UUP members once again proved that there is strength in numbers—and that our strength doesn’t go unnoticed by state legislators.

We certainly flexed our collective muscle at our annual Legislative Information Day event, on Feb. 24 in the Well of the Legislative Office Building in Albany. More than 100 of you came to the capital to make UUP’s legislative priorities known to those who can make them reality.

Our members, some of who traveled hours by train, bus and car, made the most of their time in Albany. They met face-to-face with lawmakers from their districts and told them our concerns about proposed SUNY budget cuts. Legislators found members easily as the room was divided into seven geographic regions representing all 29 campuses.

This is the first time we did things this way, and it all worked out well. This set-up allowed UUPers more face time with legislators who represent them. And our members let them know what was on their minds.

We laid it on the line for legislators. We told them that Gov. David Paterson’s proposal to impose additional cuts on SUNY will further erode the University. Tens of thousands of students depend on SUNY for an affordable, quality education. An ever-growing number of workers who lost their jobs now look to SUNY to be retrained. Budget shortfalls will severely hamper our ability to meet those challenges.

Now that President Obama has signed the $787 billion federal stimulus package, the next step is obvious: to ensure that New York uses a portion of that money to fully fund SUNY. We are working with the governor’s office and the Division of the Budget to ensure some of the stimulus money is used to restore cuts made to SUNY and proposed health care cuts.

Using stimulus dollars to invest in SUNY and our teaching hospitals isn’t just the smart thing to do: it’s the right thing to do.

We told legislators to pass a progressive income tax and dump the governor’s plan to cut SUNY aid, including $25 million in reductions to SUNY’s teaching hospitals in Brooklyn, Stony Brook and Syracuse. The state can use part of the progressive income tax revenue and stimulus dollars to properly fund SUNY’s teaching hospitals.

Without increased aid, these hospitals may have to turn away the uninsured and underinsured—people who rely on the vital services these hospitals provide. We called for not only restoration of $25 million, but also a $40 million increase in the state hospital subsidy.

SUNY is still reeling from millions in cuts levied last year, which prompted canceled courses and increased class sizes, and forced some students to stay in college an extra year—an expensive proposition—to get the classes they need for graduation. We cannot and will not turn a blind eye to SUNY students, New York’s workforce of the future.

While we delivered our message successfully, it’s up to us to continue to keep bringing it to Gov. Paterson and state legislators until the state budget is passed. The governor pushed aside his March 1 budget deadline in February; a finalized budget is due April 1, but it could take longer for the Legislature to approve the budget.

Please take a few moments to visit the UUP Web site and fax a letter asking your legislators to support SUNY. You’ll find five letters to fax on the Web site, including one urging state representatives to protect and enhance the State University of New York in the upcoming budget discussions by enacting a fair and progressive income tax and by allowing our campuses to retain their tuition income. There’s too much at stake to let up now. We must make our voices heard that SUNY is the solution to the state’s weak economy.

The SUNY Board of Trustees was wise to appoint Nancy L. Zimpher as SUNY chancellor. Why? Here’s one reason: following the board’s unanimous vote, she pinned on a “SUNY is the Solution” button handed to her by Albany Chapter President Candace Merbler.

Zimpher, currently president of the University of Cincinnati, starts June 1. She has an impressive resume and her experience in leading Cincinnati through tough fiscal times will serve her well as SUNY chancellor.

She’s enthusiastic, she has a plan for SUNY and she’s a leader, something SUNY hasn’t had since trustees began searching for a new chancellor nearly two years ago. UUP stands ready to work with Zimpher to send the message that SUNY is indeed the solution to pull out of this economic downturn.

– Phillip H. Smith, President.

UUP President Phil SMith tells News 10 in ALbany that the governor’s cuts will dismantle the University and close SUNY’s doors to thousands of deserving students.

Liza Ramirez is a sophomore at the University at Albany who is working hard to realize her dream of becoming a lawyer. But she’s worried, and it’s not because she’s not making the grade.

Liza doesn’t know if she’ll be able to afford to continue her college education. Or if she and her mother, a single parent working long hours at a low-wage job, will be able to cover the extra loans they will have to take out to cover tuition increases called for by the governor—all in the name of balancing the state budget.

There are thousands of SUNY students just like Liza, concerned about making ends meet long enough to make it through college and earn that all-important four-year degree. Thousands of high school seniors and community college students already face the real possibility of having the doors of SUNY institutions shut in their faces because they won’t be able to afford to go, or because the schools won’t be able to offer enough courses for them to take, let alone have enough instructors to teach them.

And current students are looking at the all-too-real prospect of having to spend more than four years to graduate, forcing financially strapped families to pay thousands of dollars more for a degree.

SUNY has already absorbed a loss of state aid totaling $148 million since the spring, which amounts to a 10.35 percent cut from SUNY’s last budget appropriation. SUNY was hit hard and could be hit even harder in the state’s 2009-10 budget. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Unless these funds are restored, SUNY will be facing very hard times in the years to come.

The University’s mission, as set out in New York State Education Law, Sec. 351, is “to provide the people of New York educational services of the highest quality.” That is, to provide qualified students with quality degree programs. The University will likely fall far short of achieving its mission while saddled with these current budget cuts, as well as the prospect of deeper cuts and soaring demand for admission. Both access and educational quality are threatened by continued attempts to slash SUNY’s budget.

Make no mistake: SUNY’s enrollment is at an all-time high this year. Why? Simple. SUNY schools offer a quality education at an affordable price. Students who have found themselves priced out of private schools are turning to SUNY as a viable alternative, making SUNY schools more competitive than ever.

Trying to balance the state’s budget on the backs of SUNY students—as Gov. Paterson’s proposal would do—would be unfair to the students. It would also be unnecessary.

Simply put, the state should seek additional revenue streams to help make up its financial shortfall. Changing the state’s tax structure to make tax burdens fairer is imperative. People who make more should pay more.

That’s why the so-called “Millionaire’s Tax”—which would raise personal income tax rates for those earning more than

$1 million and again for those making more than $5 million—makes sense. Such a change would bring between $2 billion and $7 billion annually in revenue for New York, putting a significant dent in the budget crisis.

Last month, the Public Employees Federation (PEF) released a study that said the state could save as much as

$750 million yearly by putting a freeze on new consultant contracts and ending contracts for jobs that can be done by state workers at a much lower cost. Enacting the “Bigger Better Bottle Bill,” which would expand recycling to all containers and redirect unclaimed deposits to the state as revenue, could bring in another $200 million per year.

These ideas make good sense and would easily swallow present and future cuts to SUNY.

With the hectic holiday season at an end, we could be tempted to take a breather and ease up a bit on our push to spread the word that that SUNY is the solution to the state’s economic woes.

But we cannot rest until this battle is won.

That’s why we’ve inserted special “SUNY is the $olution” posters in this issue of The Voice, for you to place in your community. One side says “SUNY is the $olution,” while the other reads “This business supports SUNY.”

We need everyone to get involved, to spread the word that SUNY is one of the major engines that drives the state’s economy. Here is your opportunity to reach out to someone you know and engage them in a conversation of why SUNY is so important to the economy of New York state.

Put up the posters at your hair salon, your dry cleaning shop, the local bakery and bowling alley. If you frequent a particular shop or store, ask to place a poster there. Put them in your homes. We must spread the word.

We can’t let students like Liza down.

UUP President Phil SMith talks with chapter leaders on the need to take action now.

“Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.”

It was Yoda who said those words to Luke Skywalker in “Star Wars: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back” after Luke was convinced that he couldn’t lift his star cruiser from a murky bog on the planet Degobah. Yoda shrugged, extended his hand and lifted the ship into the air.

Luke learned a valuable lesson as part of his Jedi training that day, one that served him well in his fights with Darth Vader and the Galactic Empire.

Yes, I know, it’s only a movie. But there are parallels to our battle to save SUNY that can’t be ignored.

Like Luke, we also must succeed in our quest to save SUNY from systematic dismantling through $148 million in draconian state budget cuts. If the Wall Street crisis continues, SUNY may have to brace for even more cuts. We’ll know more when Gov. Paterson unveils his 2009-10 budget later this month.

But we can’t give up for one moment the fight to restore SUNY and recover the dollars needed to keep the University’s economic engine revved and ready.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: We are in the fight of our lives. New York’s leaders must not only reconsider these cuts, but change the way they consider SUNY. The University must be viewed—and funded—as an investment in the state’s future, not as an anchor on the state’s finances.

Unless the state restores the funds cut from SUNY, campuses will be left to make some very hard decisions. Already, some campuses are considering limiting future enrollments, increasing class sizes and reducing course offerings. They may also start slicing through the ranks of full-time faculty, cutting through attrition.

Without proper funding, students will not get the courses they need to graduate on time. Parents will be forced to pony up for another year of college—possibly paying higher tuition costs—because the courses their kids need to graduate aren’t being offered. It sounds like the end to a very short story, but it’s the kind of reality we’re facing.

These messages need to be sent over and over, and we’re relying on you to send them. The time for standing on the sidelines is over. It is vital that you become involved as an advocate for SUNY.

That’s why UUP held six regional advocacy training sessions in locations across the state in September and October. We trained more than 100 UUP leaders and members in these two-hour seminars, teaching skills and strategies to call on local legislators and make our case that SUNY is the solution during these tough economic times.

The training also taught participants to form coalitions with parents, students and local small-business owners in their communities, together enabling them to bring a strong message to legislators that SUNY is the answer, now more than ever.

We’ve made that argument over and over again, pointing out that in many cases, SUNY is the economic lifeline to its host communities—particularly in smaller towns and cities such as Cortland, Alfred and Binghamton.

Last year, SUNY Cortland generated nearly $278 million in revenue in a five-county area; school purchases account for 11 percent of the economic impact on central New York’s economy. SUNY Alfred leaves a $74 million economic footprint on its community annually, while SUNY Binghamton contributes $673 million to the state’s Southern Tier region; each state dollar invested is returned at least six-fold to the region.

The advocacy work has already begun at Purchase, Oswego and Upstate Medical University. In Purchase, UUPers invited Assemblyman Adam Bradley to campus for a luncheon meeting. Bradley pledged his support for SUNY.

Oswego Chapter President Charles Spector placed “SUNY is the $olution” posters and bumper stickers at a downtown bank, while UMU Chapter President Carol Braund put posters in several businesses near the hospital.

We all need to follow their lead. Join your chapter colleagues and spread the word to local legislators and the community that the threat to SUNY is real—and a threat to their bottom line. Form coalitions with parents, students and small-business owners and remind them just how important SUNY is to the economy.

We must mobilize. We must make it known that SUNY is the solution to New York’s economic troubles. Eighty percent of SUNY graduates stay in New York, paying taxes and stimulating the economy. With a weakened SUNY, students will look elsewhere for their education, and

New York will suffer losses that will take years to reverse.

It is up to us. It is up to you. New York needs to keep SUNY strong. We cannot fail in our quest. As Yoda told Luke, trying to succeed is not an option.

When it comes to strengthening SUNY, there is no try. We must do.

UUP President Phil Smith talks with chapter leaders and members of the UUP Outreach Committee in August about the need for more member advocacy. To Smiths left is Rob Compton, Oneonta Chapter vice President for academics.

Like the fabled boy who cried wolf, our critics delight in claiming that we’ve overemphasized and overplayed the impact of this year’s round of SUNY state budget cuts.

They claim that even as SUNY faces $148 million in state budget cuts, our warnings that class sizes will grow, course offerings will be cut, student-faculty ratios will be lopsided and patient care will suffer are overreactions that aren’t nearly as dire as our echoes proclaim.

If it sounds like we’re repeating ourselves, it’s because we are. But we’re not crying wolf. Not by a long shot.

Gov. David Paterson has made it painfully clear that these budget cuts are not one-time reductions. Rest assured that the $148 million that SUNY is facing this year won’t be going away next year, or the year after that. And who’s to say that the governor won’t decide to take away the $109 million in SUNY revenues being held hostage by the state’s Division of the Budget?

So, yes, we’re pounding the same rock. And we’re going to keep pounding, because this same, simple message needs to be sent, over and over again. Without question, this is the worst situation the University has been in since the 1960s. We need to be loud and bold, because if we are not, academics and professionals, students and parents, and SUNY communities and businesses in those communities will feel real pain for years to come.

We’re not overstating fact here. Simply put, $148 million is equal to the entire operating budget of one of SUNY’s University centers or the operating budgets of three University colleges. The governor’s office and legislators across the state also need to know about the multiplier effect of SUNY campuses in their communities. SUNY is certainly an “engine of economic growth” in New York, with every dollar spent on SUNY returning an average of between $6 and $8 to local communities.

This is not rhetoric. This is fact. That’s why we need you, our members, to take our message to the streets, to your communities and to your local elected officials. The UUP Outreach Committee is working on plans to involve our members in this grass-roots advocacy mission, which could — and hopefully will — see UUPers join with small-business owners in their communities to illustrate SUNY’s powerful economic multiplier effect.

We need to think of new, innovative methods to send our message. I have suggested that advocates enlist high school juniors and seniors — many of who are future SUNY students — and their parents to help spread the word. We must remind them that these outrageous cuts are unprecedented, unfair and unacceptable.

But save some of that shoe leather. There is other important work that needs to be done for the upcoming presidential election, easily the most important election of the new millennium. The distinctions between Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and Republican candidate John McCain are as plain as day. I cannot understate the importance of electing a president who is committed to a strong, vibrant educational system and who will fight for issues and ideals espoused by organized labor.

Becoming involved can be as simple as spending a few hours working on one of NYSUT’s phone banks or volunteering to be one of the hundreds of AFT “road warriors” who go into battleground states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire to campaign for union-endorsed candidates. Volunteers sign on for two-week tours of duty, knocking on doors, staffing phone banks, doing literature drops and whatever else it takes to spread the word for Obama and other AFT-friendly candidates who need help.

The battle isn’t just on the national level. There are candidates here at home in New York who also need our help. It’s easy to get involved. All it takes is a little time and a big belief that we can create positive change, one UUP member at a time.

I’m sure our critics will still think we’re crying wolf after the election and as legislators begin working on next year’s state budget. But our message isn’t meant for their ears. It’s meant for state legislators, for parents, for students and for businesses — especially those in SUNY communities. And we’re going to keep sending it, until we are heard.

UUP President Phil Smith chairs an AFT higer education committe meeting during the federation’s biennial convention July 10 – 14 in Chicago.

Welcome everyone, especially our newer colleagues, to the opening of the 2008-2009 academic session. If you are new to SUNY, please take advantage of the services that your local UUP chapter leaders provide on campus. And also feel free to contact any of us at the UUP Administrative Office here in Albany. At the end of this article, I’ll provide the necessary contact information to reach out to UUP.

As a professor in the SUNY system for going on 31 years (gasp!), I can assure all our new colleagues that you’ve made a wise decision to either start or continue your career in academe here in our nation’s largest higher education system. UUP can be a productive part of your career growth, as I know our veteran employees and activists are interested in seeing SUNY grow. And no small part of that growth is by seeing our colleagues succeed.

Indeed, our collective success and a view of “The Road Ahead” is the focus of my message. Before beginning our journey, let’s take a brief look at some recent events that form a starting point. As many of you know, New York has a relatively new governor, David Paterson, who’s been in office just a few days less than my tenure as the president of UUP. After only a few months in office, Gov. Paterson has been faced with what may be the most difficult economic times for New York in many decades. And this, of course, translates into challenges for UUP as we focus our energies on maintaining and building SUNY as a good place to work, teach, do research, and all of those things that make our life in the academy what we all want it to be. For example, SUNY was faced with a cut of some $34 million by our former governor, which was translated into an eventual $38 million decrease of state funds by the Legislature. To make matters worse, within days of taking office, Gov. Paterson asked for a 3.35 percent decrease in overall state spending. For SUNY, that translated into a total cut of state funds of $50 million, plus an additional $100 million reduction of spending authority from sources such as tuition, dorm fees, and other institutional income. And to make matters even worse, in August, the governor announced an additional 7 percent cut to SUNY.

All of this may sound fairly dire to a newcomer. But for we SUNY veterans, it’s all part of the “same old, same old.”

As bad as the starting point may seem, there is — I think — a great measure of opportunity on “The Road Ahead.” There have been major changes in the legislative leadership, and this November we have an opportunity to re-elect our friends — or perhaps make new ones. UUP, along with our state affiliate NYSUT, has been a major factor in supporting governmental leaders who are friendly to education.

So here in New York we have an opportunity to make a difference in our state government, and we can be part of an agenda of change on the national level as well. We need a government that is education-friendly.

A major part of our legislative outreach this year will focus on local activity. This gives everyone an opportunity to participate without taking precious time away from work or family obligations. We’ll be asking our campus leaders to reach out to their colleagues and engage them in meeting with legislators in their district offices, to meet with legislators on campus, and to engage our community partners in similar activities.

Make no mistake. “The Road Ahead” will likely have a few potholes. But through collective action and by bringing the right message to our legislators, I’m convinced that we’ll soon be traveling on smooth pavement. The message? It’s simple. SUNY — and especially your campus — is a major part of the solution to New York’s fiscal problems. If our campuses are healthy they will be productive in providing our state and nation with a well-educated workforce. Based on past history, most of this workforce will stay in New York and become productive, highly paid taxpayers. This, in turn, translates into healthy communities that contribute even more to the state’s economy. In brief, SUNY is the solution! A strong SUNY means a strong New York.

Please join us on “The Road Ahead.” Your participation makes us all stronger. Watch for additional details from me and your local leaders as we map out our trip.

UUP President Phil Smith
1-800-342-4206
psmith@uupmail.org
www.uupinfo.org

It’s been approximately three months since I was elected UUP president. And in reviewing that relatively short period of time, I was struck with the thought that maybe I’m really living the life of Phil Connors and this is “Groundhog Day.” Remember the 1993 movie starring Bill Murray? That is, just like the hapless weatherman forced to live every day over again, we’re facing our yearly budget crunch with SUNY programs at risk and potentially “on the chopping block.”

I’ve been a SUNY faculty member at Upstate Medical University for 30 years. And, quite frankly, I don’t recall a single year where SUNY — in whole or in part — hasn’t suffered some type of fiscal insult. Indeed, I’m struck by a comment made by NYSUT Executive Vice President Alan Lubin that “SUNY hasn’t had a real friend in the governor’s office — someone who understands the value of and need for appropriate funding — since Nelson Rockefeller.” Rockefeller resigned his governorship 35 years ago; so that’s a long, long time to be without a friend!

So where do we find one? In response to this year’s budget crisis, UUP members and our UUP Outreach Committee have pressed our agenda with legislators at both their home locations and in Albany. As UUP president, I’ve reached out to the leadership of both the Senate and Assembly, and I’ve made our “pitch” to former governor Eliot Spitzer, in a meeting only a few hours after my election. And our NYSUT lobbyists have corralled, cornered, and cajoled the legislative leaders as well as the “rank and file.” All, with whom we met, were friendly — but, as it turns out, not all of them have been our friends, either.

So where do you suppose we’ll find our missing “friends?” I think I have a clue — and it’s probably not all that surprising. I think our “friends” are all around us. They are the people we encounter near our campuses every day; they are the people who reach out and accept our money as we pay for fuel, food, services, or whatever. They are the people who benefit from our employment. And, more importantly, they are the people who’d suffer most if our numbers were diminished. Think of it: How would the economy of your hometown fare if SUNY were taken out of the picture? How many people not directly employed by SUNY would be able to continue down the same economic paths they’ve followed as a result of dollars flowing into and out of SUNY?

There’s a well-known concept that every SUNY dollar translates into an approximate six-to eight-fold benefit to the local economy. We need to capitalize on some similar type of “multiplier” to increase our political pressure on our governmental officials. No doubt our “friends” are that multiplier.

My next question is: “How do we activate our ‘friends’ and get them to contact the governor and legislators to insist that SUNY gets its fair share?” Think about it. I’m going to ask our Outreach Committee to consider focusing a campaign on activating our local merchants and business people to help us “grow SUNY to grow New York.” Your ideas and suggestions on how we can engage our “friends” to help us would be most welcome. I think we’ll have to focus on local solutions, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. You know your community better than anyone else, so please do share your thoughts and ideas.

Turning to yet another way you can help, this is the final issue of The Voice for the current publication cycle this academic year.

Over the next few months, the communications department will be working hard planning and preparing for next year’s publication program. Hence, I want to remind you, our reader, we are seeking your input to make this a better publication — one that you would like to read and share with your colleagues. There are several ways that you can help. For example, if you know of something unique to your campus, department, colleagues, or community that would be of general interest to other UUPers, please contact us to discuss a potential story. Alternatively, you may want to contribute something in your own “voice” that would be your story of what’s happening at your campus, etc. Of course, you’re welcome to submit an article in written form. But, if you’re not inclined to “put pen to paper,” we can send one of our professional staff writers to interview you and your colleagues to help bring your story to life. Let me emphasize, I’m really serious about improving the content and “readability” of our union publication. And we can’t make these changes without your suggestions, help and input.

Please feel free to contact me if you can contribute any ideas or suggestions as solicited above. I’m easy to reach: (800) 342-4206 or psmith@uupmail.org

Oh, yes … please enjoy a happy, safe and productive summer! We’ll see you again in the fall when our publication cycle resumes.

UUP President Phil Smith Explains the union’s position on Gov. Spitzer’s proposed higher education endowment at a news conference called by the Governor in February.

Unless you’re reading The Voice for the very first time, you’ve no doubt noticed something new. This time, the president’s column is not presented as the very first article you see when opening the cover. Indeed, our opening article is focused on a former member, Dr. Raymond Damadian, whose seminal contributions at Brooklyn HSC brought the world one of medicine’s most valuable tools —magnetic imaging. To me, this is a fascinating story of one man’s dedicated work and the quest of others to see a significant “wrong made right.”

As a longtime (30 years!) SUNY professor at a health science campus, an article of this nature has special resonance. But, I promise you this: our total focus will not be on HSCs. In fact, we’ll be aiming to highlight the work and working lives of our members at all of our 29 state-operated SUNY campuses. And I’ve moved my column to the back of this magazine to make it clear I believe The Voice is your magazine. Indeed, if anyone wishes to write an article on just about any topic, and we’re short on space, I’d be most pleased to step aside and give someone the chance to express his or her own “voice.” Please do send me your ideas for future articles and please consider being a contributor yourself.

No doubt you’ve heard the phrase, “hit the deck running.” Having been elected as UUP president only a few short days ago, I’m sure you appreciate that I’ve had to get myself up to speed quickly. As a matter of fact, when I “hit the deck,”

I found it rising rapidly to meet me.

To illustrate this point: In the very first minutes of my very first full day on the job, I found myself in a face-to-face private meeting with Gov. Eliot Spitzer. We then joined a group of other statewide leaders, including SUNY Chancellor John Clark, to participate in the governor’s press conference on the proposed endowment for higher education.

And within minutes of leaving the press conference, I went across the street to the Legislative Office Building to host UUP’s annual Legislative Luncheon. At this event, we host the legislative leadership and begin the process of informing them of our Legislative Agenda. To put it mildly, that first full day was something akin to trying to take a drink of water from a fully pressurized fire hose. Thankfully, I can feel the pressure diminishing.

One of my hometown friends in Manlius, who’s employed by a major manufacturer, commented on my recent election as president of UUP. He said, “Well I guess as a union president you now have a farther view from top.” My response was, “No. Unlike the corporate world in which you work, as president of UUP, I’m actually on the bottom; I work for all the members.” I also went on to tell my friend an apt analogy might be that of a production and shipping manager; I’ve got to keep the product moving from the factory floor onward to the customers. And that’s exactly the way I view it.

In closing, let me say, I welcome the challenges of my new role. And I look forward to working with each and every member of UUP. Please feel free to call upon me in any way that you think I can help. And, to restate the invitation above, please do send suggestions on how we can make The Voice a publication with “news that you can use.”