NEW ==> Retiree Council 7 Constitution & By-Laws
To download a copy of the 2023 RC7 Constitution and By-Laws select the green button below.
NYSUT Retiree Council 7 - A Brief History
NYSUT RC 7 got its start in 1982 when (then Regional Office Director) Frank Squillace asked Bob Doyle and Dave Grose to start a retiree group to cover all the retirees from districts in ED 7. The two men gathered a few other retirees and began to organize a group for that would continue retirees’ connection to the union they had worked to build. With some additional help from the state organization they eventually wrote a constitution, elected officers and began publishing a newsletter. Early membership was heavily from the North Syracuse District thanks to the efforts of (then president) Sylvia Matousek.
The fledgling organization became a lobbying force which produced many letters and phone calls to legislators in support of bills that were important to both retirees and schools. They were the driving force behind getting a retiree member on the NYS Teachers’ Retirement System Board. Another early member, Eliot Birnbaum, won a court case that, based on language already existing in the NYS Constitution, stopped the practice of reducing teacher pensions.
Retiree Council 7 grew into the strong, active and vibrant organization we are today thanks to the efforts of those who are shown in the photo on our home page and here. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude.
Serving All NYSUT Retirees In Onondaga And Cayuga Counties
Welcome
Welcome to NYSUT Retiree Council 7’s web site. Here you can find information about anything related to our group, or a phone number where you can ask a question.
Retiree Councils are retiree affiliates of NYSUT and we continue your association with the union of which you were a part when working. Retiree Council 7 consists of all the NYSUT retirees, whether teachers, teaching aides and assistants, custodians or health care workers, who worked in Cayuga and Onondaga Counties. All are automatically members because dues paid while working which confer lifetime membership.
RC 7 has an Executive Board which is elected every three years and which meets monthly to do the business of the organization. We also hold monthly General Membership meetings at luncheons in various restaurants around the area from September through December and March through June.
Our group is politically active. We elect and send delegates to the NYSUT Representative Assembly and the AFT Convention as well as attending meetings of other allied groups. We submit resolutions to those organizations in support of issues that are of consequence to retirees. We meet with legislators to be sure they understand retiree needs and concerns. We advocate for our members.
At our luncheon meetings we keep members up to date on issues of the day and we use our newsletter, which has won several awards, to give more in-depth information. Our Travel Committee sponsors varied and interesting trips. Our Scholarship Committee awards up to three $1000 scholarships per year to the grandchildren of our active members.
Through the membership section of this site you can get information about how to become an active participating member. We invite and urge you to join us.