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ROCHESTER LOCATION CHANGE – Assembly Single Payer Healthcare Hearings

Colleagues –

The location for the Rochester single-payer healthcare hearing has changed from the previously posted announcement. Please see attachment (page 2) for the updated information.

ROCHESTER UPDATED LOCATION! Statewide Hearings on New York H

In Solidarity,
Fred

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Kowal introduces initiatives in Testimony

uupdate 11-6-14

Read the testimony

UUP President Fred Kowal laid the groundwork for the union’s upcoming legislative agenda in his Nov. 6 testimony before the SUNY Board of Trustees, as he urged the university to work with UUP for the betterment of the students.

“I encourage SUNY to stand with the union, as we advocate for a fully funded SUNY system,” said Kowal, who testified in a hearing after the Trustees’ meeting in New York City. “I am interested in developing a joint-advocacy agenda, so that our public higher education system is more than just maintained. It should be, can be and must be a hallmark institution serving the best interests of New York’s students.”

Kowal outlined the following goals:

  • A public endowment for the long-term financial support of SUNY, to be used to increase the hiring of full-time faculty and professional and support staff; it would also give part-time and contingent employees opportunities to move into full-time positions.
  • State funding that covers at least half of the operating costs of SUNY, as well as adequate funding for what is known as “maintenance of effort.” Maintenance of effort funding should cover expected, regular increases in annual expenses such as utilities, equipment replacement and negotiated contractual raises for employees. Tuition and fees paid by students now cover 65 percent of the university’s operating costs; the state should provide its fair share.
  • An incentive spending program that would provide additional funds to reward campuses that: increase full-time faculty; pursue diversity in its faculty, staff and students; move adjunct and contingent faculty to full-time positions; and expand student support programs.
  • The creation of a program that UUP is calling “Pre-College Entrance Development Effort,” or PreCEDE. The PreCEDE program would expand the Educational Opportunity Programs to help low-income students and their families prepare for college admissions in a variety of ways. Those methods include providing access to aggressive pre-college work, and assisting students and families with career planning and the college application process.
  • A state program that would allow students to refinance their college loans. This idea has been advocated at the national level by a number of student activist groups. Lowering student debt has also been a major platform of the national coalition known as the Campaign for the Future of Higher Education, of which UUP is a member.

The state should use the settlements gained from Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s actions against Wall Street banks to fund these initiatives, Kowal said.

Kowal will have additional opportunities in over the next few months to present UUP’s proposals during joint budget hearings of legislative committees overseeing higher education and ways and means.

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Productivity Enhancement Program (PEP) information

Attached is a short article on the Productivity Enhancement Program (in serif and sans serif formats) and a “fast facts” flier for use in chapter newsletters or on your chapter websites. The flier is also available on the UUP website at http://uupinfo.org/negotiations/pdf/PEPfactsheet2015.pdf

PEP is a negotiated program that allows eligible members to exchange vacation time for up to $500 in credit to offset health insurance premiums.  PEP4newslettersSansSerif

All they have to do is enroll. All you have to do is tell them about it!

 

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Dates Changed: Statewide Hearings on Single-Payer Health Plan

Dear Colleagues,

The dates for the statewide single-payer healthcare hearings have changed.  For more information go to the UUP webpage: http://uupinfo.org/ and click on the “DATES CHANGED: Statewide hearings on New York Health Bill” link.

In Solidarity,
Fred

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Updated Statewide Hearings – NY Health Bill

UPDATEDStatewideHearingsNYHealthBill

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UUP’s Productivity Enhancement Program

Dear Colleagues –

UUP members who accrue vacation days can lower their health care costs.

UUP’s Productivity Enhancement Program allows eligible UUP-represented employees to exchange previously accrued annual leave—otherwise known as vacation days—in return for a credit of up to $500. That money will be applied toward the employee’s share of NYSHIP premiums on a biweekly basis.

Eligible full-time employees who earn $62,998 or below, and eligible part-time employees whose biweekly salary is in this range who enroll in PEP would forfeit three days of annual leave in return for the credit.

Eligible full-time employees who earn more than $62,998 and below $90,022 and eligible part-time employees whose biweekly salary is within that range who enroll in the program will forfeit a total of two days of annual leave at the time of enrollment in return for a credit.

Please tell Your fellow UUP members about this important and underutilized plan.

Go to UUP’s website at http://uupinfo.org/negotiations/pdf/PEPfactsheet2015.pdf for more information.

In solidarity,
Fred

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UUP 2015 Scholarships

The links for both undergraduate and post-graduate 2015 UUP Scholarship guidelines and applications can be found by scrolling over the above menu to “Information.”

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The Echo now available in a pdf

Hi,

I just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the many kind responses to The Echo, UUP’s new, online-only membership magazine. Thank you for reading, and for all of your helpful, positive feedback.

We’ve had several requests for a downloadable .pdf version of The Echo, and we’re happy to comply.

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to download The Echo as a .pdf:

Click on the link to The Echo, located in a blue box near the top of UUP’s website, at http://www.uupinfo.org. You can also go directly to The Echo by clicking on http://uupinfo.org/flipbook/TheEchoVol1Issue1/index.html#/0.
When the link to The Echo opens, you will see a white window with the numbers 1/20 and a row of white icons at the top of the page.
Go to the third icon. When you hold your cursor over it, it will say “download.”
Click on the icon. A .pdf version of The Echo will open in a new window.
Read and enjoy!
Please share The Echo will your chapter members, and thank you for reading. Also, please contact me with any questions you may have.

In solidarity,

Mike

Michael Lisi
Communications Director
United University Professions

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Statewide Hearings on Single-Payer Health Plan

Brothers and Sisters,

Please go to the UUP webpage for important information regarding the upcoming series of statewide public hearings on a single-payer health plan. This information can be found within the “take action” box on the UUP webpage: http://uupinfo.org/.

In Solidarity,

Fred