Please share this e-mail with your campus colleagues as it contains a request for member input.
I’m inviting members to submit comments, questions, and suggestions pertaining to SUNY’s proposed changes to Title J of SUNY Board of Trustees Policies (Patents, Inventions and Copyright Policy). Changes may involve mandatory subjects of collective bargaining that must be formally bargained with UUP.
Please go to the link below to learn more about SUNY’s proposed changes and to submit comments, questions, and suggestions to UUP. As I will be away for a week, beginning on Friday, September 11, our VP for Academics, Jamie Dangler, who has been most directly involved on this issue, will be collecting and studying the input we receive, along with responding to questions which arise. She can be reached at jdangler@uupmail.org.
The new issue of The Echo, UUP’s online membership magazine, is out!
You can read it here: http://uupinfo.org/flipbook/EchoVol2Issue1/index.html#/0
In a new video, UUP President Fred Kowal talks about the threat of Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, a suit that could weaken and eventually break unions across the country.
You can also read about UUP’s new 18-member Negotiations Team, the union’s call for members to march in Labor Day parades, new opportunities for professional training and development through the New York State/UUP Joint Labor Management grant programs, and the upcoming 2015 Fall Delegate Assembly.
Date: September 10, 2015
Time: 12:30- 2:00 PM (light refreshments will be served)
Location: WA 120
Chief Negotiator: J. Philippe Abraham, UUP Statewide Vice President for Professionals
Associate/Deputy Chief Negotiator: Mike Smiles, Vice President for Academics, Farmingdale Chapter
Assistant Chief Negotiator: Pamela Malone, UUP Statewide Executive Board Member and Empire State College UUP President
Assistant Chief Negotiator: Jason Torre, Vice President for Academics, Stony Brook Main Chapter
Other visiting UUP Negotiations Team members will be announced before the meeting.
The 2011-2016 Agreement between the State of New York and United University Professions expires July 1, 2016. UUP’s extensive preparations to negotiate the successor contract are in progress. As many members of the Negotiations Team as possible will travel to all UUP Chapters during the statewide listening tour – an in person means of communication with members for UUP’s needs assessment phase.
Negotiations Team members will be here to listen to your ideas, thoughts, and concerns. Information about the entire negotiations process can be discussed as well.
Please don’t miss this unique opportunity to express your views and offer ideas, suggestions, and recommendations directly to members of the UUP Negotiations Team. They’ll be here in person to meet YOU – the members!
As you know, for the past several months, we’ve been working very hard to get the Maintenance of Effort legislation passed by the legislature and signed by the governor. The first half of the fight was completed just before the legislative session ended. The second half has been underway since then.
It appears that the press sees this as an important issue and have independently articulated that importance to future of public higher education in New York.
Please share this op ed with your chapter membership.
Leadership – Education – Action – Development Institute was created for you!
Learn about the benefits of being in a union. You can learn about promotions, job protections, continuing and permanent appointment, the grievance process and much more. To register click on Link above. The courses are free, are less than an hour long and you can decide when and where you want to access it.
If you have questions or comments please email jmarino@uupmail.org.
Now is a great time to make plans to march with UUP in Labor Day parades in Albany, Buffalo, New York City and Syracuse.
Family and friends are invited to join in and march in the parades.
“It’s important for UUP to have a strong presence at Labor Day marches across the state,” UUP President Fred Kowal said. “Unions and working people are under attack by wealthy anti-union forces that strive to weaken and eventually break unions. I encourage each and every one of you to show your support for organized labor by marching in these parades.”
Albany
In the Albany area, the Capital District Area Labor Federation will host its annual Labor Day Picnic from noon to 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 7 in Cook Park, Colonie. Hot dogs, hamburgers and vegetarian fare is free; attendees should bring an entree, salad or dessert to share.
Albany’s annual Michael Burns Labor Day Parade steps off from City Hall at 6 p.m.on Friday, Sept. 11. It wraps up at the Corning Preserve; fireworks will follow the parade.
Ezra Zubrow, left, Rowena Blackman-Stroud, Fred Kowal, and J. Phillippe Abraham carry the UUP flag during the annual Labor Day Parade in Buffalo, NY.
Buffalo
The 2015 Buffalo Labor Day parade and picnic will be held Sept. 7. The parade steps off at noon at the intersection of Abbot Road and Stevenson Street in Buffalo; a picnic will follow at Cazenovia Park. The event is sponsored by the Buffalo AFL-CIO Central Labor Council. Call 716-633-2211 for more information.
Massena
The annual 2015 Massena Solidarity Parade and picnic begins at 10:30 a.m. on Sept. 7. The Labor Day parade will end at Springs Park, where there will be a picnic; hot dogs, hamburgers, water and soda will be free.
New York City
New York City’s annual Labor Day parade is set for Saturday, Sept. 12. The parade steps off at 10 a.m.; it is sponsored by the New York City Central Labor Council. Hundreds of UUP members marched in last year’s parade in New York City, the first time UUPers from across the state participated in the procession, one of the largest Labor Day parades in the country.
Bus transportation will be provided to and from New York City from Albany and Long Island. The trip is free; t-shirts/hats, water and food will be provided. Watch for further details on UUP’s website in the coming weeks.
Syracuse
The Syracuse Labor Day parade will be held Sept. 7 at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse. The parade begins at 10:30 a.m.; marchers should meet at Gate 4 (Iroquois Gate) at 10 a.m. The event is sponsored by the Greater Syracuse Labor Council.
The New York State Senate and Assembly concluded the 2015 legislative session early in the morning of Friday, June 25. This legislative session was like no other, given the number of high-profile leadership and committee changes that occurred.
Still, UUP was successful in advancing a number of our priorities. The Legislature passed several of our key bills, including the Maintenance of Effort bill—which, if signed by the governor, will bring the state closer to paying its fair share to fund public higher education.
I am also pleased to report that the advocacy efforts of UUP and its coalitions resulted in these wins during the 2015 legislation session (includes budget issues):
● Passage of a bill that allows public employees who served in the military to receive pension credit for military service, regardless of when they served;
● Passage of a bill requiring the governor to submit to the Legislature, as part of the annual Executive Budget, five-year capital plans for the SUNY state-operated campuses and CUNY senior colleges;
● Passage of a bill that prohibits the state from sweeping outstanding SUNY hospital accounts receivable, such as tuition, fees and hospital charges into the general fund;
● The Legislature rejected a proposed 10 percent penalty to campus funding, which would have occurred if campuses failed to submit an approved performance-based funding plan.
● Maintained support for the DREAM Act, which passed the Assembly.
● Defeated the governor’s proposal to cut the SUNY Hospital State Subsidy by nearly $19 million.
● Defeated damaging language that would have opened the door for the privatization of SUNY’s hospitals.
● Increased the funding for the Educational Opportunity Program, Educational Opportunity Centers and ATTAIN Labs.
● Increased SUNY capital program funding.
These and other legislative and budget results are included in a comprehensive legislative summary, which is attached.
This session was filled with challenges, but together we were able to successfully advocate for bills that will improve the financial security of our campuses. Despite our hard fought victories, the battle continues.
I want to thank you for your advocacy efforts and ask that you continue this fight with us. We must monitor the implementation of the SUNY Investment and Performance Fund and continue an aggressive organizing campaign. We must take action now to counter the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to hear the anti-union case, Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association.
We must redouble our efforts to organize and grow this great union. The time to prepare is now.
Employees who are on a calendar-year or college year obligation will see the 2% across the board salary increase to the June 30, 2015 basic annual salary in the July 29, 2015 paycheck. Because of the lag payroll this paycheck reflects the pay period of July 2 – July 15. Academic year employees will receive their 2% salary increase in September.
First, the Deficit Reduction Program has ended and that has resulted in a bump upward in our members’ pay. Secondly, the 2011-2016 Agreement between UUP and the State of New York provides for the following salary increases and discretionary awards in 2015:
— UUP bargaining unit members who were on payroll June 30, 2015 will receive a 2% salary increase on July 1 (calendar year and college year employees) or September 1 (academic year employees).
— An additional $500 will be added to base salary of incumbents as of June 30, 2015 (pro-rated for part time employees) through the Chancellor’s Power of SUNY Award, to be paid no later than December 31, 2015. At this time we do not know the exact date this payment will be made. It will be retroactive to July 1, 2015 or September 1, 2015, depending on the employee’s professional obligation and whether they are active on the payroll at the time of payment. Employees who worked at least one semester during the 12-month period commencing July 1, 2014 and whose employment expires prior to July 1, 2015 shall be eligible for the payment if they are re-employed and active on the payroll on the effective date of payment.
PLEASE NOTE: The Part-Time Employees Contract Fast Facts document at the following link provides information about the pro-rata formula for distribution of the $500 base increase to part-time employees: http://uupinfo.org/negotiations/pdf/PartTimeFastFacts.pdf
— Lastly, 0.5% of payroll will be allocated to Discretionary Salary Awards (DSA), to be distributed at the discretion of campus presidents. DSA will not be added to base salary. It will be paid no later than December 31, 2015. On each campus a specific portion of the DSA pool will be earmarked for part-time employees.
