NYSUT - A Union of Professionals

What it reported doing in 2024

The nysut legal department consists of the general counsel, three managing attorneys, approximately 30 staff attorneys and their support. It functions as the general counsel for the organization and related organizations. In addition, the general counsel offers representation to affiliates and individual union members in certain matters. As general counsel, it represents the organization in all judicial and administrative proceedings involving the organization. It also gives advice and counsel to the organization in all matters of governance, affiliate relations, statutory and regulatory compliance, and contract negotiation and enforcement, among other things. It also offers representation to affiliates and individual members in a wide variety of matters including disciplinary hearings where tenured union members face dismissal from their employment, licensing hearings where certificated union members face the revocation or suspension of their professional licenses, arbitration enforcement proceedings where the affiliate's corresponding employer refuses to abide by an arbitration agreement or award, as well as in numerous types of judicial and administrative proceedings in employment related matters and in matters of educational or civil service regulation or funding. The general counsel will represent local unions where the local union is alleged to have breached its duty of fair representation or has allegedly engaged in other forms of unlawful discrimination. Upon appropriate request, the general counsel will provide legal opinions to the organization and its affiliates on all matters of legal inquiry. Similarly, it provides training on a variety of legal issues.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: Limited
• Program expense ratio: Limited
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 1 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 17
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Missing
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Limited
• Related-party transparency: Yes; rating input score 100

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 95.1%; rating input score 95; 48th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 22.2%; rating input score 89; 89th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.42; rating input score 69; 69th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.66; rating input score 24; 24th percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 6.6%; rating input score 9; 9th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: Limited
• Revenue growth: 2.2% per year; rating input score 100; 15th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 8.7% per year; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings