SEPTEMBER 2004 CONTRACT UPDATE
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PUBLIC SECTOR BARGAINING: In the past year (2003/04) New York State government settled contracts with many state government employees, including our SUNY colleagues in UUP (United University Professions). UUP members accepted a four-year contract worth 15% in salary improvements over the life of the agreement, including an $800 cash bonus. In New York City, District Council 37, AFSCME, and some other unions accepted three-year contracts worth up to 6% plus a $1,000 cash bonus, partially funded by productivity savings. The PSC has joined unions representing teachers and uniformed service workers in pressing Mayor Bloomberg for better terms. |
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HERE’S WHAT WE ARE FIGHTING FOR:
WHAT’S AT STAKE IN OUR CONTRACT?
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SEPTEMBER 2004
CONTRACT UPDATE
Click here for this update in PDF format
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A GREAT CONTRACT EQUALS Building on the success of the unions mass contract rally on May 24 — over 1,000 strong — PSC members and the negotiating team have kept the pressure on during the summer for a contract that supports us in our work. • On May 28, member activists, together with the PSC President, met with Chancellor Goldstein in an informal session arising from the rally. Members spoke about how Welfare Fund benefit reductions have hurt them personally and have weakened the University’s ability to recruit and retain top-quality colleagues. • In June, July and August, the union’s bargaining team continued to press management at the bargaining table on our demands, engaging in detailed discussion of non-economic issues such as grievance procedures, and supporting each demand with research, analysis and member testimony. • On June 28, PSC members presented a letter to the CUNY Trustees about our contract needs and organized a silent contract demonstration with placards spelling out ‘‘NO AUSTERITY’’ during the Board meeting. • On June 30, PSC Officers delivered petitions to the Chancellor signed by thousands of members demanding Welfare Fund increases and over one thousand postcards from retirees demanding restoration of Welfare Fund benefits. • On June 30, PSC Officers also presented several thousand letters to the Chancellor in support of fair treatment and equity for adjuncts and continuing education teachers. Our Message Is Getting Through: In a public statement issued on the day of the May 24 contract rally, the Chancellor explicitly denied pursuing an ‘‘austerity’’ agenda in this round of collective bargaining with the PSC. Our activism—at the bargaining table, on the campuses and in the street—has made it clear that we need more than a minimal contract. Membership Pressure Works: Don’t underestimate how influential we can be when we come together with the same message. • Come to chapter meetings at your campus to plan how to apply pressure locally • Sign the pledge card online • Become part of the force that wins the contract we need Another University Is Possible: As people who believe in education—with all its power and surprise and expansion of life—we demand the conditions for ourselves that enable us to offer the kind of education we dream of for our students. We need a contract that supports our teaching, research and service; we need a contract that moves the University forward. Another university is possible, and we can win that university if we stand together for a contract worthy of our work.
OUR WORKING CONDITIONS |
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