April 16 , 2008

2008 NYSUT RA

From left, UUPers Patty Bentley of Plattsburgh, Treasurer Rowena Blackman-Stroud of Brooklyn HSC, and Tom Matthews of Geneseo like what they hear at the 2008 NYSUT RA held in Manhattan April 10-12. All three won re-election to new three-year terms on the NYSUT Board of Directors. UUP President Phil Smith also won election to an at-large seat on the NYSUT board.

More than 100 UUP members were among the nearly 3,000 who attended the 36th annual RA. The delegates heard from a series of top-level speakers, including Gov. David Paterson. The governor said that while this year’s state budget funnels increased aid to secondary education, higher education deserves the same treatment next year. The 2008-09 budget cut operating aid to SUNY by $38 million.

“We have to understand that education is a priority. Next year we have to extend that same priority to higher education,” Paterson said.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver also addressed the RA. U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton and state Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno spoke to the delegates via a phone hookup.