Categories
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion General

Join UUP SOUL Committee on June 30

Dear Colleagues,

For over 50 years, the month of June has been dedicated to honoring and commemorating members of the LGBTQ+ communities. Pride Month is an important time to celebrate, but it is also a time to consider the challenges still faced by LGBTQ+ people around the world.

On Thursday, June 30 at 12 PM, I invite you to join me and members of the UUP statewide Sexual Orientations United for Liberty (SOUL) Committee who will lead a meaningful discussion on WORDS MATTER: The Erasure of LGBTQ+ Lives. More than a dozen states have proposed the Don’t Say Gay bills that mirror the controversial Florida law, which bars discussion of gender identity or sexual orientation topics for students in kindergarten through third grade. Panelists will consider how such bills will impact the youth they target, and whether those bills rob students’ rights to freedom of speech and confidential health care.

Panelists include:

Kelly Keck: UUP SOUL Committee chair; UUP statewide Executive Board member; Delhi Chapter President

Jess Blake: EOP Counselor at SUNY Delhi; co-chair, SUNY Delhi Faculty & Staff of Color Association

Mattie Cerio: Social Worker, Upstate Medical University

Luca Jurich: LGBTQ Patient Services Coordinator, Upstate Medical University

Sean Massey: Associate Professor, Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Binghamton University; former Binghamton Chapter President

London Wright: Staff Therapist and Outreach Coordinator, LeMoyne College, Syracuse

We urge you and your colleagues to register in advance to attend this meaningful virtual event (see attached flyer).

We also encourage you to utilize the UUP Pride Month Social Media Toolkit by sharing the images on your personal and chapter’s social media outlets during the month of Pride and please consider displaying the UUP Pride virtual backgrounds while on meetings. Both resources were developed in coordination with the SOUL Committee.

Please share this information with your colleagues. I hope to see you on June 30 for this important discussion.

In solidarity,

Frederick E. Kowal, Ph.D.

President United University Professions

Categories
General

Negotiations Update 6/1/22

Dear Colleagues,

It’s official. Negotiations over our next contract with the State have begun. On Friday, May 27, the UUP Negotiations Team met with representatives from the State’s Office of Employee Relations, Department of Civil Service, Division of the Budget and SUNY to formally begin negotiations.  

At this first session we presented our package of conceptual proposals. These proposals were developed by the UUP Negotiation Team, based on the extensive member input we received, and approved by the UUP Negotiations Committee prior to their presentation to the State. These conceptual proposals outline a targeted but ambitious bargaining agenda that attempts to address the varied needs of a diverse bargaining unit. 

We have now posted the UUP 2022 Conceptual Proposals, along with our next Negotiations Bulletin, in Members Only on the UUP website.  Please share this information widely with your membership, keeping in mind that the information is posted to the Members Only section of the website to ensure that we are communicating directly and exclusively with our membership and not with SUNY management, the state, or members of the public. 

UUP Members may access the conceptual proposals and the bulletin at UUP | United University Professions (uupinfo.org) by clicking on “Members Only” on the Member drop down bar and following the directions in the ‘Members Only portal” for logging in. To log in members will need their UUP membership ID number, which can be found in the lower left-hand corner of their UUP membership card. Members will also need their UUP chapter code, which is listed on pay statements and in electronic payroll records as either their “department code”, “campus code”, or “agency code”. 

Additionally, we encourage all members who wish to learn more about UUP’s bargaining agenda to register for one of our upcoming virtual Town Hall sessions where Chief Negotiator, Bret Benjamin and Counsel to the President, Elizabeth Hough will present the conceptual proposals and answer questions. Town Halls will be held on June 8 at noon and 4pm, and June 9 at noon and 7pm.  Please register in advance, and sign up for only one session to allow as many members as possible an opportunity to participate.    

In solidarity,  

Fred Kowal, UUP President

Categories
Advocacy and Action General

NYSUT Statewide Member Organizing Institute, Summer 2022

Hey, NYSUT Members in New York State! We want YOU to be a part of the plan to build the strongest union in history. Join the NYSUT Member Organizing Institute. With attacks on public schools, colleges, and workers coming from both the state and federal level, it’s sometimes challenging to have your voice heard and to make a difference.  That’s why NYSUT founded the Member Organizing Institute. Launched in the summer of 2017, we are rapidly building our statewide network of member organizers who will take a leading role in the campaign to promote our members’ rights and fight for educational justice!

Program Requirements

Successful applicants should feel comfortable having one-to-one conversations with members of NYSUT at their homes (the work you do will be in the region where you live or work). These conversations aim to be deeply engaging and build a long-lasting relationship between members and their union.

The NYSUT Statewide Member Organizing Institute requires participants to commit to all aspects of the program.

In particular, all participants will be expected to:

  • Complete either 12 or 18 shifts (4 hours each) over the 12 week duration of the program.
  • Attend (1) one of (4) four multi day training sessions:
    • June 28 & 29, Rochester Regional Office, Rochester NY
    • July 5 & 6, Nassau NYSUT Regional Office, Long Island, NY
    • July 7 & 8, Sleepy Hollow Hotel & Conference Center, Tarrytown NY
    • July 8, 9, & 10, NYSUT Headquarters, Latham NY
  • Accept observation and constructive feedback from NYSUT Organizers.
  • Be comfortable with the basic navigation of a smartphone.
  • Be on their feet walking for most of their shift, including in inclement weather and after dark. Driving between houses may be required as well.
  • Because we will be visiting members at their home, participants must be vaccinated or provide weekly negative COVID tests.

Shifts & Compensation

Members accepted to participate in the NYSUT Member Organizing Institute will receive $25 an hour as well as reimbursement for mileage and tolls.

Apply Today

The deadline for applying to the NYSUT Member Organizing Institute is June 10, 2022.

Link to Apply: https://nysut.cc/moi2022

Questions?

Please email Megan O’Brien: Megan.OBrien@nysut.org