Category: General

From Fred Kowal:

On Wednesday, November 2nd at 6pm labor unions and supporters from across the Capital Region will rally at the Albany Labor Temple in support of Gov. Kathy Hochul, Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado and the rest of the slate of candidates endorsed by UUP and NYSUT. This is a critical election for our members. We have developed a strong and productive relationship with the Governor and her team. In the final stretch we must show up, speak up, and vote.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1UR_w6qIDMnbf5Zmy5kyPs-rDLbrTeLX0HWeeYXqh85g/edit

Please wear your UUP red! If you need a UUP t-shirt, please email Celine Mell at cmell@uupmail.org to coordinate.

Hope to see you there!

Good Afternoon…

The NYSUT Social Justice Department invites you to participate in a workshop from NYSUT’s Many Threads, One Fabric. This training is titled “Sticks & Stones: Understanding Implicit Bias & Stereotypes.”

The workshop will be held virtually on Saturday, October 29, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (Breaks will be provided) Participants will explore the meaning of implicit and explicit bias as well as discover ways to confront and combat the bias within ourselves and others.

The purpose is to empower our members in raising awareness of the role that implicit bias plays in our classrooms, the education system, and the impact it has on our students, families and colleagues.

You must register for the workshop using the link below, by or before Close of Business on October 27, 2022.  

You are invited to a Zoom meeting.

When: Oct 29, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://nysut.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJckdOiupjotGdyqmNaBnPtJ_1u8da5QE5R2

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

In solidarity,

Philippe

J. Philippe Abraham

He, Him, El

Secretary-Treasurer, NYSUT

We have just gotten word that the Division of Budget has released Budget Bulletin D-1200,  Budget Bulletin D-1200 (ny.gov), which contains directions to state agencies concerning  how the health care retention bonuses will be paid to state employees. This covers SUNY employees who are performing qualifying service, in qualifying titles, who will be eligible for these bonuses. We are presently studying the documents to get as clear a picture as possible as to who is included. 

Having said that, those working in qualifying service in qualifying titles at the SUNY hospitals, at the UB dental school, at Optometry, and in student health clinics at all SUNY campuses will be eligible.  Individual employees will not be required to apply for or submit any individual documentation to qualify, SUNY management will be responsible for identifying all employees who qualify.  

This is a big win for our members and is the result of lots of hard work in advocacy with the governor’s office. Stay tuned for more information.

UUP is participating in this year’s Capital District Labor Parade being held on Friday, September 9, in Albany!  We’re excited to invite you to this fun solidarity event! 

Line up starts at 5:15 PM. Please note that parking is at the Corning Preserve and attendees will be shuttled to the Parade start at Academy Park across from the State Capitol. As a show of solidarity as we are in contract negotiations, please wear your red UUP t-Shirt! 

When: Friday, Sept. 9, 2022 6:00 PM

Where: New York State Education Department Building, 89 Washington Avenue Albany, NY 12234

Cost: FREE ADMISSION

Phone: 518-783-9957

Schedule:

5:00 pm – Arrival time, park at the Corning Preserve beneath 787. CDTA buses will shuttle participants to the Parade Start (Academy Park across from State Capitol). Parade lineup below NYS Education Building.

5:15 pm-5:30 pm – Parade lineup

6:00 pm – Parade begins

There will be food, music, a rock wall, game truck, and fireworks at dark.

UUP has gotten the telecommuting agreement extended to December 31st, 2022. We continue to fight for it to be extended further as well as to get it into our next contract.

Dear Colleagues,   On Labor Day, Monday, September 5, working people across the country will celebrate the achievements of the labor movement. I’m writing to invite you to join UUP, the AFL-CIO, Central Labor Councils across New York State, and our coalition partners on Labor Day as we honor the hard work of our union colleagues and friends. This is an important show of solidarity, not only among UUP and its membership, but with the statewide labor movement.   Additionally, on Saturday, Sept. 10, UUP will be participating in the nation’s largest Labor Day Parade in New York City!   We urge you and your colleagues to join us—please share this information widely.   Click HERE to register and find out more information about an event near you:   Western New York: Labor Day Parade, Sept. 5 Capital District: BBQ Picnic and Celebration, Sept. 5 Syracuse, NY: NYS Fair Labor Day Parade, Sept. 5 Massena, NY: Labor Day Parade and Solidarity Celebration, Sept. 5 New York City: NYC Labor Day Parade, Sept. 10   In solidarity,   Frederick E. Kowal, Ph.D. President United University Professions

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