NYSUT Field Services Department Audio-Visual Material.

Collection Number: 6174/004 AV

Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library

DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY

Title:
NYSUT Field Services Department Audio-Visual Material, 1972-1991
Collection Number:
6174/004 AV
Creator:
New York State United Teachers (NYSUT)
Quantity:
5.1 linear ft.
Forms of Material:
Audio cassette tapes, video cassette tapes, motion picture film.
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library
Language:
Collection material in English

NYSUT ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY

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.
ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY

NYSUT's Field and Legal Services Division provides direct services for members and locals through 16 regional offices, some 100 field representatives and a legal staff of 25 attorneys supported by approximately 50 administrative staff. It provides help with contract negotiation, enforcement of contract provisions by filing improper practice charges with the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) or court system, representing teachers in tenure challenges or misconduct charges, providing strike assistance, and organizing new locals, including university faculty and non-teaching personnel. Extensive training programs on leadership skills and public relations were coordinated by the division. For many years, occupational safety and health was a major focus of the field service, especially important as many schools were found to need asbestos remediation. Internal accountability was tightly controlled; monthly activity reports were provided from each regional office, and expenditures were scrutinized in detail by the central office.
Initially, the field service function was organized around UniServ, which was set up by the National Education Association (NEA) in 1970 to place one full-time field representative in a region for each 1,200 NEA members. The NEA and its state affiliates funded UniServ. NEA local associations participated in the hiring of the UniServ representatives, and determined the role of the representatives in their regions.
After the merger with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) in 1972, NYSUT reorganized its structure, and the UniServ program was replaced by a negotiated block grant payment from the NEA to NYSUT to pay for a portion of the costs of the field service program.
In 1972, Vito DeLeonardis became NYSUT's first Executive Director, and was responsible for field and legal services. Ken Law was the Director of Field Services. Robert Allen was the Assistant Director for Administration in Field Services and Daniel McKillip was Assistant Director for Operations in Field Services.
In 1976, NYSUT voted to disaffiliate with the NEA, and lost some staff as a result. Dan McKillip and Ken Law left. Jim Conti became Assistant Director for Operations and Ray Ratte was Coordinator of Field Service Staff and Leadership Training. John O'Leary became Coordinator of Organizing in 1979.
The next major change in Field Services came in 1988 when Vito DeLeonardis retired and James Wood became the Executive Director. Robert Allen retired in 1998 and Pauline Kinsella replaced him as Director of Field Services. Jim Wood retired in 2003 as Executive Director and was replaced by Pauline Kinsella. In 2003, Mark Chaykin became Director of Field Operations.
COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

Training tapes and other videos on labor issues, 1972-1990
SUBJECTS

Names:
New York State United Teachers, Field Services Department. Archives
New York State United Teachers. Archives
New York State United Teachers.

Subjects:
Teachers' union, New York (State)

Form and Genre Terms:
Audiovisual material

INFORMATION FOR USERS

Access Restrictions:
Access to the collections in the Kheel Center is restricted. Please contact a reference archivist for access to these materials.
Restrictions on Use:
This collection must be used in keeping with the Kheel Center Information Sheet and Procedures for Document Use.
Cite As:
NYSUT Field Services Department Audio-Visual Material. #6174/004 AV. Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.
RELATED MATERIALS

Related Collections:
6174/004: NYSUT Field Services Department Files.
All other 6174 collections
CONTAINER LIST

Container
Description
Date
Box 1 Folder 1
VHS and audiocassette (Run Time: 2:00:00) n.d.
Box 1 Folder 2 1987
VHS (Run Time: 11:42) 10/1987
Box 1 Folder 3 1987
VHS (Run Time: 11:42) 10/1987
Box 1 Folder 4 1989
VHS (Run Time: 4:56:44) 6/7/1989
Box 1 Folder 5 1989
VHS (Run Time: 6:00:00) 6/7/1989
Box 1 Folder 6
197 BCA-60 (Run Time: 34:00) n.d.
Box 1 Folder 7
197 BCA-60 (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 1 Folder 8 1991
197 BCA-60 (Run Time: 10:20) 1991
Box 1 Folder 9
197 BCA-60 (Run Time: 38:31) n.d.
Box 1 Folder 10 1989
197 BCA-60 (Run Time: n/a) 1989
Box 2 Folder 1
Cassette (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 2 Folder 2
Cassette (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 2 Folder 3
VHS (Run Time: 4:56:44) n.d.
Box 2 Folder 4
KCS-20BRK (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 2 Folder 5 1986
VHS (Run Time: 14:40/6:50) 9/4/1986, 9/15/1986
Box 2 Folder 6 1990
VHS (Run Time: n/a) 6/26/1990
Box 2 Folder 7
MBU 18s (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 2 Folder 8
KCS-20BRK (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 2 Folder 9 1989
VHS (Run Time: 6:00:00) 6/7/1989
Box 2 Folder 10
KCS-20BRK (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 2 Folder 11
KCS-20BRK (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 2 Folder 12
KCS-20BRK (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 2 Folder 13 1990
VHS (Run Time: 3:00) 5/17/1990
Box 2 Folder 14
KCS-20BRK (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 2 Folder 15 1990
KCS-20BRK (Run Time: 18:00) 4/1990
Box 2 Folder 16
KCS-20BRK (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 3 Folder 1
Maxell P341 (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 3 Folder 2
Ampex 187 (Run Time: 30:00) n.d.
Box 3 Folder 3
Ampex 197 (Run Time: 29:00) n.d.
Box 3 Folder 4
197 BCA-60 (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 3 Folder 5 1990
197 BCA-60 (Run Time: 60:00) 5/24/1990
Box 3 Folder 6
Ampex 187 (Run Time: 24:00) n.d.
Box 3 Folder 7
Ampex 197 (Run Time: 29:00) n.d.
Box 3 Folder 8
Ampex 197 (Run Time: 30:00) n.d.
Box 3 Folder 9 1989
197 BCA-60 (Run Time: n/a) 1989
Box 3 Folder 10
Ampex 197 (Run Time: 30:00) n.d.
Box 3 Folder 11
Maxell P341 (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 3 Folder 12
Maxell P341 (Run Time: 26:00) n.d.
Box 3 Folder 13
Ampex 197 (Run Time: 29:00) n.d.
Box 3 Folder 14 1990
Ampex 187 (Run Time: 3:00) 5/17/1990
Box 4 Folder 1 1990
KCA30 (Run Time: 18:00) 4/1990
Box 4 Folder 2
Ampex 297 (Run Time: 20:00) n.d.
Box 4 Folder 3 1989
Ampex 187 (Run Time: 1:00:00) 1989
Box 4 Folder 4 1972
KCS-20BRK (Run Time: n/a) 1972
Box 4 Folder 5
KCA30 (Run Time: 30:00) n.d.
Box 4 Folder 6
KCA30 (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 4 Folder 7
Ampex 197 (Run Time: 29:00) n.d.
Box 4 Folder 8
Ampex 197 (Run Time: 58:00) n.d.
Box 4 Folder 9 1991
Ampex 197 (Run Time: 10:00) 1991
Box 4 Folder 10
Ampex 197 (Run Time: 28:00) n.d.
Box 4 Folder 11
Ampex 197 (Run Time: 31:00) n.d.
Box 4 Folder 12
Ampex 197 (Run Time: 25:00) n.d.
Box 4 Folder 13
Maxell P341 (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 4 Folder 14
Ampex 197 (Run Time: 31:00) n.d.
Box 5
Film - 14 inch (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 6
Film - 12 inch (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 7
Film - 12 inch (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 8
Film - 12 inch (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 9
Film - 12 inch (Run Time: n/a) n.d. Copy 2, repaired, refurbished.
Box 10
Film - 12 inch (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 11
Film - 12 inch (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 12
Film - 10 inch (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 13
Film - 12 inch (Run Time: n/a) n.d.
Box 14
Film - 8 inch (Run Time: n/a) n.d.