Delegates to the 2008 Winter Delegate Assembly, scheduled for
Feb. 8-9 at The Desmond in Albany, will cast their ballots for president during a special election to fill the unexpired term of William Scheuerman, who resigned his post effective Nov. 30. The term runs through May 31, 2009.
In accordance with union policy, all candidates for officer positions must be elected by and from the membership of the Delegate Assembly.
Members running for elective position during the 2008 Winter DA are entitled to have statements printed and distributed to members of the bargaining unit.
Candidates are eligible to submit a photograph and statement for publication in The Voice. Statements longer than 500 words were set in smaller type to ensure fairness for all candidates. The statements are printed as received, with minor editing for consistency of style. The following are the statements and photographs of those candidates who chose to submit them:
Frederick G. Floss
Buffalo State
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I am asking for your support in the upcoming special election for President of UUP.
As you may know, I am the acting president and the chief negotiator for the current contract negotiations. I have also served for four years as the statewide academic vice president of UUP. At the Buffalo State Chapter, I served as the vice president for academics, treasurer and part-time concerns representative. These experiences have molded my belief that the leadership of any organization must be actively involved in listening to the voices of its members, and that is precisely what I have been doing and will continue to do in the future.
I am seeking this position because of my firm conviction that UUP and SUNY are at a critical juncture where every effort must be made to protect SUNY, and more importantly, every one of our members —whether they are academic or professional, full or part time, active or retired, at the hospitals, the health science centers, the research centers, the comprehensive colleges, the schools of technology, the EOPs or the EOCs. From my perspective, the best way to ensure our mutual interests is to accelerate the involvement of all of our members in the affairs of our union whether they are government or university issues to which we must all contend.
As UUP president, I will create additional forums for our members to have input in the union decision-making processes. I will establish regional chapter presidents’ meetings so that small groups of leaders can engage in detailed discussions. My goal is to continue building UUP’s intellectual prominence by initiating a series of member-driven policy conferences that respond to the important higher education issues we face today. I intend to expand the Alliance for Excellence in SUNY, which brings local chapter leaders and members together with their communities to promote UUP’s agenda. Using existing and new technologies, I will find additional ways to connect with all of you both directly and expeditiously so that we will have the benefit of your knowledge and concern as we move forward.
It has been my good fortune to have valuable relationships with NYSUT, AFT, the Governor’s Office and the Legislature. These relationships established over the past several years have proven to be invaluable in helping resolve our issues. Given the state’s current fiscal situation, these relationships will be even more essential in the future. It is important that we use these relationships to preserve the gains we have achieved and to obtain the future benefits our members so richly deserve.
I have an abiding respect for the importance of our union and for the viewpoints of every member. I would be honored to work with you and to serve the interests of our great union.I am sure we can raise public consciousness if we work together. That is why I am asking for your support and vote in February.
Phillip H. Smith
Upstate Medical University
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I’m pleased to announce my candidacy for the office of UUP President, with the urging and support of numerous leaders from UUP chapters across the state. It is my hope that you’ll join me in this effort.
It was my privilege to serve as your statewide vice president for academics from 2000 to 2004. And it was an honor to serve as UUP’s chief negotiator for the 2003-2007 collective bargaining agreement. That contract was achieved under difficult economic circumstances and during the term of office of an anti-labor governor. Despite those adverse factors, the UUP Negotiations Team achieved a favorable contract ratified by a 96 percent positive vote.
I am equally proud of my record of service to my profession, campus and community. As one of five founding core directors of this nation’s first Diabetes Research and Education Center (Univ. of Wash.), I gained an international reputation as a leader in the investigation of metabolic disorders. My continued research at SUNY Upstate Medical University, beginning in 1978, has culminated in numerous grant awards (NIH, NSF, private foundations) and an extensive list of peer-reviewed publications.
At my campus, I’ve been president of our Faculty Organization (Senate), and the Medical College Assembly, as well as a designated representative of our campus president to affiliated institutions. I have served the UMU Chapter as grievance officer since 1985, and have served twice as chapter president.
In my community, I’ve worked in youth-oriented groups such as Little League and soccer. Plus, I’ve served as our school district’s PTO chair and as a Title I advisor. My previous community involvement includes serving as a Juvenile Court justice, and as a diplomate of the Washington State Superior Court.
My career experience provides an excellent platform to serve as UUP president. At my campus and chapter, I have a reputation working for the benefit of both academic and professional members. Indeed, because professionals are a majority of our UMU membership, as chapter president and grievance officer, I have developed a profound understanding of their problems and career needs. The challenges of representing the interests of over 2,000 employees at a complex health science center has given me a wealth of experience and knowledge that will benefit all members of our bargaining unit.
As your UUP president, a major immediate goal will be to focus on campus-related problems and bringing the union to the members. In doing so, I plan to foster the search for our next generation of leaders. Clearly, new leaders need to be self-selected and receive appropriate tools for the tasks ahead. Only by developing a deep-rooted connection between the statewide office and our chapters can we — as a union — achieve our mission. And one part of that mission must be to increase and activate our membership. I remain convinced and confident of one basic fact: The future of our union is secured only by the strength of our chapters. Please join me in moving UUP forward.