Latest News - UUP Oneonta

November & December 2026 Events

Post author By efox
Post date October 19, 2026

Looking forward to celebrating our contract gains as we move into the winter months! Remember, you can always check out our full calendar on our Events page.

November

3rd – Remote Workshop – Contract Update
Noon – 1pm – Virtual
RSVP BELOW FOR THE ZOOM LINK:

RSVP HERE »

4th – DEI Session: Intercultural Engagement at the Global Level
Noon-1pm – Human Ecology – Martha Pratt Suite 144

RSVP HERE »

11th – Chapter Meeting – Topic: Ambassador Training
Noon-1pm – Hunt Union – Butternut Room

RSVP HERE »

December

3rd – UUP Unplugged
2-4pm – Hunt Union – Catskill Room
NO RSVP NEEDED!

11th – UUP Oneonta Holiday Celebration
5-8pm – The O at 112, 112 Main Street, Otego, NY

RSVP HERE »

Tags Events, In-Person Actions

Events

Introducing the Human Education, Learning, & Labor Alliance (HELLA)

Post author By efox
Post date September 30, 2026

The Human Education, Learning, & Labor Alliance (HELLA) is a budding coalition of students, faculty, staff, and community members associated with Higher Education in New York State committed to critical, multi-faceted discourse about Artificial Intelligence and automation technologies on our campuses and in our communities.

HELLA WEBSITE »

The coalition seeks to promote initiatives to bolster agency in AI and tech use, dialogue and education about the stakes and impacts of AI, and organize for inclusive decision-making around AI’s impacts on our campuses, economy, and environment.

HELLA supports technology that serves people rather than simply being imposed upon them. The coalition believes decisions about AI and automation should reflect the voices of students asked to learn with these systems, the workers asked to use them, and the communities that are asked to tolerate the broader social and environmental consequences.

HELLA seeks to advance human-centered education, dignified labor, democratic governance, and responsible technological development. The coalition resists the uncritical adoption of AI and automation when it undermines learning, deskills developing learners, displaces workers, or removes meaningful human judgment from decisions that affect people’s lives. Instead, it advocates for technologies and policies that expand human capacity and opportunity while keeping people meaningfully in control of the institutions and systems that shape their lives.

Learn more about HELLA »

Join HELLA’s first forum on October 19 at 12pm to learn more about the coalition and how you can contribute!

LeARN MORE & RSVP »

Tags Artificial Intelligence, HELLA, News, Online Actions

Political Action

Meet the Candidates: Blake Gendebien and Cait Conley

Post author By efox
Post date September 23, 2026

Screenshot

Blake Gendebien and Cait Conley, two of our endorsed candidates for Congress, are holding upcoming “Meet the Candidates” zoom sessions. They will discuss the cost of living, protecting good union jobs, and issues affecting working families this Election Day.

I will be joining the zoom session, and I hope you will too.

Blake Gendebien
Thursday, September 24th at 5 pm

Meet Blake Gendebien »

Cait Conley
Monday, September 28th at 5 pm

Meet Cait Conley »

Participants are encouraged to submit a question with their registration.

Thanks,

Fred Kowal

Tags Online Actions, Political Action

Political Action

September 19th Labor Walks

Post author By efox
Post date September 15, 2026

Dear Colleagues,

Election Day—Tuesday, November 3—is only 50 days away. That means we have just seven Saturdays left to shape the outcome of this election. We need to elect statewide leaders—including the Governor, Attorney General, and Comptroller—along with members of Congress and the state legislature who will defend public higher education and stand with the labor movement. The 2024 elections showed us that elections have real consequences for our institutions, our values, and our work. After two years of sustained attacks from Washington, now is the time to fightback! We can help shift the balance of power in Congress and strengthen our allies in the state legislature—but only if we take action.

Below are Labor Walks taking place this Saturday, September 19^th in the following four regions: Capital District, Long Island, Mid-Hudson/Westchester and Rochester.

Please sign up for one of these Labor Walks. A strong UUP presence at these events will make a meaningful difference, so be sure to wear your red UUP T-shirt. If you need a shirt, email Teresa Swartz at tswartz@uupmail.org with the quantity and sizes you need, and we will send them to you.

Also, be sure to take pictures of UUP members at these events. Send photos to Mike Lisi (mlisi@uupmail.org) and Amy Sheldon (asheldon@uupmail.org) for use in UUP publications, the UUP website, and on social media. Please include the name of the event and any details about the event, when possible.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19^th LABOR WALKS

CAPITAL DISTRICT

CDALF Labor Walk for Blake Gendebien & Carrie Woerner

Time: 11am – 1 pm
Location: Glens Falls, NY
Register HERE

CAPITAL DISTRICT Labor Walk »

LONG ISLAND

LI Fed Labor Walk for Josh Slaughter

Time: 10:00 am

Location: TBD
Register HERE

Long Island Labor Walk »

MID-HUDSON/WESTCHESTER

WPCLB Labor to Labor Canvassing

Time: 10:00 am – 12 pm

Location: White Plains, NY
Register HERE

Mid-Hudson Labor Walk »

WESTERN NY

Rochester Labor Council Labor to Labor Walk

Time: 10 am – 12 pm

Location: 30 N Union St – Rochester, NY
Register HERE

Western NY Labor Walk »

As always, thank you for what you do!

In Solidarity,

Fred

Tags Events, In-Person Actions, Political Action

News

October 7 Payroll – Salary Increases

Post author By efox
Post date September 2, 2026

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:

2026-2031 Contract Agreement Summary »

Additional salary increases will follow each year in July for the length of the contract.

Tags Contract Negotiations, News

Events Member Articles

UUP Susquehanna River Paddle

Post author By tdesantis
Post date August 24, 2026

UUP Susquehanna River Paddle-Saturday, September 26, 2026

Annual Paddle Event:

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

Tags Events

Featured Events

September & October 2026 Events

Post author By efox
Post date August 15, 2026

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

Chapter Meeting

September 9 || 12:00-1:00 pm
Morris Conference Center, Le Café

RSVP HERE »

Contract Update Workshop

September 22 || 12:00-1:00 pm
Morris Conference Center, Le Café

RSVP HERE »

UUP Unplugged

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

Chapter Meeting

October 14 || 12:00-1:00 pm
Morris Conference Center, Le Café

RSVP HERE »

Professionals’ Luncheon

with UUP Statewide VP for Professionals Carolyn Kube
October 15 || 12:00-1:00 pm
Hunt Union, Waterfront Cafe

RSVP HERE »

UUP Unplugged

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:

UUP ONEONTA EVENTS »

Tags Events, Featured, General Meeting, In-Person Actions

Tier 6 Reform

Post author By efox
Post date August 5, 2026

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

Tier Six One Pager Download »

Tags Benefits, Fix Tier 6, News, Retirement

Featured Events

Tentative Agreement Negotiations Presentations

Post author By efox
Post date June 9, 2026

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.

Tentative Negotiation Presentations Flyer Download »

Strong Oneonta Representation at the Spring 2026 Delegate Assembly

Post author By tdesantis
Post date April 30, 2026

By Shirley A. Clark, Oneonta UUP Chapter President

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.