Colleagues,

The following email was sent from SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras to campus presidents and safety monitors. The message expands the 1B New York State vaccination category to include individuals in residential life who do programming with students as part of their assigned duties. 

This step is the first success UUP has had in our efforts to include all in-person professional staff (and academic and professional librarians) in 1B. The efforts have been ongoing for several weeks now and we are not stopping our efforts on behalf of our colleagues. Just yesterday, I sent a letter to the Governor demanding that all in-person professional staff be included in 1B. We have also started a petition drive to get all in-person professionals eligible for vaccination. We need to get everyone to sign, so if you haven’t done so, please do. If you have, please spread the word! This one is easy: We should have every member of our union signed on!

https://forms.gle/kNpwSCAnRv2UDVgA6

I want to thank Ed Quinn, chapter president at the Stony Brook University Chapter for bringing to my attention Cornell University’s actions regarding the residential life staff at Cornell. Ed shared with me the email that went out to all res life staff at Cornell that made them eligible for vaccination if they were involved in student programming. Ed bringing this to my attention gave me the example that I could take to the Chancellor and that he has now endorsed for SUNY. This is how our union works best: Through the sharing of information across our organization so that we can advocate successfully for each other. Thanks, Ed!

Once again, this is only a start. But, it is a start. Now let’s get the Governor to take the step that must be taken: Make all in-person professionals eligible and let’s get everyone vaccinated as quickly as possible.

Stay safe and well…

In Solidarity,
Fred Kowal