NYSUT offers myriad programs

The Member Benefits division of New York State United Teachers, UUP’s statewide affiliate, offers a variety of insurance, financial, legal service and discount plans.

Brief descriptions of the programs available from NYSUT Member Benefits follow. For more information, call (800) 626-8101, e-mail benefits@nysutmail.org or visit the NYSUT Member Benefits Web site at www.memberbenefits.nysut.org.

Automobile Insurance – competitive rates, quality service, access to roadside assistance and a variety of discounts.

Homeowners and Renters Insurance — policies for homes, apartments, co-ops and condominiums; discounts are available.

Boat Insurance — coverage for boats, boating equipment and unattached equipment and accessories; medical payments coverage and liability protection may be included.

Personal Excess Liability (Umbrella) — an extra buffer of protection for underlying auto, home, boat, recreational vehicle and snowmobile policies.

Other Personal Property Insurance — policies for mobile home, recreational vehicle, snowmobile, motorcycle, fire and landlord package.

Term Life Insurance — Members and spouses/certified domestic partners up to age 65 may apply; accelerated benefits for the terminally ill.

Senior Term Life Insurance — Members and spouses between the ages of 65 and 84 may apply; provides decreasing term coverage to age 85.

NYSUT WrapPlan® Term Life Coordination Program — Members age 65 or under may apply for life insurance coverage that increases as existing term-life coverage decreases or terminates. Premiums may be set to produce as much or as little accumulation cash value at age 95 as desired.

Disability Insurance — Short- and long-term policies provide tax-free benefits to help meet living expenses if a covered sickness or injury prevents a person from working. A plan is also available for associate members, retiree members and spouses/domestic partners of bargaining unit members.

$2,000,000 Catastrophe Major Medical Insurance — supplements hospitalization and major medical insurance, including Medicare; includes some home health care, nursing/convalescent home and private duty nursing benefits.

Long-Term Care Insurance — Plan options provide coverage for a wide range of benefits. Members, spouses/domestic partners, parents, in-laws and grandparents (and in-laws) may apply.

NYSUT Variable Life Insurance — In addition to life insurance, this variable universal life insurance provides the ability to build cash value for the long term and the flexibility to choose where premiums are invested.

NYSUT Legal Service Plan and Retiree Legal Service Plan — toll-free advice for personal matters, discounted legal rates, free simple will, Preventive Law Guide newsletter and more; optional riders for Elder Law and business protection.

Financial Counseling Program — toll-free access to independent financial counselors who will answer questions covering financial planning, insurance, retirement funding and more. Included are personalized financial reports and a financial planning newsletter and an option to request an in-person financial planning consultation.

Opportunity Plus Tax-deferred Variable Annuity — This is a convenient way to save with more than 40 investment options ranging from conservative to aggressive, attractive loans, unlimited free asset transfers and more.

Lifestyle Security Protection — provides life insurance and an annual disability benefit to protect Opportunity Plus contributions in the event of death or disability; available to Opportunity Plus participants who have made a contribution within 24 months prior to death or disability.

Car Rental Discounts — Alamo, Avis and Hertz discount passenger car rental rates. Use these discount ID numbers: Alamo – 213855 and Rate Code BY; Avis – A441200; and Hertz – 85352.

Theme Park Discounts — Six Flags discounts are available.

Consumer’s Guides — objective information about a variety of insurance products, legal services and tax-deferred annuities.

The Buyer’s Edge — Use this buying service to comparison shop for major appliances, audio equipment and more.

Financial Building Blocks — The financial educational workshops are arranged by chapter leaders.

Defensive Driving Program — Members can reduce auto insurance premiums and points on driving records. Classes are arranged by chapter leaders.

Bargaining unit members who are eligible for payroll deduction of NYSUT benefits and use this payment option will receive reduced premiums or free additional coverage with most of these benefit plans. Retiree members can select pension deduction and receive the same advantages.

Family leave

The hodgepodge of family leave policies throughout the SUNY system is generating much concern among UUP members who are rapidly stepping forward to help the union develop a consistent, workable approach to this increasingly important issue.

Jamie Dangler of SUNY Cortland, chair of UUP’s Family Leave Committee, said that since the union began discussing the issue publicly last summer, more and more chapter leaders have made family leave a priority on their campuses.

Dangler said many chapters have established family leave committees of their own. Others have published articles about the issue in their newsletters. And still others are anxious to begin distributing a survey — being produced by the statewide committee and the UUP Research Department — designed to determine the needs and experiences of union members who are sometimes forced to choose between their families and their jobs.

“We’ve apparently touched a chord with various people on various campuses,” Dangler said. “Virtually all chapters have responded in some way. The response has been very encouraging.”

UUP Vice President for Professionals John Marino said he’s not surprised at the chapters’ enthusiastic response to family leave issues, since 62 percent of the UUP bargaining unit has less than 10 years experience on the job.

“This is important to many of our members,” Marino said. “Issues related to child and elder care, maternity leave and adoption have a lot of relevance for our younger members.”

Carolyn Kube of Stony Brook HSC is a member of Dangler’s statewide committee who established a family leave committee at her chapter. She knows from first-hand experience — having to get leave approved for the births of her two children — that family leave is important to her colleagues.

“We need streamlined guidelines, a set policy,” Kube said. “Trying to get leave is frustrating and stressful at a time people don’t need a lot of frustration and stress in their lives.”

Dangler said the survey would be distributed this month and collected and analyzed in March. She said chapter leaders would decide the best ways to get it to their members; some surveys will be mailed and others handed out at chapter meetings and events. The survey will soon be posted on the UUP Web site at www.uupinfo.org.

— Frank Maurizio