UUP Oneonta
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.
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.
Check out and RSVP for our February and March chapter meetings and events below!
February Chapter Meeting (Feb 11)
WHEN: Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at 12 PM
WHERE: Le Cafe, Morris Complex
RSVP: https://forms.gle/BfQ1hDCEwd84zUms9
LRS Workshop: Maximizing Your Contractual Leave Benefits
WHEN: Tuesday, February 17, 2026 at 12 PM
WHERE: Craven Lounge, Morris Complex
RSVP: https://forms.gle/3HfYT4pyASe6cwK77
DEI Session: The Gender Divide (Mar 3)
WHEN: Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at 12 PM
WHERE: Craven Lounge, Morris Complex
RSVP: https://forms.gle/477ofny85q1pxjKd9
March Chapter Meeting (Mar 11)
WHEN: Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at 12 PM
WHERE: Le Cafe, Morris Complex
RSVP: https://forms.gle/M9baygmYG8a7QQoR6
LRS Workshop: Civility in the Workplace (Mar 26)
WHEN: Thursday, March 26, 2026 at 12 PM
WHERE: Le Cafe, Morris Complex
RSVP: https://forms.gle/qTHoQQ2BKRbq9Qee7
To view our full events calendar, head on over to: https://uuphost.org/oneonta/events/
For our full list of chapter events, please refer to our Events page and/or Calendar!
Wednesday, November 19, 2025
Professional’s Luncheon with Statewide Vice President for Professionals Carolyn Kube
12:00 PM – Morris Hall, Le Cafe
Lunch: Greek Salad Buffet
Wednesday, November 19, 2025
UUP Unplugged: Topics and Conversation
Put your phones, laptops, and computers on pause, and join our union members to talk about current events and connect with your colleagues.
3:00 PM – Morris Conference Center, Room 104
Refreshments will be served
NO RSVP REQUIRED!
Friday, December 5, 2025
UUP Holiday Dinner Celebration
— SAVE THE DATE —
6:00 PM – The Elks Lodge, 84 Chestnut Street, Oneonta, NY 13820
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
UUP Unplugged: Topics and Conversation
Put your phones, laptops, and computers on pause, and join our union members to talk about current events and connect with your colleagues.
3:00 PM – Human Ecology, Martha Pratt Suite Room 144
Refreshments will be served
NO RSVP REQUIRED!
The next chapter meetings are on November 12 and December 10 in Morris Conference Center, Le Cafe. Chapter meetings are held the 2nd Wednesday of each month. Lunch provided! RSVP at the links below:
Dear Colleagues,
I’m writing to invite you to join our virtual Legislative Town Hall where we will gather input for UUP’s 2026 Legislative Agenda.
There will be two opportunities to join: Wednesday, October 15th at 6 pm and Tuesday, October 28th at noon. To sign up, please click here.
If you’re not able to attend but would like to submit your legislative proposals – click here.
Please also save the date for UUP’s Advocacy Day being held on February 24, 2026:
I encourage you to be active, participate in our advocacy efforts, and add your voice to the cause of our union. Your ideas and suggestions are critical for us to create a comprehensive agenda to take to the State Capitol.
In Solidarity,
Fred
Frederick E. Kowal, PhD
President
United University Professions
Labor Relations Specialist Workshop: Problem Solving in the Unionized Workplace: Gripes, Grievances, and Everything In-Between
with NYSUT Labor Relations Specialist Chris Sielaff
12:00 PM — Morris Hall, Le Cafe
Lunch: Fajita Bar
DEI Seminar: A Restorative Justice Approach to Immigration
12:00 PM — Morris Hall, Le Cafe
Lunch: Taco Bar
Labor Relations Specialist Workshop: Getting to Tenure
with NYSUT Labor Relations Specialist Chris Sielaff
9 AM — Morris Hall, Le Cafe
Breakfast: Coffee, Tea, Pastries, Fresh Fruit
The next chapter meetings are on SEPTEMBER 10 and OCTOBER 8 in Morris Hall, Le Cafe. Chapter Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month. Lunch provided.
For the full schedule of chapter meetings, visit the links below:
Meetings are held on the 2nd Wednesday of each month throughout the school year from September-May. The location is Le Cafe in Morris Complex, unless otherwise noted.
We often have a speaker or theme for each Chapter Meeting. Full lunch is served. Please see the schedule below. Invites will be sent out about two weeks ahead of each event.
We encourage you to come out to a Chapter Meeting and see what is going on with UUP Oneonta, and share good times with your colleagues!
September 10
October 8
November 12 – Location TBD
Most likely: Butternut Room – Hunt Union
December 10
February 11
March 11
April 8
May 13
These dates can also be seen on our calendar:
UUP’s contract doesn’t expire for another 11 months, but the union’s Negotiations Team has already been hard at work, preparing for possibility opening talks on a new agreement with the state in the next few months.
Usually, negotiations for a new contract begin closer to the end of the current pact, but things could move swiftly this year. With a gubernatorial election in November 2026, there’s every possibility that UUP could be at the table well in advance of its negotiations timetable for the last several contracts, including the 2022-2026 agreement—ratified by members some 13 months after the previous contract (2018-2022) ran out.
“We think we have a chance to get to the table in the fall, which would be notably in advance of what we’ve done in the past,” said UUP Chief Negotiator Bret Benjamin. “If that opportunity turns out to be available, we want to be ready to walk through that door.”
To facilitate that, the Team has already scheduled its “Virtual Listening Tour,” a series of listening sessions to give members an opportunity to share what they’d like to see in a new UUP contract.
And here’s a change: Instead of holding forums for each chapter individually, the Team will hold some sessions with chapters grouped together geographically. For example, Canton, Plattsburgh and Potsdam chapter members will attend the same forum Aug. 28. A session for members at Farmingdale, Maritime and Old Westbury is set for Sept. 15.
“We’ve combined some campuses because we’re trying to expedite our preparations to get to the table early,” Benjamin said. “With our listening sessions, we want to hear whatever people see as pressing concerns in their work lives. We’re eager to hear what people are saying and we will do our best to address their concerns as a union.”
The Team has also scheduled three statewide virtual listening sessions for members who missed their chapter forum or just want to attend to find out more about the negotiations process. Those meetings are scheduled at noon on Sept. 16 and Sept. 22; and at 4 p.m. on Sept. 19.
Please note:
To RSVP for the virtual Oneonta chapter listening session on August 27th at 4:00 PM, or one of the virtual statewide makeup sessions, visit this link or click the button below: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSean3NoJJTmUywsFjh4oe4znkhqpvDcBbbxQF6eooer770gfA/viewform
You can also share your concerns with the Negotiations team on the following SurveyMonkey form: http://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OneontaUUPCONTRACT
Workload for Professionals
with Chris Sielaff and Carolyn Kube
-professionals only-
12-1pm – Le Cafe – Morris Complex
Lunch: Taco Bar
Please RSVP to oneonta@uupmail.org by Monday, April 28th at 12pm Noon
Monthly Chapter Meeting
12-1pm – Otsego Grille – Morris Complex
Lunch: Pizza + Salad
Please RSVP to oneonta@uupmail.org by Monday, April 28th at 12pm Noon
Spring Picnic at College Camp
11 AM – 4 PM – College Camp
Lunch served at 1 PM
No deposit this year
RSVP to oneonta@uupmail.org required by Thursday, May 8th at 12pm Noon