Delegate Assembly Resolutions

RESOLUTION ON MANAGEMENT SALARY INCREASES
WHILE FACULTY AND STAFF SALARIES REMAIN
UNCOMPETITIVE NATIONALLY

Whereas on September 24, 2007, five days after the expiration date of the PSC-CUNY contract had passed without an economic offer from CUNY management to the PSC, the CUNY Board of Trustees voted to award large salary increases to top management; and

Whereas the average salaries of CUNY faculty and staff are below nationally competitive levels, with some salary levels having lost up to 50% of their real-dollar value since the early 1970s, when many of the current generation of faculty were hired; and

Whereas Frederick Schaffer, senior vice chancellor for legal affairs, received an increase of $21,000, bringing his annual salary to $241,000, plus a bonus of $5,000—an increase of 11.8% for this year; and

Whereas Ernesto Malave, vice chancellor for budget and finance, received an increase of $21,671, bringing his annual salary to $212,000—an increase of 11.4% this year; and

Whereas Allan Dobrin, executive vice chancellor and chief operating officer, received an increase of $20,029, bringing his annual salary to $263,664, plus a bonus of $5,000; and

Whereas Iris Weinshall, new vice chancellor for facilities planning, received an increase of $20,000, bringing her annual salary to $210,000 for this year; and

Whereas Jay Hershenson, senior vice chancellor for university relations, received an increase of $11,000, bringing his annual salary to $281,000, plus a bonus of $5,000; and

Whereas Selma Botman, executive vice chair and university provost, received an increase of $13,166, bringing her annual salary to $276,501 for this year; and

Whereas Garrie Moore, vice chancellor for budget and finance, received an increase of $12,600, bringing his annual salary to $192,600, plus a bonus of $5,000; and

Whereas Gloriana Waters, interim vice chancellor for faculty and staff relations, received a bonus of $5,000 for this year; and

Whereas Eduardo Martí, president of Queensborough Community College, received an increase of $8,802, bringing his annual salary to $204,393, plus a bonus of $5,000 for this year; and

Whereas Marcia Keizs, president of York College, received an increase of $6,950, bringing her annual salary to $205,965, plus a bonus of $5,000 for this year; and

Whereas Jeremy Travis, president of John Jay College, received an increase of $10,356, bringing his annual salary to $218,104, plus a bonus of $5,000 for this year; and

Whereas Gail Mellow, president of LaGuardia Community College, received an increase of $10,350, bringing her annual salary to $200,350 for this year; and

Whereas Christoph Kimmich, president of Brooklyn College, received an increase of $10,080, bringing his annual salary to $234,050 for this year; and

Whereas Tomás Morales, president of College of Staten Island, received an increase of $10,000, bringing his annual salary to $230,000 for this year; and

Whereas Kathleen Waldron, president of Baruch College, received an increase of $10,735, bringing her annual salary to $249,285 for this year; and

Whereas Antonio Pérez, president of Borough of Manhattan Community College, received an increase of $9,004, bringing his annual salary to $204,500, plus a bonus of $5,000 for this year; and

Whereas Ricardo Fernández, president of Lehman College, received an increase of $9,405, bringing his annual salary to $218,405 for this year; and

Whereas Edison Jackson, president of Medgar Evers College, received an increase of $9,180, bringing his annual salary to $213,180 for this year; and

Whereas James L. Muyskens, president of Queens College, received an increase of $9,767, bringing his annual salary to $226,803 for this year; and

Whereas Gregory Williams, president of City College, received an increase of $8,753, bringing his annual salary to $258,836 for this year; and

Whereas William Kelly, president of the CUNY Graduate Center, received an increase of $8,743, bringing his annual salary to $227,320 for this year; and

Whereas Jennifer Raab, president of Hunter College, received an increase of $8,720, bringing her annual salary to $226,720 for this year; and

Whereas Dolores Fernández, president of Hostos Community College, received an increase of $8,025, bringing her annual salary to $193,325 for this year; and

Whereas Russell Hotzler, president of New York City College of Technology, received an increase of $8,220, bringing his annual salary to $213,712 for this year; and

Whereas Regina Peruggi, president of Kingsborough Community College, received an increase of $6,895, bringing her annual salary to $203,895 for this year; and

Whereas Carolyn G. Williams, president of Bronx Community College, received an increase of $6,828, bringing her annual salary to $201,922 for this year; and

Whereas the salary of Matthew Goldstein, chancellor, remains at $395,000, having increase by 63% since September 2003, most recently increasing by $45,000 last September, and whereas his total compensation—like the compensation of many of the other managers who received raises—includes free luxury housing or housing allowance and the use of a car and driver; therefore be it

Resolved that the PSC expects that CUNY management, with its professed concern for offering competitive salaries, will make an economic offer to the PSC that enables CUNY instructional staff salaries to become nationally competitive; and be it further

Resolved that the PSC calls on Chancellor Goldstein and the top managers who were awarded salary increases this September and last September to decline those increases until instructional staff salaries are restored to nationally competitive levels.

Resolution on BOYCOTT OF ISRAELI UNIVERSITIES

Passed

Whereas, on May 30, 2007, the University and College Union (UCU), which represents 120,000 college teachers in the United Kingdom, passed “Resolution 30: Boycott of Israeli academic institutions,” responding to a call from Palestinian trade unions to boycott all Israeli academic institutions and calling on the leadership of the UCU to “circulate the full text of the Palestinian boycott call to all branches . . . [and to] encourage members to consider the moral implications of existing and proposed links with Israeli academic institutions” as part of a resolution that “condemns the complicity of Israeli academia in the occupation”; and

Whereas, the national affiliates of the Professional Staff Congress/CUNY—the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the American Association of University Professors (AAUP)—have both issued statements opposing the planned UCU boycott; and

Whereas, the question of a boycott of Israeli academic institutions is of such importance to our membership and to the larger public whom our members serve that the PSC should not remain silent on the issue, even when our national affiliates have spoken; and

Whereas, among PSC members there is a spectrum of deeply-held and sometimes conflicting positions on the issue of Israel’s expansion into the post-1967 territories and of the role of the United States in supporting Israel’s foreign policy; and

Whereas, the timing of the UCU resolution and the urgency of responding does not allow the PSC to engage in the kind of broad-based, CUNY-wide discussion such a complex issue deserves—the kind that preceded and enabled the Delegate Assembly vote in 2003 on the US expansion of war into Iraq; and

Whereas, the PSC categorically opposes anti-Semitism, as it opposes all forms of racial, religious, ethnic, gender and other oppression; and

Whereas, the PSC vigorously supports academic freedom and defends the free and open exchange of ideas among scholars—the lifeblood of academic work; and

Whereas, the PSC recognizes the essential role of communication and collaboration among scholars in fostering both knowledge and justice, especially where political differences exist; and

Whereas, although boycotts have been employed historically to create political change by both the labor movement and some of the most profound movements for freedom and civil rights, a boycott of academic institutions impinges on precisely the free exchange of ideas that is essential for economic and social justice; and

Whereas, given the PSC’s deep adherence to the principle of academic freedom and to the value of scholarly communication, the union cannot consider supporting or remaining neutral on the issue of an academic boycott in the absence of overwhelming evidence that such a position is the will of our membership; therefore be it

Resolved, that the Professional Staff Congress/CUNY call on the members of the UCU, who will have a year to consider the proposed boycott, to reject the proposal; and that the PSC communicate this position to our members and affiliates.

Resolution on the Proposed CUNY Policy on Acceptable Use of Computer Resources

Passed Unanimously

Whereas CUNY has proposed a policy on computer use that will apply to the members of the PSC bargaining unit; and

Whereas the PSC met with CUNY management on two occasions to consult on the proposed policy; and

Whereas the PSC demanded the right to bargain over certain aspects of the proposed policy; and

Whereas CUNY refused to bargain with the PSC on those aspects of the proposed policy; and

Whereas the proposed policy imposes liability on bargaining unit members even if they are not at fault; and

Whereas the proposed policy is overbroad and invasive with respect to members’ privacy rights; and

Whereas the proposed policy is insufficient in protecting due process rights of members; and

Whereas the proposed policy is vague in protecting the PSC’s right to communicate with and have confidential communications with its members; and

Whereas the proposed policy violates the contractual rights guaranteed in Articles 18, 21 and 30; and

Whereas the proposed policy will undermine the freedom of expression and inquiry essential for academic freedom and CUNY’s academic mission;

Whereas the proposed policy does not include language asserting employee rights to use CUNY’s computer resources – especially important in the case of adjuncts;

Therefore Be It Resolved, that the PSC Delegate Assembly calls on the CUNY Board of Trustees to table this resolution until negotiations with the PSC on relevant parts of the proposed policy are completed, and further consultation with the PSC and other stakeholder groups in the CUNY community result in an acceptable computer use policy.

Resolution Opposing the Adoption of the Proposed CUNY “Procedures for Handling Student Complaints about Faculty Conduct in Academic Settings”

Passed Unanimously

Whereas CUNY already has many policies and procedures allowing students to make formal complaints or appeals concerning specific issues; and

Whereas these already adopted policies and procedures specify the issue(s) about which students may make formal complaints or appeals (e.g. grade appeals, discrimination, disclosure of student records, academic integrity, sexual harassment, violent behavior); and

Whereas the proposed student complaint procedures do not refer to any specific faculty conduct, but speak only of “complaints about treatment of students;” and

Whereas there is no antecedent policy to which these proposed student complaint procedures are attached, including no definitions of what conduct might fall within and outside the scope of this set of procedures; and

Whereas these proposed student complaint procedures set no standards for judging which faculty conduct is to be addressed through these procedures; and

Whereas the proposed student complaint procedures apply to “academic settings,” a term that is not defined and subject to interpretation;and

Whereas the proposed student complaint procedures will require a multi-level investigative and appeal process; and

Whereas the proposed student complaint procedures will require department chairs (as the “Fact Finder”) to conduct an investigation if a dispute persists, which shall include “interview[ing] the complaining student, the faculty member and other persons with relevant knowledge and information and shall also consult with the chief student affairs officer…” and issuing “a written report setting forth his or her findings and recommendations…;” and

Whereas the proposed student complaint procedures set forth no standards or guidelines upon which to base “findings” and “recommendations;” and

Whereas the proposed student complaint procedures set forth an “appeals procedure” and contemplates “subsequent action,” again without appropriate standards or specific guidelines as to what constitutes inappropriate conduct; and

Whereas all of these investigations, appeals processes and the possible issuance of several written reports are all to occur without any guarantee of confidentiality; and

Whereas CUNY has not demonstrated a need for implementing such a set of student complaint procedures; and

Whereas CUNY students already have access to policies and procedures to bring complaints against inappropriate faculty conduct; and

Whereas the PSC is always willing to work with students to address legitimate issues concerning inappropriate faculty conduct; and

Whereas these student complaint procedures themselves will become an invitation to politicize the classroom and intimidate faculty and students; and

Whereas these student complaint procedures will themselves become a catalyst for conflict and threaten academic freedom in the classroom by fraying trust between students and teachers and creating a climate of intimidation; and

Whereas it is in the best interests of the students, faculty and the academic enterprise to uphold and protect academic freedom in the classroom; now therefore

Be it resolved, the PSC Delegate Assembly calls on the CUNY Board of Trustees and the Chancellory to withdraw from consideration the proposed “Procedures for Handling Student Complaints about Faculty Conduct in Academic Settings.”

Whereas Fiterman Hall is heavily contaminated with dioxin, lead, asbestos and WTC toxic substances, and is be taken down, and

Whereas Fiterman Hall is located in a densely populated neighborhood with schools, workplaces and residences, and

Whereas CUNY and DASNY’s plans for decontamination and deconstruction of Fiterman are matters of serious public concern, and

Whereas CUNY has not been forthcoming with information about the decontamination and deconstruction process to date, and the public has a right to this information, and

Whereas Community Board #1 of lower Manhattan has passed a resolution calling on CUNY and Dormitory Authority of the State of NY (DASNY) for “a full and transparent public process that includes posting all current and historical sampling results and demolition plans...”

      Whereas the members of TWU Local 100 move the people whose labor makes New York a viable and productive city, and

      Whereas the TWU is engaged in difficult contract negotiations with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and has been offered woefully inadequate terms and conditions of employment; and

      Whereas the issues in these negotiations-wages, working conditions, benefits, the tiering of the workforce, and the rights of retirees-are fundamentally the same as the issues confronting the PSC in its contract negotiations with CUNY; and

      Whereas the outcome of the TWU/MTA negotiations will have an impact on labor negotiations in the city as whole, including the PSC’s current negotiations with CUNY, The City and the State; and

      Whereas The MTA and the City have threatened the TWU and its individual members with draconian penalties using court injunctions and the NYS Taylor Law if the union upholds the principle of “no contract, no work”; therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the PSC express its solidarity with TWU Local 100; and be it further

RESOLVED, that the PSC urge its members to participate in any and all support actions including, but not limited to, attendance at union rallies, participation in TWU worksite picket lines, distribution of support literature, and monetary contributions to TWU strike funds should such contributions prove necessary; and be it further

RESOLVED, that this resolution be circulated to the TWU for its information, and to the NYC Central Labor Council, NYSUT, and the AFT for similar action.

Passed by the Delegate Assembly of the Professional Staff Congress, Dec. 15, 2005

      Whereas graduate teaching assistants at NYU voted overwhelmingly to be represented by UAW Local 2110, were recognized by the University, and successfully negotiated a first contract in 2002; and

      Whereas Following the NLRB’s ruling in the Brown University case that graduate assistants are essentially students and not employees, NYU President John Sexton unilaterally and arbitrarily withdrew recognition and refused to bargain a second contract upon expiration of the first contract in August 2005; and

      Whereas NYU graduate assistants have been on strike for five weeks seeking a renewal of recognition and the right to collective bargaining; and

      Whereas in retaliation and in contravention of established labor law, President Sexton has threatened to withdraw stipends of all those remaining on strike; and

      Whereas this strike represents the cutting edge of labor solidarity in the face of academic corporatization; and

      Whereas a large number of NYU faculty and faculty from a wide variety of other academic institutions and associations have expressed support of graduate employees’ right to union representation; and

      Whereas the PSC has a long-standing history of commitment to the principles of the right to organize, the right to collective bargaining and the right of graduate employees to union representation; and

      Whereas the PSC has committed itself to this struggle and continues to actively and publicly support graduate student workers at NYU and elsewhere; therefore be it

Resolved, that the PSC urge its members, both full and part-time classroom instructors and non-teaching personnel, to pledge to refuse any new or additional employment at NYU for the duration of the strike; and be it further

Resolved, that the PSC circulate this resolution for individuals to sign; and be it further

Resolved, that signed pledges be forwarded to the appropriate departments at NYU; and be it further

Resolved, that this resolution be forwarded to NYSUT and the AFT to be circulated to other higher education locals for similar action.

Passed by the Delegate Assembly of the Professional Staff Congress, Dec. 15, 2005

back to TOP

Whereas the Professional Staff Congress contract expired more than two-and-a-half years ago, and CUNY faculty and professional staff have not had a raise for four years; and

Whereas the membership and the leadership of the Professional Staff Congress have tried in countless ways to reach a fair settlement: collective bargaining, direct advocacy with the City and State, organized protest and demonstration, informational picketing, leafleting, television advertisements, political advocacy with elected officials, support by national and state affiliates, informational campaigns in the workplace, and campaigns to generate calls, e-mail and fax communication with the employer; and

Whereas after more than two years of bargaining and member action, the City University of New York has failed to offer an acceptable contract: one that provides real raises, a lasting solution to the Welfare Fund crisis, and other essential gains in equity and due process; and

Whereas the failure of CUNY management to agree to a fair contract ultimately displays contempt for CUNY students: no amount of publicity about CUNY’s recent “renaissance” can make up for uncompetitive salaries, shrinking benefits and substandard working conditions—the education of our students is jeopardized if the University fails to support the academic staff on whose work it depends; and

Whereas the PSC won its first contract, in 1973, only after taking a referendum on a strike, and the United Federation of Teachers won its 2002 contract after voting to authorize a future referendum on a strike; therefore be it

Resolved, that the Professional Staff Congress will make every effort to reach a fair contract settlement without a job action; and be it further

Resolved, that the Professional Staff Congress will continue to work throughout the summer to achieve a fair settlement – participating in good faith in collective bargaining, exploring options for mediation and arbitration, organizing protests by members, conducting a public relations campaign, working toward coalitions with other unions, strengthening member-to-member organizing; and be it further

Resolved, that if the City University of New York fails to agree to a fair contract with the PSC by September 1, 2005, the Executive Council of the PSC will have the authority to determine whether and when to conduct a referendum, either by campus or union-wide, on the question of whether the PSC Executive Council should authorize a job action; and further be it

Resolved, that the PSC Executive Council will not authorize a job action unless the majority of votes cast in the referendum, conducted by secret ballot by the American Arbitration Association or similar neutral organization, are in favor.

UNION DEFENSE FUND

The Executive Council proposes that the PSC create a Union Defense Fund, through voluntary contributions, in order to increase the union’s capacity to wage a public, militant campaign for a fair contract.

Throughout the semester, union strength has been growing, as members across the University have become active in the fight for a fair contract. We have seen that our pressure works, but we will need to be prepared to press even harder to break through management’s austerity framework. Being able to draw on a Union Defense Fund will enable us to intensify our campaign and defend the union as we prepare for more militant actions.

A key element of the Union Defense Fund is that it will be built through voluntary contributions: building the Fund will itself be an act of solidarity, an intensification of our one-on-one organizing. This is a proposal for more than a fund; it’s a proposal for a campaign. Its aim is in part to change the conversation in the union, as members are asked, one by one, to recognize the seriousness of our fight and make a commitment of support.

Union defense funds have historically been a fundamental institution of the trade union movement. Voluntary or mandatory, long-term or short-term, collective funds for the defense of the union and its members have been an essential tool of organizing and building union strength. In 1973, as part of the PSC’s hard-fought campaign to win a first contract, the union began a Union Defense Fund in order to be prepared in the event of a strike. Although the union membership voted to authorize the leadership to call a strike, the contract was won without striking, and the union continued to make regular contributions to the Defense Fund out of its operating budget. In the 1990s, the union leadership discontinued contributions, and the accrued amount became part of the PSC’s reserve.

Now we face a state of emergency in negotiations that is arguably as difficult as the situation faced by the PSC in 1973. In order to build the union’s capacity for a new level of action—a level commensurate with the contract crisis we face—the Executive Council calls for the creation of a new Union Defense Fund, this time through voluntary contributions. The proposal is for a Union Defense Fund established according to the following guidelines:

A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN
CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS

Whereas the collective bargaining agreement between the Professional Staff Congress and the City University of New York expired on October 31, 2002, and CUNY faculty and staff have not had raises since August 1, 2001; and

Whereas during the same period that PSC members were without a raise and experienced a reduction in the real value of their salaries, CUNY’s top management accepted raises with a total cost to the University of $2.1 million a year; and

Whereas the Chancellor’s Office has launched an expensive fund-raising campaign whose motto is “Investing in Futures” while failing to invest in the people who create the real future of the University—the faculty and staff; and

Whereas the financial offer on the table from University management, currently 1.5% over four years with a small one-time bonus of $400 (pro-rated for part-timers) both insults people who routinely work their hearts out for CUNY and forecasts a deeply inadequate final offer; and

Whereas in order to offer quality education, build a strong University and sustain our own lives in the profession, the PSC needs more than a minimal contract: that is, we need a contract that offers increased Welfare Fund contributions and money for equity advances as well as salary increases above the level of inflation; and

Whereas PSC members have endured painful reductions in Welfare Fund benefits over the past two years, including a shift of approximately one-third of the cost of prescription drugs and a significant portion of dental care costs from the employer to the employee; yet escalating healthcare costs mean that without a substantial increase in employer contributions the Welfare Fund reserve will be depleted in less than a year; and

Whereas the PSC has made a fair, reasonable financial proposal: the settlement achieved by the SUNY faculty and staff (approximately 15% in salary and other improvements over four years) plus the added money required to stabilize and enhance our Welfare Fund; and

Whereas the University management offer of 1.5% (with a $400 lump sum and a further 1% available if we pay for it by increased “productivity”) covers none of these needs; and

Whereas a refusal to invest in CUNY’s faculty and staff would be ultimately a refusal to invest in CUNY’s students, because our working conditions are their learning conditions; and

Whereas the failure to resolve the PSC contract has a direct impact on students, who have also been repeatedly battered by tuition increases and the systematic withdrawal of public funding from CUNY; the PSC’s agenda of creating competitive salaries, benefits and working conditions at CUNY is directed toward strengthening the University and enhancing the education, research and service in which it engages; and

Whereas the PSC has tried every other tactic to press for the settlement we need: we have engaged in serious collective bargaining; we have worked to narrow our areas of difference with management; we have collected thousands of signatures on petitions to the Chancellor and college presidents; we have appealed directly to the Board of Trustees—presenting them with letters at every meeting since May 2004, organizing a member presence at every meeting since May and requesting meetings between each individual Trustee and the PSC president; we have sent hundreds of faxes to the Chancellor about our contract needs; we have met with college presidents, picketed on campus, received the support of students, met with the City and State, met with the CUNY Chancellor and shown the support of the entire membership for the position that a minimal contract is not acceptable; and

Whereas despite the Chancellor’s public statement in May 2004 that he did not intend to offer the PSC an austerity contract, the management of the University has failed to respond to these powerful and unprecedented expressions of our need—and the University’s need; and

Whereas a contract at the level suggested by management’s 1.5% offer has already begun to result in an inability to recruit and retain high-quality faculty and staff, with several departments reporting their difficulty in attracting the candidates they seek when candidates learn of the teaching load, salaries and working conditions at CUNY; and

Whereas CUNY management’s failure to offer an adequate economic framework for the settlement is coupled with demands that represent a direct attack on faculty autonomy, availability of research time, job security and the ability of the union to represent its members and enforce the contract; and

Whereas the 20,000 faculty and staff represented by the PSC have given their professional lives to CUNY, enduring substandard salaries and working conditions, making do with inadequate research time and resources, existing in a permanent culture of scarcity—out of commitment to a vision of what a public urban university could be, out of dedication to our students and out of understanding of the value of intellectual work; therefore be it

Resolved, that the PSC declare a state of emergency in the contract negotiations and that we call on every member of the faculty and staff to become a part of the mass effort that will be required, given the current political climate, to win the contract we need; that we rededicate the union to old-fashioned, one-on-one organizing so that every member is informed and engaged, so that every member becomes part of the campus and worksite campaigns that will direct our political force toward a good contract; and be it further

Resolved, that the chapters of the PSC prepare the membership for decisions at the Delegate Assemblies this spring on the increasingly militant actions that may be required to win a contract that meets our needs—by engaging in broad-based discussion of the full range of actions in which unions historically have engaged and their relevance to our current campaign: leafleting, letter-writing, protests, demonstrations, lobbying, media campaigns, coalition-building with students and other groups, direct action, special assessment of members for union defense funds, and job actions up to and including strikes.

Click here for a PDF document with the following resolutions passed by the D.A. for submission to the 2005 New York State Teachers Representative Assembly.

►Reaffirmation of Resolution on State and Federal Legislation of Healthcare Staffing

►Reaffirmation of the Resolution on Sales Tax of Laboratory Tests

►Reaffirmation of the Resolution on New York State Funding for Higher Education

►Resolution to Protect Workers from Harassment and Abuse, Creating a Hostile Work Environment
►Resolution to Support Health Insurance And Universal Healthcare
►Resolution in Opposition to the College Access and Opportunity Act, H. R. 4283 Resolution for Paid Family Leave
►Resolution on the Ethics Law
►Resolution in Opposition to Embargoed Materials
►Resolution for NYSUT to Widely Publicize Its Commitment To Establish Equity For Adjunct Faculty/Staff, Including but not Limited To Its Higher Education Omnibus Model Legislation
►Resolution on Academic Freedom at John Jay College/CUNY
►Resolution in Support of General Education Diploma (GED) Programs
►Resolution to Reduce Localities’ Medicaid and Education Expenses
►Resolution to Oppose Punitive Credit Card Interest and Fee Schedules
►Resolution to Refund Child Tax Credit
►Resolution on Tax Fairness and Adequate Resources

►Resolution on Capping Medicare Part B and P
►Resolution on Supplying the Flu Vaccine
►Resolution on the Inclusion of Retiree Concerns in the Negotiation Process

Resolution for Gene Plunkett, Former Chapter Chairperson
of the Manhattan Educational Opportunity Center (MEOC)

Whereas Gene Plunkett was a Counselor of the students of the Manhattan EOC, a colleague and friend of the members of the Chapter at the Manhattan EOC; and

Whereas Gene Plunkett joined the City University of New York staff on July 16, 1968 and worked at Lehman College prior to going to the MEOC; and

Whereas Gene Plunkett joined the Professional Staff Congress on March 3, 1978, was an active member and Chairperson of the PSC Chapter of the Manhattan EOC; and

Whereas Gene Plunkett was devoted to the education of the students who enrolled at the Manhattan EOC; and

Whereas during the course of his tenure at the MEOC, Gene Plunkett worked for the survival of the EOC and fought for equity for EOC employees with CUNY employees; therefore be it

Resolved, that the Delegate Assembly of the Professional Staff Congress/CUNY express condolences to Gene Plunkett’s family and colleagues and recognize his long years of service to the University, the community, and the union.

Resolution to Support the Colombia Teachers' Strike October 12th

Whereas the PSC has already adopted Resolutions, and brought them to the NYSUT and AFT conventions, in solidarity with the struggle against death squad assassinations of teachers and other unionists in Colombia; and the Colombia national teacher strike is an occasion for us to move beyond Resolutions and offer practical strike support;

And Whereas as we know, Colombia is the most dangerous place in the world to be a unionist: three-quarters of all murders of trade unionists occur in Colombia, and already this year alone 23 teachers, 60% of them women, have been killed by right-wing paramilitaries;

And Whereas according to Amnesty International, “Colombia is the third largest recipient of US military aid in the world. Despite compelling evidence that the Colombian military are violating human rights, either directly or in collusion with paramilitary groups, the US government has agreed to allow its military assistance to be used for counter-insurgency activities, with one clear and tragic result - a greater targeting of the civilian population” ( The Wire, 4/23/04);

And Whereas FECODE, the Federación Colombiana de Educadores (Colombian Teachers Union), is launching on October 12 an indefinite national strike against the death squads and the Uribe government, which allows these killings to go on with impunity; and CUT, the federation of all Colombian unions, is also calling a one-day general strike against the government on October 12; and FECODE has asked US teachers and students to support the strike and oppose the US military aid that is killing them;

And Whereas the strike is endorsed by the AFT (American Federation of Teachers), the NEA (National Education Association), and EI (Education International), and Latin American and European unions are joining in support;

And Whereas other demands of the strike are for health care, pensions, and retirement benefits, all threatened with deep cuts by government legislation, and for an end to the freeze on salaries and promotions;

And Whereas by supporting their strike locally, we join forces against a common enemy, those who would destroy public education, through more privatization, punitive union contracts, tuition hikes, budget cuts, over-use of standardized tests, and the infiltration of corporations and the military into education;

Resolved: That the PSC endorse the Colombian national teachers’ strike October 12, and will, through the International and Solidarity Committees, conduct strike support in the form of a rally at the Colombian Consulate on October 12; a letter-writing campaign, through the PSC website, to the Uribe government and the US Congress; and do targeted leafleting and petitioning on CUNY campuses.

Whereas many adjunct faculty and staff depend, for their main source of income, on the compensation they receive for work at CUNY, and

Whereas the PSC-CUNY contract allows adjunct faculty to teach no more than 9 contact hours at one CUNY unit, and one course of up to 6 hours at another CUNY unit in any semester, a rule which dates back to the previous PSC administration, and

Whereas the 9/6 rule appears to allow 15 hours per term, but in practice very few adjuncts have schedules of over 12 contact hours per semester, and

Whereas adjuncts who work maximum available schedules, with wages of $20,000 to $26,000 per academic year, experience the 9/6 provision as an immediate barrier to their ability to earn a living wage from CUNY work, and

Whereas full-time Community College faculty are allowed overload, or multiple appointments to 15 hours per term, which raise their full-time workload and income, and

Whereas the 9/6 provision imposes work rules that can act against the best interests of adjuncts and their students, by limiting the freedom of adjuncts to opt for the work opportunities which best fit their capabilities, interests, and needs, and best enable them to be effective educators, and

Whereas the achievement of parity for adjuncts in income and professional working conditions is the contractual goal of the PSC, and

Whereas injury to one group is injury to all in a fully committed union of workers, and

Whereas improvement of the 9/6 rule has long been deferred, a more sensitive and sensible adjunct workload policy could make a favorable difference in how adjuncts view the union, and

Whereas the recent NYU contract compensates adjuncts at about $90 per hour, which is over 60% above the starting CUNY adjunct rate, and is without workload restrictions, and

Whereas the PSC ethos encourages constructive dialog and debate in seeking democratic, participatory and active unionism, but CLARION has yet to have full discussion on this important issue, and

Whereas the May 2004 Delegate Assembly meeting ended with assurance of further discussion at this meeting on the 9/6 matter, now therefore

Resolved, that the PSC undertake a discussion on solidarity across the ranks during Campus Equity Week and the formation of a working group to start discussing adjunct workload (9/6 policy), but in privacy.

Whereas the September 30, 2004 New York Times reports that the NYC Department of Education has, without adequate notice, closed dozens of G.E.D. preparation sites, “bewildering staff members and creating a chaotic situation for young people already at risk for abandoning their studies;” and Whereas PSC/CUNY recognizes that teachers in the NYC public high schools play a vital role in educating the young people of New York City; nevertheless, for some, G.E.D. programs become an alternative route to the high school diploma; and

Whereas the PSC/CUNY strongly supports G.E.D. programs as essential avenues to higher education and adequate employment for many students; therefore be it

Resolved, that the PSC/CUNY express its forceful opposition to this fall’s closing of the G.E.D. preparation sites and urge the CUNY Chancellor and the Board of Trustees to join the PSC/CUNY in advocating their reestablishment.

Whereas the policies and agenda of the Bush Administration and the far-right Republican Party have been disastrous for the working people of the United States and the population of the world; and

Whereas those policies will be reaffirmed and Bush nominated to run for a second term of office at the Republican National Convention to be held in New York City at the end of August, 2004; and

Whereas United for Peace and Justice, a nationwide anti-war coalition with more than 800 member groups, has called for a demonstration on August 29^th to oppose the Republican agenda, under the slogan “The World Says No to the Bush Agenda”; and,

Whereas the New York City Central Labor Council is planning a rally on September 1^st near the Republican National Convention to protest the Republican and Bush agendas; and,

Whereas the Central Labor Council has gotten a permit from the city to hold their September 1^st rally on Eighth Avenue and 30^th Street, one block from the site of the Republican Convention, while the city is still balking at giving United for Peace and Justice a permit to protest peacefully within sight of the Convention site; therefore, be it

Resolved, that the Professional Staff Congress endorse both the August 29^th and September 1^st demonstrations against the Bush agenda and urge its members to mobilize for and participate in the protests against the Republican agenda and the Bush re-election campaign; and be it further

Resolved, that the Professional Staff Congress urge the New York City administration to act quickly to grant United for Peace and Justice a venue for their August 29^th protest within sight of the Madison Square Garden Republican convention site.

Whereas the AFT reserves the right to make endorsements in U.S. presidential elections and its Executive Council passed a Resolution to be presented to the 2004 convention that uncritically endorses John Kerry for president, and has devoted substantial material and political resources to the election of Kerry; and

Whereas John Kerry's presidential election campaign has taken positions at odds with the stated positions of the PSC on such issues as Iraq, labor policy, NAFTA, and educational policy; therefore be it

Resolved, that the PSC critically accept the AFT's endorsement of John Kerry for president of the U.S.; and be it further

Resolved, that the PSC urge the AFT to apply and maintain pressure on John Kerry to come out strongly against the continued U.S. war in and occupation of Iraq, and, if elected, to reverse the Bush Administration policy in Iraq as well as the general strategy of empire-building backed up by 'pre-emptive war; reject educational policies that involve 'merit pay'; reverse his positions on 'free trade', particularly NAFTA; express broader support for well-funded quality public education; and be it further

Resolved, that the PSC reaffirm its commitment to building labor participation in an independent anti-war movement and to maintain pressure on any presidential candidate or president to shift his position on this and other key issues.

Whereas George W. Bush's presidency has been devastating to the interests of labor, education, the environment, and, generally, to the well-being of our nation, other nations, and the peoples of the world, and his 're-election' would mean a continuation of the same brutal, anti-labor regime;

Resolved, that the PSC create a mechanism to enable members who want to participate in the Kerry campaign to do so.

Resolution in Opposition to Student Test Scores in Faculty Evaluation Files

Whereas the President of LaGuardia Community College has informed the LaGuardia PSC that she requires ACT pass rate scores to be included in faculty personnel files for evaluation of “teaching effectiveness;” and

Whereas the President has insisted that it is her right to require “multiple quantitative measures of teaching effectiveness;” and

Whereas using the ACT test as an exit exam is not considered a valid measure of student performance or improvement; and

Whereas ACT test student pass rates vary widely and do not reflect teaching effectiveness of faculty; and

Whereas including such scores in evaluating “teaching effectiveness” encourages the practice of ‘teaching to the test’ rather than the well-rounded and carefully designed curriculum of a department and its faculty members; and

Whereas students are ill served by courses that are oriented toward tests instead of providing them with a wide range of college level skills; and

Whereas curriculum design and development is the professional responsibility of faculty, not outside test agencies or CUNY administration; and

Whereas faculty evaluation of teaching effectiveness is a matter faculty have traditionally taken seriously through peer observations, professional development seminars, student evaluations and annual evaluations; and

Whereas the PSC contract specifies that faculty be evaluated on the basis of material in their personnel file where the contents and evaluation instruments have been negotiated through past practice and College governance; therefore be it

Resolved, that the PSC Delegate Assembly support the LaGuardia chapter in this Resolution and forward a copy of it to Chancellor Goldstein; and be it further

Resolved, that student test scores, student grades, student averages, and retention rates, in whatever form or format, not be included in Faculty Personnel files at any CUNY campus; and be it further

Resolved, that Union representatives and governance representatives be consulted and negotiations take place to insure that the contents of files include only documents approved through College governance and union negotiation; and be it further

Resolved, that any such scores or student results be removed from any and all faculty files on any campus where they have been included.

Resolution for PSC Racial Diversity Advocate

Whereas according to the Fall 2002 CUNY Affirmative Action Report, the professional staff are 51.9% White [including Italians], 26.8% Black, 13.9% Hispanic, and 7.1% Asian; and

Whereas according to the Fall 2002 CUNY Affirmative Action Report, the faculty are 73.4% White, 12.2% Black, 6.8% Hispanic, and 7.3% Asian; and

Whereas CUNY reported the Fall 2002 CUNY student population as 33.2% White, 29.5% Black, 23.5% Hispanic, and 13.6% Asian; and

Whereas the 2000 Census Report listed the New York City population as 27% Hispanic, 24% Black, 10% Asian and 35 % White; and

Whereas in proportion to their numbers in the general population, Blacks, Hispanics and Asians are highly underrepresented in the ranks of the instructional staff at CUNY, and Whites are over-represented; and

Whereas the University’s goals to provide employment discrimination complaint procedures as stated in the 1999 manual, Employment Discrimination Complaint Procedures, to hear discrimination complaints and to report annually its compliance with affirmative action requirements [Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity (AA/EEOC) Officers] have not resulted in a CUNY workforce that reflects the diverse population of the City; and

Whereas many campuses and departments have an unsatisfactory record of hiring, retaining, and promoting faculty and staff of color; and

Whereas CUNY’s performance is in contradistinction to SED Law 6201 section 3 that states “. . . the university will continue to maintain and expand its commitment to academic excellence and to the provision of equal access and opportunity for students, faculty and staff from all ethnic and racial groups and from both sexes.” Section 5 of the same law that states, “Only the strongest commitment to the special needs of an urban constituency justifies the legislature’s support of an independent and unique structure for the university. Activities at the city university campuses must be undertaken in a spirit which recognizes and responds to the imperative need for affirmative action and the positive desire to have city university personnel reflect the diverse communities which comprise the people of the city and state of New York;” therefore be it

Resolved, that each PSC chapter executive committee appoint a Racial Diversity Advocate. The responsibility of the Advocate will be to work with the chapter to organize around issues of racism, to advocate for and monitor the hiring, promoting, retaining and reclassifying of the instructional staff of color, and to report information to the central union so that it may act to move the University toward a more diverse faculty and staff; and be it further

Resolved, that the union develop guidelines to assist the chapter executive committee and the chapter Racial Diversity Advocate to carry out these objectives; and be it further

Resolved, that the PSC Constitution will be reviewed so that establishment of this chapter position complies with it.

Whereas tenure was established to protect academic freedom and derives from the recognition that such freedom is essential to the mission of universities; and

Whereas the 1940 legislation establishing tenure at CUNY (Section 6212.3 of the New York State Education Law) is one of the landmarks in the history of tenure in this country, having been won through mass action and political advocacy by students and faculty, including the Legislative Conference, one of the precursors to the PSC; and

Whereas the Chancellor’s Office has announced its intention to introduce legislation to lengthen the untenured period from five to seven years; and

Whereas the Chancellor’s Office has gone directly to the State Legislature without consultation with those who would be affected—faculty and staff of the colleges—and without negotiation with the PSC about the impact of such a change on the terms and conditions of employment; and

Whereas the introduction of the tenure question at this moment of a conservative political climate gives opponents of faculty rights and academic freedom an opportunity to make an assault on the open public university; and

Whereas there is no indication that CUNY’s rate of successful tenure is lower than the national norm, approximately 85 - 90%, a rate that testifies to the way peer support and guidance, typical at CUNY, has enabled the majority of tenure candidates to meet the requirements of teaching, scholarship, and service; and

Whereas the legislation proposed by the Chancellor’s Office is an opening for the opponents in the legislature to attack job security for faculty, as has occurred across the country, where only 35% of all college faculty currently serve in tenure or tenure-track positions; and

Whereas CUNY’s five-year tenure clock is appropriate for an institution that uniquely encompasses two-year and four-year colleges; and

Whereas the proposal to extend the untenured period emanates, in part, from the state’s unwillingness to fund CUNY and the concession and resignation of the CUNY administration to this circumstance; and

Whereas loss of state support has resulted in too little funding to support faculty research, scholarship and creative work; and too little funding for provisions such as start-up packages for scientific laboratories, adequate parental leave and childcare; and

Whereas there is no evidence to indicate that lengthening the tenure clock benefits women, as has been claimed by management, although there is evidence that providing research support, reasonable courseloads, childcare and adequate parental leave does benefit women; and

Whereas stretching the tenure clock lengthens the time when faculty may not feel fully protected by academic freedom and the opportunity to participate in the full life of the campus; and

Whereas an increase in the probationary period decreases job security, delays promotions and raises in salary, increases the period of most intense managerial control, increases the time during which dissenting voices may be silenced, and weakens the University as whole; and

Whereas the PSC believes that this is not the moment to open a debate on tenure but rather a conversation on what is needed at CUNY to make it possible for faculty to succeed, namely adequate research leave, manageable course loads, access to childcare, and ample parental leave, support for scientists conducting research in labs; therefore be it

Resolved, that the Professional Staff Congress oppose the Chancellor’s proposal to extend the untenured period; that the membership and leadership actively oppose the legislation; and that we call on Chancellor Goldstein and the Board of Trustees to withdraw their tenure proposal and instead join the PSC in advocating for investment in the forms of support that have been demonstrated to promote scholarship and research.

Whereas legislation before the City Council (Intro. 271) requires that companies which have contracts with the City of New York for $100,000 or more provide the same benefits to employees with domestic partners as they provide to employees with spouses, including health insurance, bereavement and family medical leave; and

Whereas lead sponsor Councilmember Christine Quinn has testified that “The Equal benefits Bill would insure that all New Yorkers are getting equal benefits for equal work. The City of New York has an obligation to demand that businesses that receive public money treat their employees with the same dignity and respect that the City treats its own employees;” and

Whereas Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum has stated “This bill takes New York City the extra mile in its support of domestic partnership benefits. If we are serious about equality for New York City employees, then we must extend that same standard of non-discrimination to those with whom this city does business. All employees deserve the same benefits regardless of their sexual orientation or marital status;” and

Whereas the cities of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Minneapolis, among others, and the State of California have all recognized that discrimination should not be financed by public dollars and have enacted legislation similar to Intro. 271; and

Whereas domestic partner benefits are important not only to LGBT people, but to a variety of individuals who can live together and form families without being married; and it would be wrong for taxpayers’ money to support one set of employees and their families, while leaving another set of employees and their families unprotected; and

Whereas the PSC has a long-established history of opposing discrimination and supporting issues of social justice,

Now Be It Resolved, that the PSC Delegate Assembly affirm it support for the passage of New York City Council Intro. 271; and

Be It Further Resolved, that the PSC’s support be transmitted to the City Council, and included in any testimony before the City Council or its Committees regarding Intro. 271.

Resolution IN SUPPORT OF THE MARCH FOR WOMEN'S LIVES
Sunday, April 25, 2004 in Washington DC

Whereas reproductive rights are essential to women’s full participation in the labor force and in society; and

Whereas the PSC affirms the right and moral capacity of women and men to make sound and responsible decisions about their lives; and

Whereas parenting is a major commitment for women and men and becoming a parent must not be coerced; and

Whereas organized labor is committed to the general welfare of working people; and

Whereas access to health care that includes reproductive health care is a goal of organized labor, not just for its members but for everyone; and

Whereas access to legal abortion is fundamental to women’s reproductive rights; and

Whereas President Bush and his administration, from the first day of assuming office, have taken every opportunity to curtail reproductive rights domestically and internationally; therefore, be it

Resolved, that the PSC endorse and sign on as a co-sponsor of the March for Women’s Lives on Sunday, April 25, 2004 and encourage its labor affiliates to sign on as sponsors and participants as well; and be it further

Resolved, that the PSC encourage and facilitate members’ participation in the March for Women’s Lives.

Whereas over 1.3 million non-citizen residents of voting age live in New York City (one in five); and

Whereas non-citizen residents contribute to the economic vitality of New York City, by paying taxes, purchasing goods and services, and working in every sector of the economy; and

Whereas non-citizen residents contribute to the social and cultural vitality of NYC by sending their children to schools, developing and participating in the life of their communities through churches, synagogues, mosques, and community groups; and

Whereas non-citizen residents serve in the military and have died defending this country; and

Whereas non-citizen residents are excluded from participating in the selection of representatives who make laws and public policy affecting their lives on a daily basis; and

Whereas excluding such a significant portion of the city’s population undermines the health, representativness and legitimacy of our laws and public policies; and

Whereas non-citizens voted in local, state and national elections in the U.S. from the Founding until the 1920s and in twenty-two states and federal territories, until it fell casualty to nativism and elite reaction to the potential power of growing working class movements and electoral strength (which also brought literacy tests, poll taxes, restrictive residency and voter registration requirements); and

Whereas the Civil Rights Movement ushered in noncitizen voting in NYC school board elections from 1969 to 2003 (when school boards were eliminated); and

Whereas nearly a dozen other jurisdictions in the U.S. have more recently extended voting rights to non-citizens or are currently considering such legislation, including in San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.; and

Whereas twenty-two countries in the world currently permit resident aliens to vote; and

Whereas non-citizen voting is a proven practical pathway to political incorporation, citizenship and participation as reflected in America’s previous practice with it and as evidenced in contemporary jurisdictions in the U.S. and globally that allow noncitizens to vote—all of which shows voting gives newcomers greater incentives to develop ties to local communities and facilitates civic education and political participation; and

Whereas non-citizens, such as permanent legal residents, comprise a significant proportion of the membership of the PSC and the student body of CUNY who understand the value of the franchise and would be empowered to participate in the democratic process; therefore be it

Resolved, that PSC-CUNY urge its members to support a Resolution or legislation by the City Council which would allow noncitizens to vote in New York City elections, including for Mayor, Comptroller, City Council, Borough Presidents, District Attorneys, and Judges.