Day: March 11, 2021

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Pre-Retirement Workshop: Part 1-Tuesday March 23rd & Part 2-Thursday March 25 both @12-1pm

Dear UUP Chapter Leadership and Members,

There are still some openings for our upcoming March Workshop. These workshops are open to all Bargaining Unit Members and everyone should attend to understand the benefits that our union has negotiated over the years.  Feel free to attend multiple times as there is a lot of information to absorb. You can register at link below:

https://forms.gle/yW8SKQ9x28LzDTGW8

In Solidarity,
Tom

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Update on Vaccinations

Colleagues,
I wanted to send you all a quick follow-up regarding the expansion of eligibility for vaccinations.
First, one important change that I neglected to specify in my earlier email is that the all-important 1B category has been expanded to reflect what we have been advocating for over a month. What previously limited vaccination eligibility to “in person college faculty” now stipulates “in person college faculty and essential in-person staff.” That phrase is what we’ve been fighting for! This change, as the Chancellor points out, takes effect immediately. Additionally, on March 17, “public facing government and public employees” will be eligible.” That amplifies our entire membership’s eligibility for vaccination.
However, as many of you have written to me, there are two realities we face, one that can be dealt with quickly and one that will be dealt with through aggressive federal action. On the former, we have reached out to SUNY to request that the change be made to the state website to reflect the wording change ASAP. On the latter, the reality is that the supply of vaccines will still be limited. But, with increased production and delivery, we are hopeful that this problem will also be dealt with ASAP.
in the meantime, I urge all of you to keep checking the state website to see when the wording is corrected and then schedule yourself for vaccination immediately. It’s the safest way forward for all of us.
Stay in touch and please stay safe…
In Solidarity,
Fred
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UUP statement on COVID-19 vaccinations for SUNY on-campus employees

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 10, 2021

Statement by United University Professions President Frederick E. Kowal on priority COVID-19 vaccinations for all SUNY on-campus employees

“There is nothing more important than the safety of our members on the job, which is why UUP fought so diligently to ensure that all employees working in-person on campus be eligible for priority COVID-19 vaccinations. With the governor’s March 9 announcement, that is now the case.

“For months, UUP worked closely with SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras, state legislators and our union colleagues to extend priority vaccinations to include not only in-class faculty and instructors, but all on-campus employees who work with students and the public. Those essential employees include residential life directors, counselors, instructional support staff, librarians, financial aid staff, researchers and other similar positions.

“Last week, I sent a letter to the governor demanding that he grant vaccine eligibility to all on-campus employees. And nearly 4,000 people, most of them UUP members, signed a UUP petition calling on the governor to clear all SUNY employees working on campus for priority vaccinations.

“While we believe this situation should have been resolved months ago, we are grateful that all on-campus workers can be vaccinated effective March 17. Without UUP’s intervention, I am firmly convinced that these dedicated workers would still be ineligible for vaccinations to protect them from COVID-19.

“UUP will always do all it can to protect our members and ensure their safety on the job.”

UUP is the nation’s largest higher education union, with more than 42,000 academic and professional faculty and retirees. UUP members work at 29 New York state-operated campuses, including SUNY’s public teaching hospitals and health sciences centers in Brooklyn, Buffalo, Long Island and Syracuse. It is an affiliate of NYSUT, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, and the

AFL-CIO.