hile the cost of living is outpacing wages for far too many workers, there are a growing number of success stories from around the state. Armed with data and backed by NYSUT’s advocacy and expertise, local unions across the state have gone to the bargaining table and won big for their members — now, one job can truly be enough.
The wealthy are thriving:
The federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act delivers $12 billion in annual tax cuts to millionaires — an average of $129,600 per millionaire.
1 in 9 families with children face food insufficiency.
Collaborative Relationships as a Cornerstone
Members of the Opportunities Unlimited of Niagara Employees Union work outside the school setting, providing care for individuals with developmental and physical disabilities at day programs and in residential care homes. Despite the difference in work setting, OUNEU members faced many of the same struggles for fair wages and good benefits as NYSUT’s School- Related Professionals.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, facing an intense workload and staff shortages, OUNEU learned of special funding available through the state’s Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. Thanks to creative thinking and a strong relationship with the CEO of its parent company, INtandem, OUNEU was able to access the funding and use it to increase wages for its direct support professionals and other staff members. Members received raises based on years of service, with some employees seeing increases of almost $6 per hour. The funding was also used to provide bonuses for additional medical certifications, such as those related to GI tubes and insulin administration.
OUNEU President Edie Janese credited these successes to the longstanding collaborative relationship between union leadership and INtandem, which allows them to act quickly when new funding opportunities arise and when tough issues need to be addressed.
Building Strong Relationships With Members Is Key to Success
After many longtime staff members retired during the pandemic and with lower wages than surrounding districts, North Babylon faced significant difficulties hiring and retaining paraprofessional staff and aides. Previous percentage raises sometimes amounted to only a few cents per hour and could not keep up with the skyrocketing local cost of living.
Longtime union president Lois Emerick, with the support of officers, building reps, and her LRS, negotiated a five-year contract with the district that included flat-dollar pay increases for staff (representing an average increase of 34% over the life of the contract), new thresholds for longevity payments, and additional pay and paid training for members in certain specialized roles.
Emerick attributed the successful negotiation to thorough research about pay discrepancies between local districts, meeting one-on-one with all members to understand and address their needs, and emphasizing that many members work and live in the community, which helped demonstrate their high level of dedication to and investment in local schools and student success.