The Voice

We knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

But few expected that SUNY would be under attack on so many fronts, and that the battle would be brought right into our living rooms.

That happened in May, when Gov. David Paterson—who has done more to harm education than any governor in state history—attempted in an emergency spending bill to impose a weekly one-day furlough on more than 100,000 unionized state workers to cut costs until a state budget is passed.

UUP advocates had a major challenge to begin with. It came in the form of $152 million in additional budget cuts to SUNY and the proposed so-called Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act (PHEEIA).

Then the governor introduced a furlough plan affecting most UUP members. The furlough was part of a weekly budget extender bill in early May that would keep state government operating in lieu of a new state budget. Faced with the specter of a state government shutdown if they failed to act, the Legislature reluctantly approved the bill and the furloughs.

The continuing state budget crisis heightens the possibility that academics and professionals could receive notices of non-renewal.

Members involuntarily separated from payroll without a reasonable assurance of employment may qualify for unemployment insurance benefits. Unemployment insurance is temporary income for eligible workers who become unemployed through no fault of their own and who are ready, willing, and able to work.

A contract contingent on student enrollment, funding, program needs, etc., should not be considered reasonable assurance of employment in the next semester.

You can apply for unemployment benefits using the state Labor Department’s Benefits Online Page (http://ui.labor.state.ny.us/ UBC/home.do?FF_LOCALE=1) between 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, all day Saturday, and until 7 p.m. Sunday.

— Donald Feldstein

Delegates to the 2010 Spring Delegate Assembly in Albany covered a wide range of union business during their policymaking convention May 14-15. They elected officers and Executive Board members, debated policy, adopted the union’s 2010-2011 budget, attended meetings, wrote and faxed lawmakers to support SUNY, listened to committee and officers’ reports, and honored their colleagues for outstanding newsletters and websites. They also heard about the mounting challenges confronting public education in general and SUNY in particular, and heard UUP President Phillip Smith vow to reject any scheme to weaken the union’s negotiated contract. Read on for highlights.

Delegates to the 2010 Spring DA unanimously adopted an operating budget of $8.7 million that reflects the union’s priorities for 2010-2011: contract negotiations, service to the membership, outreach activities and recruitment of new activists.

“Our delegates recognize that the budget we present has gone through a rigorous review by the Finance Committee and the Executive Board, and that the union obtained maximum input from members when preparing it,” said UUP Treasurer Rowena Blackman-Stroud. “This budget reflects extensive discussions and debate at the statewide and chapter levels.”

In her report to delegates, Blackman-Stroud noted that UUP negotiated a total of more than $1.2 million in direct support from NYSUT, up by nearly $70,000 from the previous year.

UUP has also set aside close to $150,000 for contract negotiations with the state. The current contract expires July 1, 2011.

Delegates to the Spring DA decided to give the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) another chance to prove why UUP should remain in a relationship with the organization.

AAUP has nine months to make its case.

Delegates put off a vote on whether to end its relationship with the Washington, D.C.-based higher ed organization until the 2011 Winter DA.

The motion to refer action on the relationship came after delegates heard a presentation by AAUP General Secretary Gary Rhoades. Delegates amended their May 14 agenda to give Rhoades time to address their concerns, and his hour-long session drew some 200 attendees.

Rhoades attempted to accentuate what the two organizations share instead of focusing on their differences.

“It is essential to recognize our common enemies and common cause at a time when higher education is under assault,” he said.

Thirteen chapters and UUP’s retiree group were recognized for their outstanding communications efforts during the 10th annual UUP Journalism Contest.

The competition is supervised by the UUP Communications Department and is judged by professional journalists from the Capital District.

“Our chapters do an outstanding job of communicating with members,” UUP President Phillip Smith said when honoring this year’s recipients at the 2010 Spring DA in Albany. “I am proud to recognize your selfless dedication to the union, the University and your colleagues.”

Newsletters, feature articles, editorials, photographs and websites were judged in three classes: Class I, UUP membership under 500; Class II, membership from 500-1,000; and Class III, membership over 1,000. Earning this year’s awards were:

GENERAL EXCELLENCE

Class I

When it came time to act, UUPers at the NYSUT Representative Assembly stood up and called on NYSUT to publicly denounce continued state cuts to public higher education and SUNY’s Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act (PHEEIA).

When NYSUT President Richard Iannuzzi asked delegates to call state senators to oppose raising the cap on charter schools, UUPers were quick to pull out their cell phones and let their fingers do the walking.

And after United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts finished a fiery speech about April’s tragic West Virginia mine explosion and the need for job safety and union solidarity, UUPers helped raise $15,000 to aid the families of the 29 miners who died in the disaster.

Hilary Wolfskill, Stony Brook: “To be part of something that has this much power is so very moving. It gives us the gas we need to go back and deal with all the negative stuff on campus. It’s good to be here and get amped up.”

Ben Africa, Upstate Medical: “I define excellence as making things better and being cognizant of the new ways to educate the next generation of leaders. ... What I’ll bring back to my campus is the excitement of the delegates that we can do a better job.”

Margaret Taylor, Brooklyn HSC: “It is interesting to see how so many people are together for important causes ... to keep our public schools open and higher education accessible to all.”

Henry Urbanski, New Paltz: “Cutting funding for SUNY will make the American dream impossible to achieve. ... I think NYSUT and UUP are the only hope public education has. NYSUT is doing a good job of providing the leadership we need to succeed.”

Want to create a campus committee to oppose the war in Afghanistan?

There’s a kit for that.

The “UUP Campus Anti-War Committees Start-Up Kit” provides detailed information, tips, contact information and other data needed for chapters to form anti-war committees on their campuses. The kit, prepared by UUP’s Labor and Higher Education Committee, was co-authored by Stony Brook UUPer Michael Zweig and New Paltz member Donna Goodman.

Also part of the kit: “Why Are We in Afghanistan?”—a DVD presentation written and produced by Zweig. The video measures the effectiveness of fighting terror with military means, and discusses the effect the war has had on U.S. economy. The video opposes the war but takes a realistic look at Al Qaeda, the terrorism threat and American interests abroad.