A struggle begun during the earliest days of the United University Professions, librarian equity has been at the forefront of the union’s struggles for equity and fairness within SUNY with the formation in December of 1973 of the UUP Committee on Librarian Concerns. The committee was established to serve as the “principle vehicle for bringing librarian concerns to the attention of the UUP Executive Board. These were: 1) transfer from administrative salary plan to non statutory (NS) salary plan, which necessitates the implementation of four ranks; and 2) placement of all librarians on academic par obligation without decrease in salary.”
Since those early days, the struggle for recognition of the true value of all librarians and library professionals’ contributions to SUNY and New York State have continued. The present day Appendix 48 Advisory Committee on Librarian Issues was formed in January 2014 by UUP Statewide President, Fred Kowal, after reinstatement of an expanded Appendix 48 Executive Committee to review Librarian Issues in the 2011-2016 Agreement between the State of New York and United University Professions. The committee was established to represent all members of the UUP library community and to provide substantial research support and to develop and submit final recommendations to the UUP President regarding the state of the UUP librarian and library communities within SUNY for address during post-contract discussions with the representatives of the State of New York.
The committee and its members seek to provide an avenue for fair and equal representation of all members of the SUNY library community, and welcome and encourage comment and support for a better SUNY library system and SUNY for all within New York State.