Dear Colleagues,
As you might expect, between the vaccination discussions going on with SUNY and the incredible report issued by the Attorney General, it’s been a crazy day. However, I wanted to get this information out to you — as late as it may be.
After very hectic negotiations, I am pleased to report that yesterday we concluded our discussions with SUNY over the new SUNY telecommuting policy.
For the first time in SUNY’s history, this policy now provides all SUNY campuses with authority to allow employees to enter into telecommuting arrangements, where reasonable to do so consistent with operational and programmatic needs, which may be approved independent of any COVID-related justification for the telecommuting. The policy establishes system-wide uniform parameters for these telecommuting arrangements.
The policy authorizes hybrid telecommuting (up to a maximum of five days per pay period) where consistent with operational and programmatic needs, defines the work rules that will apply to work performed on telecommuting days, and the process for reviewing and approving individual requests for telecommuting.
For the time being, the new policy remains a pilot program that will expire on December 31, 2021, unless extended. As you certainly must know, we will be pushing hard for its extension well before the end of the period, while also preparing with you, our members, for the work in contract negotiations to get it into that most important document. The December 31 expiration will give both SUNY and UUP the opportunity to evaluate how telecommuting is working under the new policy and discuss whether the policy needs to be updated or amended in any way before being continued beyond the end of the calendar year.
Certainly, we wanted to get more into this pilot program. And while this policy does not include everything we might have hoped for in the telecommuting arena, it is an important and significant step forward on an issue that we have been attempting to address for years. It’s a first step — historic, certainly, but one that is just a first step.
In Solidarity,
Fred
Fred Kowal
President, United University Professions