Month: February 2017

Greetings UUP Member

To In-District Advocates:

Thank you for taking the time to visit your Legislator on behalf of UUP’s statewide Legislative Agenda.

When you see your Legislator, please share with her or him the Talking Points on the attached materials:

• Renewed Investment in SUNY’s State Operated Campuses
  • Restore SUNY Operating Aid
  • Address SUNY’s Critical Shortage of Full-Time Faculty
  • Pass Legislation to increase Accountability and Transparency of SUNY’s Research and Campus Foundations
• Renewed Investment in SUNY’s EOP/EOCs
• Fund SUNY’s Educational Opportunity Program (EOP)
• Fund SUNY’s Educational Opportunity Centers (EOCs)
• Create a School-to-Career Pipeline to Recruit Teachers
• Support SUNY Hospitals and Health Sciences Centers
• Restore SUNY State Hospital Subsidies
• Authorize a New Hospital Bonding Program
• Reinstate State Payment of Hospital Employee Fringe Benefits and Debt Service
• Preserve SUNY Hospital DSH Funding

Please call if you have questions.

Thank you for your work on behalf of our University, our Students and our Patients.

In Solidarity,

Eileen

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Eileen Landy, Ph.D.
Statewide Secretary
United University Professions
518-640-6600

Dear UUP Members,

Several weeks ago, word began to spread, from a variety of sources, of a planned nationally organized strike day. The event is planned for this Friday, February 17th. The action is being coordinated by Strike4Democracy and is being publicized as a “National Day of Action to Push Back Against Assaults on Democratic Principles.” I have been informed that some members are considering ways to support and participate in this protest. After consulting with our legal staff, I feel it is necessary to write to present several very important facts that must be understood.

UUP members who participate in any such action, which would constitute an illegal strike under New York State Civil Service Law, could be subjected to loss of two days’ pay for one day of action. In addition, anyone on a term appointment could be subjected to Article 19 disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Employees on temporary appointments are at-will employees and could be terminated immediately.

Participation in any such action (a strike or other concerted stoppage of work or slowdown by public employees) is barred by New York State Civil Service Law (a/k/a, the Taylor Law). Since the law stipulates that employees who take concerted action by walking out of their professional obligation to protest working conditions meets this definition, it is imperative to make clear that UUP does not endorse or encourage our members’ participation in this event. Should they take part, they could well face the punishment of a loss of two days’ pay for the day used for the action, as well as other possible consequences as indicated above.

Under New York State law, no public employee or employee organization can instigate, encourage, or condone a strike or a similar action. If UUP were to be found to have encouraged a strike, we would face legal action potentially leading to the loss of agency fee.

While I support our sisters and brothers in their quest to push back against assaults on democratic principles, we cannot support, encourage or condone this particular action. We will be continuing the work we started with the Women’s Marches in January, as UUP will be involved extensively with the Science Marches on April 22. More information on those actions to follow.

In the meantime, please understand the seriousness of this situation. As President of UUP I am duty-bound to insure that our union abides by the law. To do otherwise is to endanger the union I was elected to lead, as well as the 42,000 members whom we serve.

In Solidarity,
Fred Kowal, President
United University Professions

Please go to the following link for the latest update about negotiations:
https://uuphost.org/myuup/MembersOnly/check.php

The site is password-protected. Go to http://uupinfo.org/negotiations/index.php to find out how to access the site.

This update has been posted in the Members-Only section of the UUP website.

In Solidarity,
Fred Kowal

Dear Colleagues,

UUP President Fred Kowal will discuss UUP’s 2017 legislative agenda on television and radio, tonight and tomorrow respectively.

Fred will appear on “Capital Tonight,” New York’s only statewide political TV program tonight at 8:30 p.m. The show airs at 8 p.m. on Time Warner Cable (also known as Spectrum); it will be rebroadcast at 11:30 p.m. You must be a Time Warner/Spectrum subscriber to view “Capital Tonight.”

He will appear at 11:45 a.m. tomorrow (Feb. 7) on “The Capitol Pressroom,” a daily one-hour live radio program broadcast from the state Capitol in Albany. The show airs at 11 a.m.

In both interviews, Fred will discuss UUP’s legislative initiatives, including the urgent need to hire more full-time faculty at SUNY and fully fund the University and SUNY’s state-run public hospitals and health sciences centers.

“Capital Tonight” is carried on Time Warner Cable systems north of Westchester County; that includes the cities of Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Syracuse and Watertown. Check your local listings to see what channel the show airs on in your area.

The show will also be available on demand on Channel 1020 except for the Hudson Valley area, where it airs on Channel 1111.

You can hear Capitol Pressroom via a live stream at:
http://www.wcny.org/radio/capitolpressroom/

The program is broadcast live on WCNY in Syracuse at 91.3 FM and at the following stations at the times indicated:

City                   Call Letters                                Time
Albany              WVCR (88.3 FM)                         5 p.m.
Binghamton       WSQX (91.5 FM)                        3 p.m.
Buffalo              WBFO (88.7 FM)                         8 p.m.
Clayton             WRVH (89.3 FM )                       8 p.m.
Geneva             WRVO Translator (90.7 FM)        8 p.m.
Hamilton           WRVO Translator (92.3 FM)        8 p.m.

Ithaca                WICR (88.1 FM)                          3 p.m.

Ithaca                WRVO Translator (92.5 FM)        8 p.m.
Kingston           WLHV-FM (88.1 FM)                   1 p.m.
Norwich            WRVO Translator (89.9 FM)        8 p.m.
Olean                WOLN (92.3 FM)                        8 p.m.

Oswego            WRVO-FM (89.0 FM)                  8 p.m.
Rochester          WXXI (1370 AM)                        10 p.m.

Sharon CT         WHDD (1020 AM, 91.9 FM)         1 p.m.
Syracuse           WRVO (90.3 FM)                        8 p.m.
Utica                 WRVN (99.9 FM)                        8 p.m.
Watertown        WRVJ (91.7 FM)                          8 p.m.
Watkins Glen     WRFI (91.9 FM)                          1 p.m.

Michael Lisi
Communications Director