The Wappingers Congress of Teachers, NYSUT Local 13270 and AFT Local 1989, represents classroom teachers, special area teachers, teachers-in-charge, librarians, guidance counselors, speech therapists, school psychologists, school social workers, regular substitutes, occupational therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapy assistants and physical therapy assistants who serve the students of the Wappingers Central School District.

         The Wappingers Congress of Teachers, as we now know it, grew out of the New York State Taylor Law which gave teachers the right to negotiate. Up to 1967, the Faculty Association would meet with the school board and would be told what the raises would be. During those years, the average salary grew from approximately $3800 for a beginning teacher to a high of $8300. There was no contract, only an agreement. In 1967-68, Natalie LaMoyne Robisch was the first chief negotiator of the Faculty Association. Those negotiations resulted in the first legally binding contract between Wappingers teachers and the Wappingers Central School District.

         Two local unions developed. The NEA (National Education Association) represented one; the AFT (American Federation of Teachers), the other. Only one could be recognized for negotiations. In 1973, NYSUT (New York State United Teachers) was created by the merger of New York State’s NEA and AFT affiliates. In Wappingers, the two local unions also merged and became the WCT (Wappingers Congress of Teachers). Since that time, the WCT has been fighting to preserve, protect, and improve our members' benefits.