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NYSUT Local Action Project (LAP)
The BTA was honored to have been selected by NYSUT as one of 5 local unions from around the state to participate in the Local Action Project. This is an outreach and training program for local unions to improve member engagement and communications, develop leadership skills, organize political action and community engagement opportunities. This is a 3 year commitment, with partial funding supplied by NYSUT each year. The team this year consisted of Mairead Schuelein, Rosalie Consani, Liz Lopez and Jane Shields, with Stacey DiPaola joining us next year. We spent July 20-25th up at the Fort William Henry Conference Center with our Labor Relations Specialist, Tom McMahon. There, the LAP team created a plan for our first year and a budget that needs to be approved by NYSUT in the early fall. Year one will focus on education of members, trainings for Reps and Exec Board, getting to know you, membership engagement and creating a mission and vision statement for the BTA. More to come as the school year starts, but we are thrilled to be a part of this program.
Find out more about NYSUT’s LAP program here and here
BTA Executive Board Stipends/Changes to Dues
In an effort to balance the BTA’s budget and minimize the amount we take from savings to make ends meet, the Executive Board has had to look more closely at stipends and dues. Other local unions were surveyed on their local dues amounts and stipends by title during this process. At the June Executive Board meeting, the Executive Board approved a change to lower their stipends beginning July 1, 2025. Further decreases in stipends to some titles will occur the July 1 following that title’s next election. At the last change to the stipend structure in May 2008, the General Membership voted on those changes and so that will be done now as well. The Rep Council will vote on these changes in the fall and members will vote at the next General Membership meeting in November. There are no changes to stipends for the Reps or the Webmaster. If the vote passes, the stipends will become a part of the BTA By-Laws. You can see the proposed stipend structure here.
Additionally, the Executive Board voted that the local dues (dues paid directly to the BTA, not to NYSUT or AFT) for Certified Staff members will increase each paycheck by the dollar amount of the percent raise that is negotiated for Certified Staff for each year of the contract. For Aides and ALC members, the dues will increase each paycheck by 50% of the dollar amount of the percent raise that is negotiated for Certified Staff for each year. For example, Certified Staff will be getting a 2% raise this year. As a result, dues will increase by $2 each paycheck for Certified Staff and $1 each paycheck for Aides and ALC members. Dues increases are not in the BTA Constitution and By-Laws and therefore do not need to be voted on by the membership. The last time there was an increase in local dues was in 2021.
As you might recall, the Certified Staff contract MOA provides for dues to be spread over each paycheck rather than just being collected November through April. MOAs are being approved at next week’s BOE meeting for the Aides and ALC units to allow dues to be collected over the 10 month period as well.
Questionnaire for Members
As part one of LAP’s initiatives, we ask you to take this Know Your Rights survey. It should only take a few minutes of your time. The results of this survey will then be used in future bulletins to educate members on their rights, the laws, and situations to avoid.
Benefits Trust Survey Results
Below are the results of the survey that was sent to Certified Staff about potential changes to Benefits Trust. The Trustees will meet after the NYSUT Member Benefits conference in September to vote on potential changes to benefits based on the survey and costs.
NYSUT United (July/August 2025)
Our BTA President is pictured on the July/August cover of NYSUT United. Can you find her? Frank Mascetta, a teacher at CTE, is again pictured on page 13. You can find a digital version of NYSUT United here
ALC Contract Survey
ALC members: President Mairead Schuelein and 2nd Vice President of ALC Keith Mattos have been visiting individual work sites this summer so that you can fill out a contract survey. If you were not available or are not working summer, please check your personal email account for a survey in a Google form template. Reach out to president for more information.
Save the Date!
The BTA will be hosting a Welcome Back Social on Thursday, September 25th at Captain Lawrence. Sign up form and more info to come in the coming weeks.
The BTA is again collaborating with Boces for the Making Strides Breast Cancer Walk at Manhattanville College on Sunday, October 19th. Please consider joining our team and/or making a donation to this worthy cause. You can find our team page here
Reminders
BTA text list: If you wish to receive texts from the BTA, please fill out this form. The BTA does not give out your cell phone number to outside parties. We use it to send reminders about meetings and upcoming events. If you receive an email from your supervisor saying you can bring a union rep to a scheduled meeting, reach out to one of the Reps or Exec Board members listed at the bottom of this bulletin ASAP. Next Rep Council meeting: Tentative Date of Wednesday, September 17th at 4pm, location TBD. Notification of dates for Rep Council and General Membership meetings for the 2025-2026 school year will be sent out in the end of August.
Executive Board and Reps
Mairead Schuelein, President
Jason Poniatowski, Executive Vice President
Stacey DiPaola, Treasurer
Derrick Green, 1st Vice President of Aides
Keith Mattos, 2nd Vice President of ALC
Mike Piccolo, Grievance Chair
Rosalie Consani, Corresponding Secretary
Liz Lopez, Recording Secretary
Julie Crosier, Teacher Rep
Jane Shields, Teacher Rep
Pierre Fils, CTE Rep
Ann Robertson, TA Rep
Read more: August 1, 2025 bulletin, LAP, Dues and Stipends, Questionnaire
BOCES Teachers Association 