UUP President William Scheuerman wants members to know that good progress is being made in negotiations, and that their contract remains in effect, even though the 2003-2007 agreement expired July 1.

Negotiations for the successor agreement have moved forward at a steady pace, especially considering the fact that a new state administration is on the other side of the table.

The process has already gone through several critical steps: the exchange of proposals between the parties; the clarification stage, in which both sides set out the meanings and definitions of the language in their proposals; and the presentation, in which UUP and New York state offered a detailed explanation of the reasoning behind specific topics in the proposals, along with comparative information such as agreements at other universities around the country, including SUNY’s aspirational peers, which were identified by campuses.

Preparation pays off

As The Voice went to press, the UUP and state negotiations teams were continuing their sessions. On July 12, the state reported its assessment of the mandatory versus nonmandatory nature of collective bargaining under the New York State Public Employees Fair Employment Act’s standards, based on UUP’s written and clarified proposals.

“We’re proceeding at the pace we expected with a new administration,” UUP President William Scheuerman said. “It is typical to encounter some delays as new players on each side become familiar with each other, and there’s a new group of people on the state’s side. But we are making good progress.”

UUP spent the year leading up to negotiations gathering input from members, and that groundwork is paying off.

“Thanks to the suggestion forms submitted by members, and the return rate of UUP’s negotiations survey by mail and Internet in 2006, as well as the Negotiations Teams visits to every UUP chapter, we know what’s important to the membership across the board, and that’s helping us now as we deal with the state,” said Negotiations Vice Chair Michael Smiles of Farmingdale.

In accordance with the Taylor Law in New York state, all provisions of the 2003-2007 contract continue — unless they specifically sunset — until the UUP membership ratifies a new agreement.

“Thanks to the state’s Taylor Law, our members will continue to be protected under the last agreement,” Scheuerman said. “We want our members to know that their rights and benefits continue through the current negotiations, and we also want them to know that we expect to obtain the best agreement possible for the membership, even if it takes additional time.”

Benefits remain in effect

The benefits extended to bargaining unit members under the expired contract remain in full force and effect until UUP and New York state reach a new agreement, and that successor agreement is ratified by the UUP membership.

Allocations for the Joint Labor/ Management Committee grant programs are depleted from the 2003-2007 agreement. UUP has proposed that the increased funding for additional years be contained in the next contract.

“The Joint Labor/Management Committee grant program has worked out well for members,” said UUP Chief Negotiator and Vice President for Academics Frederick Floss. “We think the state also recognizes the value of a program that helps academics and professionals hone their skills. We expect to press for continued funding for the joint committees in negotiations.”

The Team will continue to provide regular updates on the progress of negotiations. Watch the UUP Web site — http://www.uupinfo.org/ — and upcoming editions of The Voice for more details.

As always in negotiations — and especially in negotiations where the two sides are getting to know each other — there will be occasional disagreements. In one such development, the state recently presented a health care proposal to UUP that would significantly raise costs and shift increases in health care premium cost sharing and co-pays from the state to UUP members.

“That is unacceptable, and UUP will be working very hard with other unions to push that proposal back and to strengthen health care benefits,” Floss said.

Guaranteed hikes from the 2003-2007 agreement

Even while talks are under way, UUP bargaining unit members look forward to the 2003-2007 contractually provided increase of up to $800, effective June 30, 2007, to eligible full- and part-time employees. Members are also eligible to be given a discretionary salary increase by their campus presidents no later than Dec. 31.

The salary increases of up to $800 were provided by UUP’s 2003-2007 agreement with the state, and applies to all eligible full- and part-time employees, even though the previous contract expired July 1. The increases are paid on schedules that vary according to the types of appointments held by different employees, and their professional obligation, up through the Oct. 3 paycheck.

Scheuerman announced the basic annual salary increase in a letter to the membership in late June. In that letter, he outlined the schedule by which the increase will appear in paychecks, according to the appointments held by employees:

• If you are on a calendar-year or college-year appointment, your increase was effective June 28 and appeared in the July 25 paycheck.
• If you are on a 21-pay-period academic year appointment, your increase took effect Aug. 23 and will appear in your Sept. 19 paycheck.
• If you are on a 26-pay-period academic year appointment, your increase will take effect Sept. 6 and will appear in the Oct. 3 paycheck.

You will also receive this increase if you meet one of the following descriptions:

• You are an incumbent of a position on June 30, 2007, and you have been on leave without pay. You will be eligible for the increase when you return from leave, provided you remain in the bargaining unit on your return.
• You are in service on April 30, 2007, but your employment expired prior to July 1, 2007, and you would have been eligible for the salary increase if your employment had continued through July 1, 2007. You will be eligible for the salary increase if you are re-employed in an equivalent position for at least one semester or the equivalent of the 12-month period commencing July 1, 2007.
• You are in service during a portion of the 12-month period commencing July 1, 2006, for at least one semester or the equivalent, but your employment expired prior to July 1, 2007. You will be eligible for the salary increase if you are re-employed in an equivalent position for at least one semester or the equivalent of the 12-month period commencing July 1, 2007.

Part-time employees receive a prorated share of the increase, based on their professional obligation. Contact your UUP chapter office for assistance.

— Darryl McGrath