Rally for Teachers Divestment Saturday April 29 in Albany

On Saturday April 29 at 11:45 Divest NY is holding a rally in Albany outside the NYSUT (teachers union) annual meeting calling for the NY Teachers Retirement System to divest. 

 

Join us at the Albany Capitol Center, 55 Eagle Street in Albany. You can register here or just show up. If you are coming from NYC and have room in your car, please email me, we have a few people looking for a ride. (Ruth at [email protected]).

 

So, Why are we rallying outside the NYSUT meeting?  Because teachers are strongly in favor of divestment to protect their pension from risky investments in the dying fossil fuel industry AND to protect the climate for the future of their students. BUT NYSUT has been actively lobbying against divestment despite the fact that resolutions in favor of divestment have passed at their past three annual meetings, and close to thirty NYSUT locals have passed divestment resolutions.

 

Both the NYS Common Retirement Fund and the NYC Retirement Fund (which includes NYC teachers) are currently divesting from fossil fuels.  The NY Teachers Retirement System has put out a climate action plan and say that they are open to divestment, but they recently increased their coal holdings and declined to divest from tar sands, among the dirtiest fossil fuels. 

 

Join us as we demand that NYSTRS divest from fossil fuels and tell NYSUT to use its power to support a sustainable pension for teachers and a sustainable future for students. 

 

If you aren’t able to attend the rally, tell your friends about it and ask them to sign our petition here.