Contract Negotiations

Following is an excerpt from the PSC Contract Bulletin dated October 19, 2001. The entire bulletin is on the website at www.psc-cuny.org.

Negotiations have reached a new stage.  The PSC has made an economic counteroffer to management’s offer and has agreed to a proposal from management to enter into expedited negotiations.

We proposed a three-year contract with a comprehensive increase equivalent to 9% each year, compounded. The 9% compounded annual figure, 29.5% over 3 years, represents our assessment of the cost of making advances in all of our major areas. Thus a portion of the 9% annual increase, if accepted, would be used to make across-the-board salary increases; a portion would be devoted to adding salary increments; a portion would go to the cost of reducing workload for staff and faculty, advancing adjuncts toward parity, and other goals such as improved research and travel funds. The 9% annual figure, a realistic assessment both of the current economy and our needs, would represent the total cost. In making their original economic offer of 2%, 2% and 2.5%, CUNY management did not indicate how they proposed to divide that amount among salary increases and other improvements.

We have requested a more detailed response on our issues of workload, adjunct parity, improvements for HEOs and CLTs, and other areas.

Grievances

  If you have a complaint (which is an informal claim) or a grievance (which is an allegation that there has been a violation of the PSC/CUNY contract or the bylaws and written policies of the Board of Trustees related to employment), call the PSC at 354-1252.   There are HEO grievance counselors at the PSC every workday.   According to the contract, “A grievance must be filed by an employee or the PSC within thirty (30) days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, after the PSC or the employee on whose behalf the grievance is filed became aware of the action complained of except that grievances relating to reappointment or to appointment with a certificate of continuous employment shall be filed within thirty (30) days excluding Saturdays, Sundays, or legal holidays of the individual’s scheduled date of notification...”

If you have any questions about salaries, hours, workload, annual leave, temporary disability, personnel files, professional evaluations, reappointment or any other issues involving your working conditions, we encourage you to call the PSC as soon as possible.  We also encourage you to call the PSC before you write a response to professional evaluations.

  HEOs are out front in joining the PSC members' legislative campaign to pressure New York State assembly members to devote $20 million to CUNY out of the $100 million in recently voted supplemental funds in the state budget. The barebones budget legislators passed several months ago in no way satisfies CUNY's needs. Many other critical social services, including funds for public schools, were also neglected.

The small supplemental budget is a start. We are urging all HEOs to call their assembly members and urge them to call the Assembly Speaker, Sheldon Silver, to insist that $20 million (out of the $100 allocated to the Assembly under the supplemental budget) be allocated to CUNY for full time faculty, worker education programs, SEEK and childcare services.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Meet Your New City Council Members

  Campuses are already starting to plan events for incoming council members. HEOs are joining faculty, CLTs and campus administrators to orient new (and incumbent) members to the needs of CUNY - a vital resource in their communities. If you want further information about how to organize such events, email Miriam Thompson (miriam_thompson@qc.edu).

The Impact of September 11 on BMCC

  As a result of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, there was severe damage to Fiterman Hall (located directly across from the World Trade Center), which housed 40 BMCC classrooms and the Research Foundation.  Classes were canceled at BMCC until October 1.

Numerous tests have been conducted of the air quality at BMCC by the Environmental Protection Agency and they have concluded that there are no significant health risks in the building.  However an article by Juan Gonzalez in the Daily News on October 26, 2001 documented levels of benzene, dioxin, lead, sulfur dioxide and PCBs in the area that exceed federal standards.

The faculty, staff and students at BMCC have been reporting numerous health problems. Some of the complaints are coughs, throat dryness and nosebleeds. There has been an increase amongst workers in the area of adult onset of asthma, sinusitis, dermatitis, and respiratory diseases.  The PSC has formed an Occupational Safety and Health Committee at BMCC and has received training from the New York Committee on Occupational Safety and Health. The PSC is working closely with the BMCC administration to resolve some of the health issues in the building.

Any faculty and staff at BMCC who are experiencing discomfort or have specific concerns about health and safety are encouraged to complete a Health/Safety Log available from Jane Young, PSC-BMCC Chair, English Department N714 (x8658).

A detailed memo entitled “Health Concerns of People Who Live and Work Near the World Trade Center Disaster Site” is available from the Mount Sinai-Irving J. Silikoff Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 1391 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10029.  A copy of the memo is also available on their website: www.mssm.edu. 

If you are experiencing any medical problems that may be a result of working close to Ground Zero, we would suggest that you call the Mt. Sinai center at 212-987-6043. They will provide you with a medical evaluation and advise you about Workers’ Compensation.  Your health insurance may cover the costs of the exam.  You will not be required to pay any expenses not covered by your health insurance.

CCNY And Brooklyn Worker Education Programs

By Steve Leberstein, Delegate and Grievance Counselor

  Two of the University’s Worker Education programs (the City College Center for Worker Education and the Brooklyn College Graduate Center for Worker Education) are located nearly within the shadow of the World Trade Center on Hudson Street south of Canal Street. Together, these programs serve about 1,350 students and retirees. After the tragedy of September 11^th, both were closed, lying within the off-limits zone.

We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our graduates, Peter Vega, a firefighter who graduated from the CCNY Center for Worker Education in 2000. None of the current students, faculty and staff were lost in the disaster.

University management did try to force the CCNY Center to re-open before the police took the barricades away from Canal Street, and before the premises were tested for environmental contamination. But the union stood by its members, and insisted that the Centers not re-open until the area was declared safe for pedestrians and the building certified as free of contaminants.

During the two weeks (less a day) that the CCNY Center was displaced, its staff and faculty worked tirelessly to contact all its students, to plan and hold a community meeting, and to re-schedule weekend classes on City College’s uptown campus before the Center was able to re-open on September 24^th

Planning for re-opening the Hudson Street facility was a challenge, with no clear provisions made for environmental testing and no lines of responsibility for safety established by University management. On our own we inspected the premises with one of the union’s health & safety officers, Dave Kotelchuck, and arranged for testing by a team from the New York Committee on Occupational Safety and Health. Then staff colleagues from the University’s real estate office pitched in with help and support, sending in a second team of environmental testers and helping to sort out other logistical problems

The CCNY Center also volunteered to help colleagues at BMCC by offering what few free classrooms it had available in the daytime for classes displaced from the Fiterman Hall building.   Hard work and dedication to CUNY’s mission by PSC members on the faculty and staff met and overcame the challenges posed by the tragedy of September 11^th.

Promotions for SUNY Professional Employees

The current contract between the PSC and CUNY states that the HEO series is non-promotional.  The PSC has presented numerous proposals during the contract negotiations to the university related to HEO issues and one of them states:  “The HEO series shall be established as a promotional series.”  The United University Professions contract, which covers faculty and professional employees at the State University of New York, has a provision for promotions for professional employees.  A copy of this provision is available on their website: www.uupinfo.org/contract/tex.html (Article 30 and appendix A-28).

The UUP/SUNY provision states that it is the policy of the University to consider promotion for all professional staff.  This promotion can result from an increase or change in the employees responsibilities related to the function and scope of their work.  Between five and seven members of the professional staff are elected by all the professional employees of the negotiating unit to serve on a College Review Panel.  The criteria for promotion are: effectiveness in performance, advanced degrees, licenses, honors, awards, inventions, innovation, community service, and participation in professional training programs and research.  An employee is not required to meet all the criteria.

The employee first requests a promotion from the immediate supervisor.  If it is denied, the employee submits an application to the College Review Panel.  If the panel recommends a promotion, the college president makes a decision within 90 days.  There is also a provision for an employee to apply for a salary increase.

Hunter's HEO Forum

By Audrey Berman, bermanae@earthlink.net

  Six  years ago, HEOs of Hunter began hearing rumors that many of us might not be reappointed simply because it was possible NOT to do so!! CUNY was about to enter into the beginnings of "fiscal exigency” and the Acting President was advised that  non-reappointment of HEOs was a way to reduce the payroll before commencing the process of retrenchment.  These personnel decisions would have to do neither with the quality of work performance nor with the advice of the area director/supervisor (who were often HEOs).  People would lose their jobs simply because it could be done; any HEO contract that expired in June would not be renewed.   Some HEOs found themselves up for reappointment only because they had recently gained a higher line; had they not been moved to a different higher line the contract expiration would not have been an issue.

As word circulated, some approached the union.  We soon discovered that the Hunter chapter was, of course then, as it remains now, a faculty organization.  When we approached some of our HEO delegates, they told us "nothing could be done, it's entirely legal." At that point, we put our grass roots organizing efforts into action. One HEO called another until we reached enough HEOs to hold a meeting.  We gathered together to write letters on behalf of the HEOs, to sign petitions, to wear purple ribbons, to speak out and spread the word to faculty and clerical colleagues and friends about the fragile position of HEOs.  Finally the Acting President, the Acting VP for Administration and the Provost came to our meeting.  Within a few weeks, we formally organized the HEO Forum.  By the end of that semester, the HEO Forum had a set of bylaws and a duly elected Steering Committee.

A new President arrived at Hunter that summer and one of the first groups with whom he met was the HEO Forum (of course we HEOs are around all summer!).  Soon the Forum was asked to submit names for all campus committees.  By the next year, our elected Steering Committee Chair would have a seat on the Hunter Senate (as a non-voting member) and would also have observer status on the College's budget and personnel committee.

At Hunter, the HEO Forum has emerged as a representative body of a constituent group on campus.  We have encouraged the Forum to be considered as an important resource of knowledge (institutional and practical) for the College.  Since our creation, we are pleased to report the College has responded to the HEO Forum in a positive, open manner.  Never again will the HEOs of Hunter be a voiceless and vulnerable group on campus.  We encourage all of our fellow HEOs to recognize the communication gulf created by NOT having a distinct voice on campus; if you have not already done so, begin to meet and group yourselves.  With the City and State now facing a time of great uncertainty, let's be sure strong, responsible, informative HEO representation is a certainty on each CUNY campus.

Hostos Community College HEO Organization

By Carmen Vásquez, HEO Delegate, Hostos C.C.

  The Hostos Community College HEO Organization was formed by a group of HEOs in 1986 “to advance HEO causes”.  A historical preface to the Organization’s by-laws states: “The group was aware of the political ramifications of such an organization both on and off campus, inasmuch as the College’s PSC chapter served primarily as an advocacy group for teaching faculty while HEOs are represented University-wide by the Cross Campus Chapter…”

Today, the HEO Organization continues to be an active group on campus.  It has representation on all  important College committees such as the Appointment Review Committee which reviews HEO appointments, and the College Senate.  The organization provides a means for the HEOs to obtain information, discuss and act on concerns, and organize professional development activities including HEO retreats.  It works with other college constituencies, including teaching faculty, and provides a mechanism to transmit HEO concerns to the CUNY-wide Cross Campus Chapter.

Last year the organization reiterated its purpose by adopting the following mission statement: “Built upon the core values of higher education and community service, the HEO Organization at Hostos Community College is a diverse professional association that educates, empowers, and supports it members through networking and professional development.  In furtherance of the College’s mission, its members are active participants in the formulation of college and university-wide policy.”

Our Health

By Jean Weisman, HEO Chapter Chair

I have spoken to many HEOs who worked many hours of overtime during periods when classes were canceled to keep their campuses and programs going.    We called the students, wrote them letters and provided counseling. We supervised Security and Physical Plant Services.  We developed flexible procedures for admissions, registration, bill payment and financial aid to support those students who suffered as a result of the attacks on the World Trade Center.  We kept in touch with the media.   We continued to provide extensive services to the CUNY community.

Numerous members have talked to me about medical problems as a result of the air quality in Lower Manhattan.    Many of them have numerous unused sick days but they are so dedicated to the students that they are continuing to work.      Taking care of our own health must be part of our high level of professionalism and dedication to CUNY.     There is an alternative to burnout and early retirement.   We can use our professional, scientific, technological and organizing experience to work together to create a new environment at CUNY, that places a high priority on the health of the students, the staff and the faculty.

July 22-27, 2001 at Rutgers University, N.J.

By Vera E Weekes,  Delegate, Medgar Evers College

It was a very educational and informative week of activities.  Many times we take a lot of things for granted and we are unaware of the struggles and sacrifices of those before us, so that we could have a better life.  This workshop afforded us the opportunity of revisiting history.

There was a good selection of topics to chose from, such as Basic Grievance Handling, Conflict Resolution, Leadership Skills, Legal Rights, and the list goes on.  The structure of the courses was excellently coordinated and enabled continuous learning and understanding.  There were so many memorable moments during the course of the week 

One evening was dedicated to ‘THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE US” paying tribute to Frieda Rozen, with readings about many labor heroines – Sojourner Truth, Mother Jones and Jessica Govea.  Govea was present to tell her most horrid story of child labor in California and the effects of crop spraying resulting in her fight with cancer.  

We bonded so well during the course of the workshops that we felt that we had known each other for much more than one week.  We parted with respect, honor and of course love for one another.  It was a separation different from other workshops that I had attended.   It was truly a bonding. 

I am anxiously awaiting the next one and will attend.  Everyone should participate in these workshops at least once.  You will be equipped with tools for life regardless of your role in the workplace.

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