Month: April 2015

UUP LABOR-MGMT notes from april32015 – 150403

Sisters and Brothers,

Attached are 2 documents reminding employees, if they have not already done so, to consider enrolling in the DCAAccount to help with their eligible summer day camp expenses for children under age 13.

2015 Summer Camp Flyer

2015 Summer Camp QA

UUP delegates gave an overwhelming vote of confidence to President Fred Kowal’s vision for the union as a bold defender of public higher education, by electing him to his second two-year term in an unopposed vote at the union’s Delegate Assembly in Saratoga Springs, April 17-18.

In his remarks during the plenary session, Kowal thanked members for the continued opportunity to serve and invoked Robert F. Kennedy as he acknowledged their impressive advocacy this past budget session.

“Bobby Kennedy once said that only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly,” Kowal told nearly 300 delegates. “We in UUP are the strongest, most committed advocates for SUNY and its students. By actions born of hard work and passion, we are changing the world. Be proud of that, sisters and brothers.”

Landy, Shertzer re-elected

Delegates also re-elected Secretary Eileen Landy, and elected Membership Development Officer Arty Shertzer to his first full two-year term. Shertzer had been elected in January to complete the remainder of Edison Bond Jr.’s term after Bond resigned to take a job outside of SUNY. Landy and Shertzer both ran unopposed.

The DA also brought three new members to the statewide Executive Board: Pamela Malone of Empire State College as a representative of specialized colleges; William Canning of Oswego as a representative of contingents; and Kenneth Lindblom of Stony Brook as an academic at large. Lindblom was the victor in the only contested Executive Board seat; he defeated Kim Hartshorn of Plattsburgh, 135 to 116.

Re-elected to the Executive Board were Anne Wiegard of Cortland, Laura Rhoads of Potsdam and Beth Wilson of New Paltz as academics at large; and Thomas Hoey of Albany and Darleyne Meyers of Farmingdale as professionals at large.

Around the elections, delegates honored longtime Stony Brook member Judith Wishnia for her decades of service and approved a resolution authorizing a UUP task force to consider eliminating the Winter DA.

Advocacy ahead

Kowal told delegate that the end of the Legislative session will be a time of continued strategy and advocacy for officers, the Executive Board and members at large. The union faces a number of challenges, including the development of strategies to deal with a governor who has displayed open contempt for public education and those who work in it.

UUP did achieve several major victories in the budget, including the Legislature’s restoration of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 18.6 million cut to SUNY hospitals, significant modifications to the governor’s performance-based funding plan for SUNY, and lawmakers’ rejection of a private equity capital pilot program for SUNY hospitals that would have opened the door to their privatization. The Legislature also scaled back the governor’s proposal to suspend or close teacher preparation programs whose students do not meet minimum performance standards on the state’s deeply flawed new teacher certification exams, by limiting that punitive measure to graduate programs.

But the state continues to offer essentially flat funding to SUNY, and threats still loom over the SUNY hospitals, teacher preparation programs and faculty governance, with the governor now even dictating curriculum decisions. Ahead for UUP: the negotiation of a true Maintenance of Effort that would fully fund negotiated increases for the union’s members.

Kowal encouraged the delegates to carry a message of strength back to their chapters as he promised a continued aggressive defense of their mission to help students.

“Let us all remember that we are unionists,” he said. “We have faith. It’s up to us to dare to take on challenges that might seem risky to some. Let us embrace the hope.”

http://uupinfo.org/committees/pdf/teached/UUPhasanagendaTU150408.pdf

SUNY is releasing funding for Individual Development Awards (IDA) to campuses as pursuant to Article 42 of the 2011-2016 Agreement between New York State and the United University Professions. The IDA program is intended to assist eligible employees (both full and part-time employees) to develop their full professional potential and to prepare for advancement. Funding may be provided to enhance teaching, research capabilities, professional knowledge and skills. Funding can be obtained for things as diverse as but not limited to: conference/workshop attendance, scholarly pursuit relating to research projects or additional education…etc.
The award may also cover reimbursement for activities or projects already completed. All expenses for activities that occur July 2, 2014 through July 1, 2015 must be incurred before July 1, 2015. The maximum amount that can be awarded to an applicant is $1,000.
The process involves a short application, a copy of the individual’s professional resume and a one page request letter detailing what the award will be use for by the individual. Members can print the application found at http://nysuup.lmc.ny.gov/uup/uup_form.cfm .   Applications with all three required documents returned to the Office of Human Resources by Monday April 20th, 2015 will receive full consideration by the IDA Awards Committee.
To receive award funds for reimbursement, awardees must provide documentation of funds spent, receipts, and a one page program summary of how the award was used. If members have any additional questions regarding IDA awards, they can contact the UUP chapter office at 518-255-5250.

March 6 2015 Labor Mgmt Notes

DRAFT%202015-16%20Enacted%20Budget%20Analysis[1]-1