The SUNY Board of Trustees approved two early retirement incentive programs at its June 29 meeting. The programs are designed to further cut costs for SUNY through voluntary employee reduction incentive programs.

The first incentive program requires eligible employees to be at least 50 years old with a minimum 10 years of service. SUNY will determine the job titles that qualify for the early retirement program. Employees enrolled in the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) who are deemed eligible to participate will receive a contribution of one month’s pay for each year of service multiplied by 15 percent, multiplied by their salary, up to a maximum of 45 percent of their salary. Employees enrolled in the Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) or Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) who qualify will receive an additional service credit of one month for each year of credited service, up to a maximum of 36 months. Retirements must occur by Dec. 31.

The second incentive program is more limited, applying to ERS and TRS members in Tiers 2, 3 and 4. Employees must be between the ages of 55 and 61 and have at least 25 years of service. SUNY has the power to exclude positions from the incentive deemed critical for the maintenance of health and safety. Retirements must take place by Sept. 30.

Among other actions, the SUNY board approved a resolution to explore the feasibility of having Upstate Medical University purchase Community General Hospital, located in Syracuse.

— Donald Feldstein

Matthew Annis, a graduate student at UAlbany’s Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, was hired in July as the other John M. Reilly legislative intern. He joins Kathryn Fantauzzi to help handle UUP’s increased political action and outreach efforts.

Annis is working 20 hours a week through May 2011 tracking proposed legislation, researching and analyzing issues for potential legislation, arranging visits to lawmakers’ offices, and other duties associated with the union’s Legislation Department.

Annis is pursuing a master’s degree in public administration. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology, with a minor in political science, from SUNY Oneonta, and his associate’s degree in aviation operations from Daniel Webster College in New Hampshire.

“Matt has proven himself as an asset to UUP’s legislative efforts, which comes as no surprise considering his tremendous personal and professional experiences,” said UUP Secretary Eileen Landy, who heads the union’s Legislation Department. “The fact that Matt is known to our Oneonta colleagues makes him a wonderful fit.”

Prior to joining UUP, Annis was a case management intern with the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, based in Albany, where he coordinated social services and financials for incoming refugees. Before that, he was an executive intern assessing emergency preparedness campaigns with the state Office of Homeland Security in Albany.

The internship is named in honor of the late John Reilly, UUP’s president from 1987-1993.

— Karen L. Mattison

In the midst of a tumultuous political year, nearly three dozen UUPers got together with hundreds of NYSUT Political Action Committee members at NYSUT’s 2010 Presidents’ Conference on Endorsements. They faced a daunting task: selecting which candidates to support in an election that will decide New York’s next governor and the political party that will control the state Senate.

NYSUT Executive Vice President Andy Pallotta set the tone when he opened the mid-August conference in Albany.

“We didn’t like what we got” from a state budget that was adopted 125 days late, he said. The budget slashed $152 million from SUNY and $1.4 billion in state aid to public schools.

“Do we reward bad behavior?” Pallotta asked, suggesting a standard for determining which candidates do not deserve endorsements. “We have to stand strong and say: ‘You have done this to public education and we cannot back you.'”

Candidates’ positions on the so-called Public Higher Education Empowerment and Innovation Act (PHEEIA) proved to be a critical factor in determining who walked away with a NYSUT endorsement.

“We cannot support anyone who supports PHEEIA,” UUP President Phil Smith told the conference. Recognizing that PHEEIA is still lurking despite the fact it was put aside as the budget was finalized, Smith added, “We’ve got to drive a stake into PHEEIA once and for all.”

Tom Tucker of Buffalo Center drew a strong analogy to impress upon NYSUT’s K-12 members the threat posed by PHEEIA: “PHEEIA is as dangerous to us as charter schools are to K-12.”

PHEEIA sparked emotional debate in a meeting of members from Western New York, where “UB 2020” legislation germinated PHEEIA. Among their decisions they faced: whether to endorse Sen. William Stachowski (D-Lake View), who held up final passage of the budget for weeks in an effort to include PHEEIA. For Buffalo HSC Chapter President Ray Dannenhoffer, the question was a no-brainer.

“He championed a bill that would destroy SUNY,” he said. The group eventually elected not to endorse Stachowski or any of his opponents.

A sure indication of just how careful conference members were in handing out endorsements was clearly reflected in the race for governor. Despite Democrat Andrew Cuomo’s huge lead in the polls, conference attendees suggested no endorsement. Pallotta referred to Cuomo’s support for PHEEIA among other considerations. Pallotta explained NYSUT could revisit its decision about Cuomo later if they got an indication that Cuomo’s stances had favorably shifted.

In other statewide races, NYSUT threw its support behind Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. No endorsement was made in the race for attorney general, pending the results of the September primary.

The NYSUT Board of Directors selected the final list of endorsed candidates based on the recommendations of its members. The union’s endorsement for statewide races, Congress and the state Legislature not only means campaign contributions, but additional support from the state’s largest union phone-bank operation.

— Donald Feldstein

Alfred assistant professor Douglas Pierson knew he had to return to Haiti to help after January’s devastating earthquake.

Pierson, who lived in Haiti for a time as a veterinary field worker, led a group of student volunteers to Haiti in May to help bring aid to the ravaged country.

Oneonta associate professor Karen Joest went to Peru in June to help homeless kids, known as “street children.” There, she and 16 Oneonta students dug a mile-long trench to bring stream water to an orphanage.

Canton admissions advisor Sabel Bong spent a hot August Saturday behind a grill in Schenectady, cooking up spicy Cambodian curry chicken at a fundraiser for C.O.C.O.A. House, a nonprofit after-school tutoring and mentoring program for city kids.

Environmental Science and Forestry union member William Burry is part of a church ministry at a Syracuse-area prison. Buffalo Center member Susan Udin recently volunteered her time to put smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in senior citizens’ homes with Parkside

Community Association, a non-profit group that aids the elderly.

And UUP’s “Caring For Communities” program has provided many givebacks to communities across the state over the years, from donating eyeglasses for the Lions Club to collecting food donations for regional food banks.

These are just a few examples of the many ways UUPers choose to give back to their communities on a local, national or international level.

And there are many, many more.

Starting this month, The Voice will begin a new series called “Our Give Backs,” which will spotlight UUPers who take time out of their busy lives to volunteer in their communities and around the globe.

If you’ve got an “Our Give Backs” story you’d like to share, The Voice would love to hear it.

Contact Mike Lisi, UUP’s communications specialist, at (518) 640-6609 or at mlisi@uupmail.org.

Unionized state employees give back to their community in many ways.

One of them is by aiding health and human services organizations in New York by donating to the State Employees Federated Appeal (SEFA).

This year, there’s an extra giveback: SEFA is going green.

That’s more than a slogan to SEFA, which collected more than $9.1 million from state employees during its 2009 fund drive. The concept is reflected in the organization’s ad campaign poster, which depicts the shape of a heart with a photo of the world inside being held by hands. The slogan: “Going Green so that your contribution goes further. Please give today!”

SEFA will also print fewer brochures and other fundraising materials than in the past. Instead, they will be accessible electronically at www.sefanys.org.

“By going green, SEFA is responding to a global concern by doing things in a more environmentally friendly way,” said Suzanne Maloney, statewide SEFA director. “This way, more of a donor’s contribution will be used for SEFA.”

“SEFA is a real-life partnership between labor and management, extending a helping hand to those who need help,” said UUP President Phil Smith, who last year served as labor co-chair for the annual fund drive. “At work, in our neighborhoods and through donations to SEFA, union members show that they care about their communities and want to give back.”

UUP and seven other unions are taking part, including the Civil Service Employees Association and the Public Employees Federation.

Nearly 4,000 New York health care and human service agencies qualify to receive SEFA funds. Along with aiding those in crisis situations, SEFA dollars also go to social and community development programs, such as summer camps, after-school programs, home care for senior citizens, and services for people with catastrophic illnesses.

Employees can choose agencies to donate to through SEFA. Employees need only to fill out pledge cards, to be paid in full or automatically deducted from paychecks.

SEFA campaign kickoff parties have been or will be held in most offices around the state, although agencies in each of the campaign’s 22 regions will hold larger events.

For more details, go to www.sefanys.org.

The campaign ends Dec. 31.

— Michael Lisi

UUP’s Executive Board voted in August to change the 2010 Fall Delegate Assembly schedule to allow delegates to take part in the One Nation march, set for Oct. 2 in Washington, D.C. (see related story below).

The revised DA schedule can be found on UUP’s website at www.uupinfo.org.

The union is working to arrange for transportation for delegates at the DA who wish to attend the march, said UUP Secretary Eileen Landy.

At the DA, delegates will honor their own and award scholarships to deserving SUNY students. Nearly 400 delegates and observers from chapters statewide are expected to attend the conference.

Farmingdale’s Vicki Janik and Albany’s Larry Wittner will be named recipients of the 2010 Nina Mitchell Award for Distinguished Service, the union’s highest honor.

Steve Street of Buffalo State and Elena Eritta of Farmingdale will receive the Fayez Samuel Courageous Service by Part-Time Academic and Professional Faculty award, which recognizes members of UUP who have served their union with courage and distinction.

Henry Geerken of Cobleskill and Dave Peckham of Upstate Medical University are the winners of UUP’s annual Outstanding Active Retiree Award. The award, presented by the union’s Committee on Active Retired Membership, honors individuals who have rendered outstanding volunteer service and provided exemplary service to UUP and SUNY following retirement.

Three SUNY students are this year’s UUP College Scholarship recipients. The undergraduates will each receive a one-time, $2,000 scholarship.

They are: Christine Kirkpatrick, a sophomore at Geneseo majoring in chemistry; Stan McKay, a junior at Empire State College majoring in history/adolescent education; and Katherine Raymond, a senior at Oswego majoring in journalism/global studies.

For more DA details, go to uupinfo.org.

— Michael Lisi

The One Nation march and rally in Washington, D.C., is set for Oct. 2 and UUP wants you to be there.

The event, to be held on the National Mall, will unite more than 170 labor, education, civil rights, faith-based and environmental groups nationwide in a massive public demonstration for positive change—everything from creating jobs and passing immigration reform to more support for education and making the Employee Free Choice Act law.

The theme of the march and rally is “Putting Americans Back to Work, Bringing America Back Together.”

Said UUP President Phil Smith: “UUP will proudly march for change with our brothers and sisters in Washington on Oct. 2.”

Secretary Eileen Landy said that the union is encouraging members to attend the march. UUP is working with march organizers on setting up transportation for members across the state who want to participate. That transportation schedule was not complete as The Voice went to press.

“Once information is available, we will communicate with chapters about regional transportation options,” she said.

The NAACP, the AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Teachers and New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) are among the organizations that have pledged to take part in the march.

Please check the UUP website at www.uupinfo.org and the NYSUT website at www.nysut.org for travel schedules and updated information.

For more on the One Nation march, go to the One Nation website at www.onenationworkingtogether.org/march.aspx.

— Michael Lisi