On October 26, 2016 members of Retiree Council 10 and other volunteers came together to decorate 24 Joy Bears that will be donated to those who are undergoing treatment for cancer, to comfort them as they go through chemotherapy. RC 10 has been involved in this project since about 2010.

Joy Bears began in 2008 when Joyce Foley was undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer. Some of Joyce’s treatments were up to seven hours long, so her friend Mary Stumpf decided to create teddy bears that she named “Ms. Joy Bears,” in honor of Joyce. They were intended for Joyce to pass out to others during

On November 15, 2016 RC 10 members gathered for a luncheon and heard 

After an enjoyable and delicious lunch, RC 10 members gathered in the conference room to listen to Mr. Keefe's views about the history, present health, and safety of the teachers retirement system.

According to Mr. Keefe, NYSTRS was funded and began in 1921. It was set up with a board of trustees that was apolitical

(Back row from left, Karen Ferris-Fearnside, Maureen Woerner, and Bev Valente. In front from left, Barbara Hancher and Doris Stoll. To see more images, visit the album here:  http://rc10.ny.aft.org/panama-cruise-fall-2016)

Eighteen people from the RC 10 area took a 17-day cruise from San Francisco to Fort Lauderdale by going through the Panama Canal. The cruise saled from the west coast on Friday, October 7, 2016 on the Celebrity ship Infinity and returned to the east coast on Sunday, October 23rd. The passengers made stops in Mexico at Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta, Guatemala, Costa

THIS TRIP IS NOW FILLED.  On September 12-14, 2017, RC 10 members will travel by Yankee Trails Bus to visit five prominent wineries in the Seneca Falls and Keuka Lakes area, as well as distinguished sights of interest. A thorough orientation to wine making, as well as tastings, will be included. Particular highlights will include lunch at Belhurst Castle, the Glenn H. Curtis Museum, the Rose Hill Mansion, and both the National Women's Hall of Fame and the Women's Rights National Historic Park. We will stay two nights at the Best Western PLUS Vineyard Inn and Suites in Penn Yan. There will be

On Saturday, October 29, a Pre-Retirement Seminar was held at NYSUT Headquarters for active teachers and SRPs within Election Districts 9, 10, and 12. The seminar was hosted as a collaborative effort by Retiree Council 10 and Election District 10. 

Forty-five teachers and support staff came to hear from Cori Bichteman, representing the New York State Teachers' Retirement System, Jean Bonneau from the New York State Employees Retirement System, Kathryn Maguire from NYSUT Member Benefits, and Steve Kramer from Feldman, Kramer & Monaco, P.C., who spoke about legal considerations before and

Picketline

Message from the Capital District Area Labor Federation:

The locked out UAW Honeywell workers will soon lose their unemployment benefits.  

Please come show your solidarity on the picket line in Green Island in front of the Honeywell plant at 6 PM on Monday along with the Troy Area Labor Council to show the scabs and the company that someone does care!

Monday, Oct. 24th | 6 pm - 7:30 pm | 3 Tibbets Ave.

The company is trying to starve out the workers, and we cannot let this happen. If you can’t spend the entire time there, join us for a few minutes. Show your solidarity with the UAW

In February 1864, Kate Mullany, a young Irish immigrant, formed and led America's first all-female Union -- The Troy Collar Laundry Union -- on a successful strike winning a 25 percent wage increase and improved safety and working conditions. Mullany became nationally prominent, serving as the first woman officer of a national union. She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls in 2000.

The Mullany House at 350 Eighth Street in Troy was designated a National Historic Landmark by the Secretary of the Interior in 1998 and a National Historic Site by an Act of Congress

NYSUT encourages their retirees to consider participating in phone banking or canvassing as an important way to be politically active and contribute to efforts to elect individuals who will protect union rights, pensions, and public education.

Phone banking is probably one of the best ways to get to voters and make sure they hear about candidates and build support for them. You will be given a script to follow. It

By Dr. Lou D'Aquila, D.A., CFT, ET

Notice to all NYSTRS Retirees and others belonging to selected eligible NYS pension systems (prior to May 31 2016) who are U.S. Military Veterans:

The new law signed by Governor Cuomo now granting the use of previously non-eligible "peacetime" active military service time toward pension calculation in the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) is still only a halfhearted measure at veteran equalization within the pension system.

Problem with the law:

This new law does indeed now allow "peacetime active duty military service" (for a maximum of three years as the

RC 10 held the annual Fall Luncheon on October 6, 2016 and welcomed 

The event began with a business meeting. President Dave Golden introduced Board members and new retirees, and reminded all members that anyone is welcome to attend the monthly Board meetings, held on the third Tuesday of each month. Paula Johannessen shared the financial report and the good news that RC 10 is in