UUP OneontaNews from and about UUP Oneonta
We have received confirmation from the Office of the State Comptroller that UUP members’ retroactive pay and salary adjustments will be included in the October 7 payroll. The retroactive pay will be effective back to July 2, 2026.
As a reminder, members will receive a 4.5% salary increase for the period of July 2, 2026 through July 1, 2027. You can view a summary of the entire 2026-2031 agreement below:
Additional salary increases will follow each year in July for the length of the contract.
UUP Oneonta members and their guests are invited to participate in a Susquehanna River paddle on Saturday, September 26, 2026, launching at 1:00 PM and returning at 3:00 PM. This event is designed to strengthen chapter activism through a solidarity paddle and to deepen our community engagement by highlighting the importance of protecting the Susquehanna River.
Members who do not have a canoe or kayak, life jacket, or paddle may rent equipment at Canoe & Kayak Rentals and Sales in Portlandville, NY, located on NYS Highway 28 along the river. Rental policy information is available on their website: https://canoeandkayakrentals.com/
Both single and tandem canoes/kayaks are available for rental. Participants bringing their own equipment should meet at the NYS Highway 28 DEC canoe and fishing access pull-off, located a few hundred yards south of the rental business. Parking is free and plentiful at both locations.
This is a recreational, non‑competitive event. Paddlers will travel together at an easy pace. This stretch of the Susquehanna features still water with minimal current, making it an accessible paddle both upriver and downriver.
If weather conditions require rescheduling, all registered participants will be notified by email.
To sign up or ask questions, email UUP Oneonta Secretary and paddle coordinator Bill Simons at William.Simons@oneonta.edu.
Signup emails should include your name, email address, telephone number, the names of any guests, and whether you will bring your own canoe/kayak or rent one.
Contact Oneonta UUP: oneonta@uupmail.org
(607) 436-2135
We are looking forward to another great academic year.
As a friendly reminder, we provide lunch at most (if not all) of our events! RSVPing at the Google Form links below helps us get an accurate count for lunch orders, so please fill them out if you intend to join us.
September 9 || 12:00-1:00 pm
Morris Conference Center, Le Café
September 22 || 12:00-1:00 pm
Morris Conference Center, Le Café
September 24 || 2:00-3:00 pm
Human Ecology 144 (Martha Pratt Suite)
NO RSVP NEEDED — COME BY AND CHAT WITH COLLEAGUES OVER REFRESHMENTS!
October 14 || 12:00-1:00 pm
Morris Conference Center, Le Café
with UUP Statewide VP for Professionals Carolyn Kube
October 15 || 12:00-1:00 pm
Hunt Union, Waterfront Cafe
October 29 || 2:00-3:00 pm
Human Ecology 144 (Martha Pratt Suite)
NO RSVP NEEDED — COME BY AND CHAT WITH COLLEAGUES OVER REFRESHMENTS!
Remember, you can find our full list of events at uuphost.org/oneonta/events or by clicking the button below:
Dear Colleagues,
As you know, one of our most significant victories in the past legislative session was winning the fight to “fix tier 6.” It took a great deal of work, as we had to convince the Governor and the legislature to undertake these reforms so as to benefit our younger members and to provide the means by which SUNY could attract and retain the best professionals and academics at our campuses and hospitals.
There has been a great deal of questions and some confusion about what we won. So, to help members get the clearest explanation of what the fix means, we’ve developed a one-page document that should be distributed far and wide at our chapters.
The document is attached. It delineates the statutory changes made to the Optional Retirement Program (ORP), the NYS Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) and the NYS & Local Retirement System (ERS) pension plans. Please note that the reforms made to Tier 6 are not uniform. If you have any questions, please email or call Chris Black, the Director of Legislative & Government Affairs. Chris can be reached via email at cblack@uupmail.org or via phone at 518-640-6600. (Chapter Presidents – feel free to share this document with members).
Thanks to all of you who took part in our legislative advocacy to get this win for our colleagues. It’s a big one and will benefit around 7,000 UUPers!
In Solidarity,
Fred
You are eligible to join as long as you became a member prior to June 5, 2026. Your union membership must be confirmed before you receive the zoom link.
Don’t know your membership number? Call 518-640-6624
You can still register without the number, but you will not receive the link until your membership has been confirmed. Thank you.
The Spring 2026 Delegate Assembly saw a powerful turnout from the Oneonta UUP Chapter, demonstrating our chapter’s ongoing commitment to statewide union governance and member advocacy. Representing Oneonta were: President Shirley Clark, Vice President for Professionals Jessie Simpauco, Secretary William Simons, Acting Treasurer Michael McAvoy, Officer for Retirees Jerianne Jerminario, and Delegates Ed Wesnofske, Political Outreach Coordinator Ethan Fox, Achim Koeddermann, Matthew Unangst, Christine Edwards, Anthony Nichols, and Penina Kamina.
A Resolution Honoring the service of Richard F. Tyler, past Treasurer, was read by the Chapter President, Shirley Clark during the Spring DA. Held in Albany from April 23–25, the Assembly brought together UUP members from across the state to discuss priorities, vote on leadership, and strengthen our collective voice. While statewide leadership elections went uncontested, the Executive Board elections saw meaningful democratic engagement. Matt Smith of ESF unseated Susan Orr of Brockport for an academic seat, and Brendan McGovern secured a professional seat that had been vacated. These elections reflect the healthy, participatory nature of our union and the value we place on member-driven leadership.
To download a copy of this article, click this link:
Links to take the Administrative Assessment survey have been sent out to all active UUP Oneonta members via email.
Please check the email address you have on file with UUP Statewide for these communications and take the survey at your earliest convenience!
In order to ensure a high response rate, we will be sending out additional emails prompting our members to take the survey. If you have difficulty finding these emails or require a link to the survey, please contact us from the address that you have on file with the union:
Shortly, all members of the bargaining unit will receive the survey: Quality of Professional Life & Administrative Assessment: Part II. (Part I – Quality of Life was completed and then published in 2017). Working with Senior Chapter Officers, members of Executive Board, and other senior members, Robert Compton, the Interim VP for Academics created a streamlined survey. Ethan Fox (UUP Oneonta Communications Committee) and Dr. Jen-Ting Wang were gracious with their time, advice, and technical programing. Dissemination and tabulation of the survey will be electronic and guarantees the anonymity of the respondent. Our survey is periodic and ongoing, and this is our seventh iteration and the last complete survey response rate was 48.7% (full-time).
Those to be evaluated include the Offices of the President, Associate/Vice Presidents, and Associate/Deans across all divisions. The current or immediate occupant of the position will be identified in the survey. Please note that the draft survey below is provided for informational purposes below.
The rationale for the conduct of this survey rests on several factors, amongst them:
The administration offices to be evaluated and the current occupants are noted (in parenthesis) below:
This May 1st, We Say “Fair Contract Now” & “Workers Over Billionaires”!
UUP Oneonta, CSEA Oneonta, Cooperstown Oneonta Indivisible and more will hold a rally on May 1, 2026 (May Day / International Workers’ Day) in support of a fair, on-time contract for public higher education workers in New York State — and in defense of higher education jobs, the students they serve, academic freedom, and democracy.
This rally joins a coordinated national day of action, led by the May Day Strong coalition, bringing together workers, immigrants, students, and families in a growing list of thousands of rallies, marches, walkouts, town halls, and teach-ins.
Families across the country are facing rising costs of housing, healthcare, groceries, and child care while billionaires and corporations attack our neighbors, shred government budgets to fill their pockets, and reshape the rules to protect their power.
On May 1, participants will demand:
Together, we will take action alongside workers, parents, students, and community members who are uniting to demand better, safer, and stronger communities — places that put the needs of working families first. We’re standing up for thriving neighborhood public schools, affordable housing, and access to high-quality healthcare, prioritizing people over the profits of billionaires and their corporations.
This May Day, we will reshape how our nation responds to the needs of working families by centering their lived experiences. We are building momentum toward a future that protects the rights, dignity, and well-being of everyone who works for a living.
A commitment to nonviolent action is a core principle behind all May Day events. All hosts and participants are expected to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who may disagree.
SUNY Oneonta, IRC Quad (Rain location: IRC 1)
Refreshments for attendees served after the rally in Milne Library 102A
May 1st from 12-1pm
Refreshments in Milne Library 102A from 1-3pm
The campus has accessible parking, entry, and ramps. We will also have some tables and chairs for attendees. Please see the Accessible Campus Routes Map, and contact the Office of Facilities at 607-436-3224 or at facilities@oneonta.edu for more detailed information.
We have signs and posters available to pick up at our Chapter Office in IRC 105, and will have more to distribute to rally participants the day of the event!
Higher Education Labor United (HELU) May Day Toolkit:
Hands Off Higher Ed: May Day 2026 Toolkit
Are you a student or community member who wants to connect with public higher education workers to learn about our concerns and priorities? Sign up to be a UUP Oneonta Rapid Responder and you’ll receive late-breaking opportunities to support the local fights that our members care about! We’ll alert you to calls for political advocacy, labor solidarity actions, ways to fight for a strong UUP contract and much more.
PLEASE PROVIDE A VALID NON-.EDU EMAIL IN THE FORM: https://bit.ly/uuponey-rr
April 2
UUP Unplugged
1:00 – 2:00 pm || Human Ecology 144 – Martha Pratt Suite
NO RSVP NEEDED!
April 8
Chapter Meeting
Noon – 1:00 pm || Morris Hall – Le Cafe
UUP Statewide President Fred Kowal to give update on Contract Negotiations
April 9
Professionals Luncheon
Noon – 1:00 pm || Morris Hall – Le Cafe
UUP Statewide Vice President for Professionals Carolyn Kube to give update on Professional Survey
May 1
May Day (International Workers’ Day) Rally with CSEA Oneonta
IRC Quad
May 13
Chapter Meeting
Noon – 1:00 pm || Morris Hall – Le Cafe
May 17
UUP Oneonta Chapter Picnic
11:00 am – 4:00 pm || College Camp
BBQ Chicken, Corn, Baked Potato, Vegetable Lasagna, and more!
A family-friendly event – bring up to 3 guests.
Despite the date shifting to March 17 due to winter storm Hernando, the Oneonta UUP Chapter still turned out to be a strong group of members committed to advocating for investment in SUNY. A dedicated team of SUNY Oneonta faculty and professionals traveled to Albany for Advocacy Day, joining colleagues from across the state to push for meaningful funding for public higher education. Representing SUNY Oneonta were Ethan Fox, Penina Kamina, Anthony Nichols, Jessie Simpauco, Shirley Clark, and Marvin Rodriguez, each lending their voice to a unified call for a stronger, more equitable SUNY. Our team had the opportunity to speak directly with Assemblyman Brian Miller and advocate for our SUNY budget priorities. Ethan Fox stepped forward to make a video with a strong message to Governor Hochul: Tax the Rich! Meanwhile, Anthony and Marvin went on to distribute literature containing our requests to Legislatures inside the Capitol Building. Our district Senator, Peter Oberacker, unfortunately was not present at this meeting, so we followed up with an e-mail request outlining the UUPs Budget priorities for SUNY.
The SUNY Oneonta delegation’s presence in Albany underscored a simple truth: New York’s public universities are indispensable, but they cannot thrive without meaningful state partnership. Our commitment and strong turnout for Oneonta UUP on Advocacy Day reflects a shared assurance to strengthening SUNY; not just for today’s students, but for generations to come.
For a downloadable, printable version of this article please click here or see below: