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"Organized labor in NYC is one of our greatest potential allies, as members and their families depend on CUNY for higher education."
"...we will support student efforts on the campuses in an all-out register-to-vote campaign geared toward the November elections." |
SEPTEMBER 2000 SIXTY DAYS We
introduce this newsletter as a supplement to the Clarion and a
quick way to update members on recent union activities.
The union’s new leadership, which took office on May 18th,
has brought rank-and-file unionism to the PSC: we have been able to make
gains on several fronts because of a new level of membership involvement
in discussing policy and advancing the union’s agenda.
What follows is a brief report on the PSC’s activities on several
fronts and an invitation to join in its work.
This is a critical juncture for academic trade unionism, both at
CUNY and nationally: some of the largest battles about the nature of
higher education are being waged right here, and the growing strength of
the PSC lies in the knowledge and authority of its members. 1.
Contract Demands and
Negotiations: The PSC has successfully completed a historic process of
involving every level of membership in developing sweeping contract
demands. The revamped process
involved member surveys, chapter discussions, Delegate Assembly workshops
and discussions, Executive Council discussions, and was guided by a
Contract Demands Task Force committed to professionalism and rebuilding a
great university. We now have
a fully developed set of demands, unanimously approved by the Delegate
Assembly, that addresses the needs of new and current faculty, HEOs and
CLTs, adjuncts, and many other constituencies.
The first session of negotiations took place
on August 23rd. 2.
3.
The Master Plan for CUNY:
The Master Plan, passed by the Board of Trustees in May, threatens
CUNY’s historic mission and ultimately undermines the academic fabric of
the university. Explicitly
based on last year’s Schmidt Report, which was widely criticized by
university governance bodies and the legal community, the Master Plan
deepens the stratification of the university and limits student access
through removal of remedial courses.
In place of faculty and professional staff knowledge, it proposes
increased managerial control, echoing the national trend toward removal of
academic decisions from those professionally trained to make them.
The PSC has strongly opposed the Master Plan, and is now working
with state and national affiliates and
with organized labor to call on the Regents not to approve the
plan. The New York State
Board of Regents hearing is on September 6, at the Fashion Institute of
Technology; we urge PSC members to testify on that day.
Meanwhile, the PSC continues to challenge the denial of faculty
control over curriculum in individual colleges, joining the UFS and
faculty governance bodies at Brooklyn and BMCC in support of faculty and
professional staff rights to be involved in determining curriculum. 4.
Office
Renewal: The
PSC has embarked upon office modernization to replace
antiquated systems. We are installing new phone and computer systems to make the office
more accessible to members.
A private consultant
is guiding us in revitalizing
and restructuring the function of
our office and staff. We
anticipate several new
departments
and staff hires.
Frank Annunziato, PSC Executive
Director for the last five
years, is leaving that position and will be working with NYSUT, further
solidifying our ties statewide. He
was a valued negotiator and union staff member whose counsel we will
continue to seek. The PSC has
begun to convene search committees for new staff members.
A strong and dedicated office staff will become even stronger as
these appointments are made. 5.
Expanding Union Networks: The new leadership is taking CUNY’s case to the state
and national affiliates, revitalizing our role in these organizations.
At the American Association of University Professors (AAUP)
convention, we held discussions with leaders from Cal State and
SUNY’s UUP to create a national response to corporatization of higher
education, violations of faculty governance and academic freedom, and
moves toward privatization. Several
PSC members were named to the AAUP’s national committees, including
Steve Leberstein (HEO, City College) to the historic committee on academic
freedom. The
PSC joined the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) Higher Education Conference Board, bringing together all of
higher education unions and faculty governance bodies in NY State to
create stronger advocacy on behalf of higher education. We also met
intensively with NYSUT leadership and staff to assess ways that we could
work together most effectively. At
the Biennial Convention of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT),
the PSC delegation played an active role.
PSC delegates were instrumental in strengthening resolutions on
distance education (especially participation of technical and professional
staff support), compensation and benefits for part-time faculty,
commitment to diversity and civil rights, and support of the growing student
movement to aid labor organizing against sweatshops. We proposed
our own resolution on restoring open access to higher education and will
work with the AFT and NYSUT to bring this resolution successfully to the
October AFT Executive Council meeting for approval and action. PSC
President Barbara Bowen was elected AFT Vice-President and member of its
Executive Council, further strengthening the PSC’s traditional role of
strong participation in the AFT leadership.
6.
Labor Solidarity: In
order to bring CUNY’s case to the NYC labor movement, the new PSC
leadership has intensified our relationships by attending all Central
Labor Council and Municipal Labor Committee meetings and events.
We have rescheduled the PSC Delegate Assembly meetings so they do
not conflict with CLC meetings, as they have in the past.
Organized labor in NYC is one of our greatest potential allies, as
members and their families depend on CUNY for higher education. In an
effort to further integrate ourselves into the NYC labor movement and to
publicize CUNY, we are asking all PSC members to participate in our
union's contingent in the Labor Day
Parade, Saturday, Sept. 9th.
The PSC will have a marching band, T-shirts, food and a grand time.
We will use this opportunity to collect signatures on postcards to
send to state legislators in support of CUNY.
Call John Hyland at the PSC for further information. 7.
Strengthening Chapters: The new
PSC leadership is putting structures in place to increase the
participation of members at the campus and chapter level.
We will develop committees at
each of the campuses and at each chapter on the following: Contract,
Health and Safety, Grievances,
Political Action, and
Membership.
We invite each chapter to involve
the great-est possible number of members in these committees and to insure
that the union best represents their interests and concerns. 8.
Health and Safety Issues:
We have re-organized the Health and Safety operation of the PSC by
bringing in more professional help and campus-based monitoring systems
(see #7 above). Joan Greenbaum (Chapter Chair, LaGuardia CC) and Dave
Kotelchuck (Delegate, Hunter, Brookdale Campus), a professor of
occupational safety, are heading the PSC-wide effort to deal effectively
with these issues. 9.
Pension Legislation: The
NYS Legislature, with the Governor’s approval, has enacted three very
important pieces of legislation for our members and retirees in the NYC
Teachers and Employees Retirement Systems. The first is a permanent COLA,
long sought after by our retirees. Secondly, TRS/ERS members in Tiers I
& II will receive an additional month of service credit for each year
of service up to 24 months. Additionally, Tier III & IV members will
no longer be required to contribute 3 percent of their salary to the
retirement system after 10 years of membership. We are working with
SUNY’s UUP and other NYSUT higher education locals to insure that the
state offers a comparable benefit to our members in TIAA/CREF. Lastly, TRS/ERS
members who are veterans will be able to purchase credit for their
military service. 10.
Early
Retirement Incentive: Although the NYS Legislature has again approved
an early retirement incentive, the CUNY Board of Trustees has decided not
to implement it for this year. We have strongly urged the Board to reverse
this position and will continue to do so in our future talks with the
Chancellor. 11.
Coalitions
With Students: We have been working with leaders from the University
Student Senate in presenting CUNY’s case before the public and
increasing CUNY’s political clout.
Students will join us in our Labor Day Parade activities and we
will support student efforts on the campuses in an all-out
register-to-vote campaign geared toward the November elections. 12.
Finances:
We have formed a Finance Committee to review, analyze and develop the use
of our financial resources. This
has involved interviewing accountants to get bids on doing a fresh
financial system review/audit, discussions with former treasurers, staff,
and with financial officers of other unions, as well as examining
alternative reporting formats. We
have also: 1. begun a discussion of the dues structure, and the way our reserves
are invested; 2. invited input in the preparation of next year’s budget from the
Executive Council, staff, and Chapter Chairs; 3. responded to and negotiated a shift of the Credit Union to a more
independent status; 4. sought increased revenues and cost-saving measures to support new
activities in organizing and mobilizing members; 5. planned a budget forum for delegates prior to presentation of the
Budget to the Delegate Assembly (tentatively scheduled for September 28th). For more information on any of the items in this newsletter, call us at (212) 354-1252 or dial up our website, www.psc-cuny.org, and use our new interactive e-mail.
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