Member organizers lead the way to help fix broken pension system

Riley Ackley

N

YSUT members hit the streets this summer, having one-on-one conversations with their education colleagues to discuss ways to keep educators in the profession and bolster union solidarity. The important work was part of this year’s Member Organizing Institute.

KIMBERLY PENNANT

NYSUT members attend the first Member Organizing Institute training of 2023 in Woodbury, NY. Union ambassadors received the resources they need to galvanize fellow members around pension tier equity.

The program trains a statewide network of paid member organizers who go out into their communities, building long-lasting relationships through member-to-member house calls.

This year, participants also learned about the union’s Fix Tier 6 campaign for pension equity. Through door-to-door conversations with members in their communities, participants will serve on the front line in our mission for a fair and equitable retirement system.

“I want people to want to become teachers in the future. If they see that there is something unjust in our retirement plan, then we’re not going to get more teachers to join this beautiful profession,” said Judith Rivera, a member of the West Hempstead Education Association.

Launched in the summer of 2017, the Member Organizing Institute is one piece of a larger puzzle to activate local unions in the fight for a stronger union — and that includes a dignified retirement. NYSUT stands firm in the belief that Tier 6 is unfair, forcing some educators to work longer, contribute more and receive less when they retire.

Learn more about how you can get involved at FixTier6.org.