Locals build organizing muscle at LAP

his summer, local unions returned to the annual LAP conference in Lake George brimming with news about the wins they have scored so far, thanks to the lessons they learned right here.

Each year, locals from across the state convene for NYSUT’s Local Action Project, a three-year program that helps local leadership develop the tools they need to take on their biggest challenges, including member recruitment, retention, team building and political action.

NYSUT Second Vice President Ron Gross welcomed attendees and encouraged them to make the most of the program. “We do such amazing work in this setting, and it really is going to be transformational for your locals.”

“This was just defining for us,” said Jennifer Austin, president of the Fillmore Faculty Association, a third-year local. Austin came on as president three years ago and said LAP helped her build a driven group of leaders, united around a common mission. The local also used what they’d learned at LAP to run a successful election to flip their school board and coordinate additional community resources to support students and their families. “LAP was really a jumpstart for us,” said Austin.

Bellmore-Merrick United Secondary Teachers are in their second year of LAP but already starting to see changes. Thanks to successful member engagement tactics, BMUST’s latest contract adds a pay step for educators who have earned their master’s degree plus 90 additional credits.

“One of our Year One LAP goals was for one-on-one conversations to take place between each of our 500-plus members and a building rep. The input from this engagement effort helped inform our recent contract negotiations and ultimately contributed to the successful negotiation of a new salary column,” said Anthony Brandofino, BMUST LAP coordinator.

Now, they’re building on the goodwill that win created to launch another campaign about new hires.

“We’re anticipating significant turnover in the next five years. Up to 20 percent of our team will be eligible to retire, including some building and central administrators. This could really affect the face of our district,” said Brandofino.

The local’s LAP team wants to push for a more uniform process for hiring and training and ensure that the union has a meaningful voice in those conversations, Brandofino said.

The East Williston Teachers Association recently successfully negotiated paid parental leave into its contract, and now leaders are turning their attention to other pressing matters.

The local is concerned about declining enrollments; this year, the Long Island school district had a graduating class of 150 students, but only 80 incoming kindergarten students, a 46 percent decrease over the next 12 years. To stave off potential budget cuts, the third year local has been exploring ways to drive long-term cost-saving measures, including a solar program.

East Williston TA member and LAP coordinator Dena Ebstein said lessons learned at LAP have been formative to their efforts. “We are really embedding so much of what we learn into our year to benefit our district,” Ebstein said, adding that the program has made her and her team feel empowered.

“You walk out of here feeling extremely inspired. I remember leaving Year One being like, ‘I am Union!’”