Dear UUP Cortland Members and Members of the UUP Cortland Bargaining Unit:

The attached letter below was created on August 21, 2021, by concerned members of the bargaining unit and was signed by over 100 members and concerned individuals. It may not reflect current policy, guidance, or any agreements made between UUP leadership and management since its release.

After discussion, the UUP Cortland Chapter Executive Board agreed to distribute this document to members. It has also led to the creation of the UUP Cortland Chapter Executive Board Principles on Re-Opening for Fall 2021, outlined below, based on member concerns expressed therein and through other venues.

UUP Cortland Chapter Executive Board Principles on Re-Opening for Fall 2021:

We, the Executive Board of the Cortland Chapter of UUP, endorse the following principles on the fall 2021 re-opening:

• Adopt universal vaccination for students, save for medical and religious exemptions;
• Expedite bargaining on any executive directives on vaccination between UUP and the Governor’s Office at the statewide level, taking into account member needs and input;
• Expedite liberal approvals for telecommuting for academics and professionals in keeping with the spirit and intent of the new Telecommuting Policy for the fall semester, especially for those with family members who may be unable to be vaccinated;
• Adopt flexible use of videoconferencing for office hours and face-to-face interactions with students;
• Respond quickly and in a transparent manner regarding information about safety in classrooms, residence halls, and other campus spaces;
•  Utilize up-to-date medical guidance to implement best practices for testing, contact tracing, and quarantine and isolation;
• Provide aggregate information on testing and vaccination rates for the campus on a regular, ongoing basis.

We further recognize the statewide and chapter leadership’s ongoing efforts to deal with these issues, and we recommend that the chapter officers share these principles with the college administration and the membership.

In Solidarity,

The Executive Board of Cortland Chapter

United University Professions