Labor History: Sing Me A New Tune – Paving The Way For Teachers Aides With Sandie Carner-Shafran

Unionizing a workplace comes with several challenges. We sat down with Sandie Carner-Shafran, who worked started working as a teacher’s aide in 1982 when the Willowbrook Decision reformed the way in which New York State engaged with individuals with disabilities. Sandie shared her experience of becoming a vocal player in the negotiating efforts of her Union. Today, Sandie sits on the executive board of her local Union as Labor Ambassador and Co-Chair of the Saratoga Adirondack BOCES Employees Association Women’s Committee and is the second VP of the New York State Teachers Union Retiree Council 10. She is also President of the Saratoga Labor Council and member of the Greater Capital Region Teacher Center Policy BOD. The interview was conducted in 2022 by Max Chelso and Sophia Delohery and edited by Emma Gill in 2023 as part of the Saratoga Labor History Digital Archive founded by Eric Morser. To listen to the full interview or discover new stories, visit mediasanctuary.org/labor-oralhistory.