Dear Colleagues,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your support is desperately needed!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Please review the following important message from Statewide UUP President, Fred Kowal:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Colleagues,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As some of you are aware, our colleagues at Potsdam are facing a disturbing and challenging new situation created by decisions made by SUNY\u2019s Board of Trustees. As announced at the campus last week, 14 programs are being eliminated with the potential result being the loss of jobs for many of our colleagues. The downsizing of the campus is being blamed on the debt the campus is burdened with and a drop in enrollment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The reality is that UUP fought hard to get a historic amount of funding for SUNY in this year\u2019s budget. This funding included a $163 million allocation that would have covered this year\u2019s deficits at all 19 SUNY campuses which reported shortfalls in April \u2013 including Potsdam\u2019s. All that had to happen was that the funding go to those financially stressed campuses. SUNY\u2019s Board of Trustees instead distributed the funds using a methodology which favored campuses which are enjoying financially strong positions. And let\u2019s all remember the central reality of the past 15 years: The financial problems at SUNY were caused by over a decade of intentional underfunding by the Cuomo Administration which was intended to strangle campuses so that the system would be forced to shrink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I decided to go to the media before the formal announcement of Potsdam plan because I felt it was absolutely necessary to get our side of the story out first. This has created a great deal of media attention for Potsdam\u2019s struggle, and we will continue to publicize our members\u2019 great work and this union\u2019s commitment to fight to protect them and their families\u2026and the community at large. Here are some of the major news pieces:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I have been to New Paltz last week and joined a membership meeting at Old Westbury as well, and heard members express concerns about how the Potsdam situation could spread to other financial stressed campuses and \u2013 more noticeably \u2013 how they could join in solidarity actions with our colleagues at Potsdam, the legislative and political department put together a virtual letter to legislators. The letter will go to your local legislator and alert them that their work on behalf of UUP and SUNY is being undermined by SUNY\u2019s leadership. It\u2019s a simple step but an important one \u2013 but only one. We will be aggressive and unrelenting in opposing this short-sighted, destructive, and unnecessary step by SUNY against our members at Potsdam. The draft letter is attached. You can also find a list of New York state legislators attached.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have shown our strength in getting a great contract for all of us. We have been successful as never before in advocating for a great budget. Those efforts show our power and what we can achieve if we are united. Please take a moment to send a letter to your legislator. And stay tuned for more information and actions that will be taking place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thanks very much for all you do for our union and \u2013 now more than ever \u2013 these words matter\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Solidarity,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fred<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dear Colleagues, Your support is desperately needed! Please review the following important message from Statewide UUP President, Fred Kowal: Colleagues, As some of you are aware, our colleagues at Potsdam are facing a disturbing and challenging new situation created by decisions made by SUNY\u2019s Board of Trustees. As announced at the campus last week, 14 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,37],"tags":[902,901,571],"table_tags":[],"class_list":["post-6177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-statewide-news","tag-potsdam","tag-potsdam-crisis","tag-uup"],"yoast_head":"\n