NYSUT President's Office Files

New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) was created in 1972 by the merger of the New York State Teachers Association (NYSTA) and the United Teachers of New York (UTNY). NYSTA had been affiliated with the National Education Association (NEA), and UTNY with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). UTNY was the statewide organization whose United Federation of Teachers (UFT), led by Albert Shanker, was the predominant teachers' union in New York City. In joining with United Teachers and affiliating with the AFT, NYSUT also became a member union of the AFL-CIO.

In 1976, NYSUT voted to disaffiliate with the NEA. Some locals left NYSUT and created the NYEA (New York Educators Association), which became the state affiliate for the NEA. In the early 1980s, NYEA changed its name to NEA-NY.

NYEA/NEA- NY viewed association with the AFL-CIO's industrial unions as undermining the professional image and independence of teachers. The two organizations also differed strongly on aspects of the governance structure, particularly with respect to ethnic minority representation, with NYSUT opposed to mandatory minimums. The rivalry between NYSUT and NYEA/NEA-NY in organizing new locals expended a great deal of resources for both labor organizations.

While competition with NYEA/NEA-NY was a constant focus of NYSUT's organizing efforts for teachers, NYSUT was also organizing college faculty members, nurses, and other non-teaching personnel. Once members were organized, NYSUT continued to advocate for teachers' and other workers' rights through contract support and legal services at the local level and political involvement at the state and federal levels, supporting candidates and legislation that protected funding, due process, and working conditions.

NEA-N Y merged with NYSUT in 2006, by which time NYSUT had grown to more than half a million members, becoming the largest union in New York State.

Thomas Y. Hobart, Jr., served as president of NYSUT since it was created in 1973 from the merger of NYSTA (New York State Teacher's Association, founded in 1845 and the largest state affiliate of the National Education Association) and UTNY (United Teachers of New York, affiliated with American Federation of Teachers-AFL-CIO). Hobart was a prime mover in the disaffiliation of NYSUT from the NEA, and reaffirmation of affiliation with the AFT, in 1976. He was involved in jurisdictional disputes that followed the split for many years, as NYSUT and NEA (through its affiliate, New York Educators Association) fought for membership at the local level; the rivalry was finally resolved when the two again merged in 2006, still maintaining strong ties with the AFT.

The president serves as a vice president of the AFT and vice president of New York State AFL-CIO and represents NYSUT in high-level interactions with state elected and appointed officials, particularly the Department of Education; international labor organizations; political parties; nonprofit service organizations such as the New York Special Olympics; and other unions. The president or his assistant has often visited regional offices to maintain firsthand contact with local concerns.

Hobart retired in 2005 and was succeeded by NYSUT's current president, Richard Ianuzzi.