A message fromNYSUT Vice President Paul Pecorale

Social Security legislation to be reintroduced in Senate U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced he will re-introduce the Strengthening Social Security Act when the new Congress convenes in January. Formerly championed by retiring U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), the bill would extend the solvency of the Social Security Trust Fund, on which nearly two-in-three Americans rely for income in their senior years.

With incoming Republican majorities in both houses of Congress, Social Security Works launched a campaign to gain U.S. Senate sponsors for the bill before it’s introduced next month. The goal is to have more co-sponsors for Brown’s bill than Harkin’s bill had last year. To ask U.S. Senate members to co-sponsor the legislation, follow the link on NYSUT Social Security Legislation web page.

Governor Cuomo vetoed the teachers’ “Moratorium” legislation that would have placed a two-year moratorium on the use of Common Core tests in teacher evaluations. Ironically, the legislation was proposed by the governor and agreed to amid great fanfare last June.

In response, NYSUT Leadership has called for a rally prior to, and during the State of the State address on January 7, 2015.

The Regional NYSUT Office has reserved a coach bus (55 seats) to transport members and supporters to the rally. The bus will be leaving from the Suffolk Regional Office in Hauppauge with a tentative departure time of 7:00 a.m. and arrive in Albany around noon. The State of the State is scheduled to commence at 1:30 p.m.. and the bus will plan to leave Albany at 3:00 p.m.

To RSVP for the bus, email Peter L. Verdon, Regional Staff Director, at [email protected], or call the Suffolk Regional Office at 273-8822 when it reopens on January 5th.

For more information on the legislation and the govenor’s veto visit the NYSUT website.