through VOTE-COPE that we can endorse and support political candidates who understand and prioritize the issues that matter most to us.
This month, SHEA will launch of our local campaign to sign up more members for VOTE-COPE and increased donations. By joining VOTE-COPE, you become an active participant in the democratic process and contribute to the collective strength of our union.
Your involvement can make a real difference in the outcomes of elections at every level, from local to statewide.
One crucial issue that requires our immediate attention is the need to address Tier 6 of the New York State Teachers Retirement System and the New York State and Local Retirement System. As many of you know, Tier 6 imposes significant challenges on our members by increasing the age of retirement and reducing pension benefits.
Tier 6 was imposed on us by Governor Cuomo in 2012, and it is just one example of the attacks on our members, public education, and public employees as a whole. It is essential that we work together to fix this unfair system and advocate for retirement benefits that recognize the dedication and commitment our members bring to their careers.
By actively engaging in VOTE-COPE, we strengthen our ability to elect representatives who understand the urgency of addressing Tier 6 and are committed to finding equitable solutions for our retirement benefits. We need to ensure that our thirty years of service represent a fulfilling career and that we can retire with financial security after dedicating ourselves to shaping the lives of our students.
I urge you to sign up for VOTE-COPE as our reps travel around each building and encourage your colleagues to do the same. Together, let's amplify our voices, mobilize our voting power, and create a future that upholds our rights and values as educators.
Paul Szymendera
Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!
On behalf of the SHEA Officers, we want to express our deep appreciation for all of the hard work and dedication that our members have shown to our students, our schools, and our communities. As we reflect on the challenges that we have faced in the past year, it is clear that we all have truly gone above and beyond to ensure that our students have had the best possible educational experience, despite the many obstacles in our way.
The removal of elementary cafeterias and high school teacher offices, the burden of state testing, and slow contract negotiations have all made your jobs more difficult. But through it all, we have continued to give our best to our Sweet Home students. Your commitment to their education is nothing short of inspiring.
As a union, we are committed to supporting you in every way possible. We know that you are the heart and soul of our schools, and we will continue to fight for your rights, fair treatment and compensatory benefits we deserve.
So on this Teacher Appreciation Day, we want to say thank you. Thank you for your hard work, your dedication, and your unwavering commitment to our students. You are the backbone of our schools, and we could not do what we do without you. We hope that when you wear your SHEA shirt, you know that your union stands with you, always.
Have a wonderful day, you deserve it!
In solidarity,
Paul
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Congratulations
Sweet Home Education Association, #3401
Dear President Szymendera and members of Sweet Home Education Association,
It was a historic day in 1916 when the AFT was formed by the members of a group of eight autonomous local teacher unions. Since that day, our strength has come from our members in all constituencies and from local unions with a proud history like yours. In the tradition of the AFT, you have worked diligently to improve members' lives and the lives of the people we serve, as well as to help your members achieve dignity in the workplace. Your success is our success, and it has made the AFT one of the fastest growing unions in the AFL-CIO. Your strength and perseverance over the past fifty (50) years are a source of great pride and inspiration to all of us. It gives us incentive to continue working to make our union even stronger at the local, state and national levels.
Again, congratulations. I wish you many more years of success.
Sincerely,
In unity,
Randi Weingarten
President
