President's Message
Fall 2025
As I write this message, the summer hums with heat and ceaseless activity. My hope is that the season has brought you laughter, joy, and a collection of new, happy memories. For Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, this summer marked significant milestones—90th and 30th birthdays, respectively—worthy of celebration. Yet, amid these anniversaries, many of us are anxious; these essential programs, so often under siege, now confront grave survival challenges. The Big Bad Billionaires' Bill, along with subsequent legislation, may well toll their death knell, at least as we have known them. The most troubling provisions, knowing how unpopular they would be, are deliberately staged to avoid their full impact until after the 2026 midterms.
These programs have long been a lifeline for countless seniors. If you joined demonstrations on August 14, THANK YOU for raising your voice in support of these vital pillars. Please, continue to reach out to your federal lawmakers—call the DC switchboard at 202-224-3121—to make your perspective heard. And remember: a special election will be held on November 3, 2025, to select a replacement for Marco Rubio’s Senate seat. If you plan to vote by mail, request your ballot as soon as possible.
This summer also brought the opportunity to meet with labor leaders both regionally and locally. The highlight was attending the Southern Region AFL-CIO conference in Atlanta, Georgia, which spanned several engaging days. Liz Schuler, President of the AFL-CIO, is resolute in keeping her gaze fixed both on the lessons of the past and the promise of the future. She refuses to let the past dictate what is to come. In her vision, the South stands poised to become the future of the labor movement—a land of opportunity with burgeoning job markets, population growth, and expanding industries. The region’s dynamism has made it fertile ground for labor’s resurgence. Schuler powerfully asserted that politicians have overestimated their influence and underestimated People Power. To transform policy and politics across the South, the AFL-CIO is investing in workers—organizing, empowering, and helping them achieve the freedom, fairness, and security that come with union membership. Because, truly, life is better in a union.
The Labor Movement’s “southern strategy” is more than rhetoric; it is backed by significant commitments of time, talent, and resources. Teachers and public employees’ unions, battered for decades by Right to Work laws across the South, have endured and survived. In Florida, DeSantis once boasted of having ended unions in his state; nationally, the Big Bad Billionaires’ Bill attempts the same. Yet neither has succeeded. In fact, teachers in Florida are witnessing a resurgence in union membership. Support for public employees, devastated by DOGE’s cuts, has never been stronger. Across the country, support for unions has reached unprecedented heights. The American people understand the AFL-CIO’s message: it’s better in a union. Why? Because unions stand up for working families. They advocate for healthcare, pensions, and safe working conditions. While some in power seek to deny these essentials, unions remain steadfast at the forefront—as they always have.
As NYSUT retirees, we know this better than most: it’s undoubtedly better in a union, and ACTIVISTS NEVER RETIRE. Thank you for all you have done, and all you continue to do. You are still making a difference.