Protected: WFLBEA General Membership meeting zoom invite
Spring General meeting April 17th 2024
NYSUT Member Benefit FREE on-line program
Are you taking advantage of NYSUT Member Benefits?
Did you know you can get the Calm App for free? Free from NYSUT Member Benefits — Calm subscription for in-service and retiree members
Interested in pet insurance or homeowners insurance?
Looking to buy a new refrigerator?
A lot of your members may not be aware of all of the programs and savings they could realize through NYSUT Member Benefits. We’ve set up an online session to learn about Member Benefits on Tuesday, April 30 from 5-6pm.
This session will review the numerous programs and services offered through NYSUT Member Benefits. Programs range from popular insurance programs to legal and financial programs. Time will also be spent discussing travel, shopping discounts and deals. These are great benefits available to you as a NYSUT member. It’s worth an hour of your time to learn about them! Get a jump start on the program by getting to know NYSUT Member Benefits a little better at: www.memberbenefits.nysut.org.
Advanced registration is required here.
If you can’t make the meeting or want a Member Benefits representative to come speak to your members directly, please contact your LRS to arrange it.
Thanks,
Carrie M. Andrews
Regional Staff Director
New York State United Teachers
30 N. Union St. Suite 302
Rochester, NY 14607
Phone (585) 454-5550
NOMINATIONS FOR ALL VICE PRESIDENTS & TREASURER
GOOD NEWS /APPR INFO
news update on APPR
NYSUT Member Benefit Seminar in person March 19th @4:00PM
FIX TIER SIX
By Melinda Person, NYSUT President • Mar. 5, 2024
Hi, MAC Activists,
Educators in Tiers 5 and 6 of the New York state pension system pay tens of thousands more into system and work years longer to receive less in benefits than earlier pension tiers.
But NYSUT is working to fix this, just like we did with Tier 4 a few years ago. Our Fix Tier 6 campaign has kicked into high gear and now we need everyone to stand with us.
Read on…
Why it matters: Whether you’re a Tier 5 or 6 member, an earlier pension tier member, a retired educator, a state or local employee who’s a non-educator, or you just believe that public employees deserve the dignity of a pension, we must stand in solidarity with Tiers 5 and 6 members. Pension fairness for one means pension fairness for all.
Tier 5 and 6 members deserve better: Paying more and getting less isn’t fair, dignified or much of an incentive for our newer members to stay in the teaching profession.
Supporting our professions: If we want to solve the teacher shortage, we need to Fix Tiers 5 and 6. We can’t expect newer educators to stay in the field if they must work longer, pay more and get less in retirement than generations before them. Fixing Tiers 5 and 6 is about solidarity and fairness.
Take action: Tell our lawmakers that we won’t quit until we Fix Tier 6!
Stand together. We need the collective power of every NYSUT member and public education advocate to get this done. It’s time to come together and do the right thing. Together, we can Fix Tier 6!
TAKE ACTION NOW
FOUR free in-person sessions about the NYS Teachers Retirement System (“TRS”) for any NYSUT member
Dear Local Leader,
We are pleased to offer FOUR free in-person sessions about the NYS Teachers Retirement System (“TRS”) for any NYSUT member enrolled in this retirement system. These sessions will be held on:
- Thursday, February 15th
- Thursday, February 29th
- Tuesday, March 5th
- Wednesday, March 27th
All sessions are scheduled from 4:30-6:30pm at the Rochester Regional NYSUT Office, 30 N. Union St., Rochester, NY 14607.
TEACHERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM (TRS)
The sessions about the NYS Teachers Retirement System (NYSTRS) are for all NYSUT members who are also members of the NYSTRS. Teachers, related titles and teaching assistants are members of the TRS. (Nurses and civil service titles are not in the TRS.) This session will be presented by Beth Chetney, NYSUT Endorsed Teacher Member of the NYSTRS Board of Trustees. Topics covered include security, planning, filing for retirement, calculating your benefit, reading your statement and understanding the options.
These sessions will be held at the Rochester Regional NYSUT Office (30 N. Union St., Rochester, NY 14607). They are capped at 85 people each and will fill up quickly. Please consider your registration your commitment to attend. If you reserve a spot and do not show you will be taking a spot from another person. If you cannot attend, please let us know so we can give your seat to someone on the waitlist. Due to capacity limits, we are not able to accommodate requests to bring your spouse with you.
Pizza and soda will be served. There is free parking in the lots around the building. Advanced registration is required. Register HERE for these sessions and choose which date you will attend.
In order to inform the presentation to meet your needs, please fill out this survey that corresponds to the date you will be attending in advance the session:
Thanks,
Carrie M. Andrews
Regional Staff Director
New York State United Teachers
30 N. Union St. Suite 302
Rochester, NY 14607
Phone (585) 454-5550
Carrie.Andrews@nysut.org
WELLNOW URGENT CARE UPDATE
Dear Local Leader,
I want to make sure that you and your members are aware of a recent change regarding Excellus Blue Cross/Blue Shield and WellNow Urgent Care. Effective January 1, 2024, WellNow Urgent Care is no longer an in-network provider in the Excellus BueCross Blue Shield network. Neither NYSUT nor your district have anything to do with this change. It’s a matter between those two entities. You may have already received direct notice of this change if you utilized a WellNow Urgent Care within the past year.
I am writing so you’re aware that if you have Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance (such as a plan through FLASHP or RASHP) and visit a WellNow Urgent Care your visit will be considered out of network and you may need to pay more for that visit. You can visit ExcellusBCBS.com/CareOptions to learn about other options for Urgent Care that are in-network.
Again, this is a matter between WellNow and Excellus Blue Choice Blue Shield. I want your members to be aware of the change as many of us utilize urgent care centers in our region.
Thanks,
Carrie M. Andrews
Regional Staff Director
New York State United Teachers