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“This is the worst state of affairs that we’ve had in the last 20 years.” That ominous assessment delivered by UUP President Phillip Smith marked the start of the union’s Outreach Committee retreat in mid-August. The two-day gathering in Albany drew nearly 60 UUP members.
Smith painted a bleak picture regarding SUNY’s finances, following the latest round of state budget cuts issued by Gov. David Paterson in response to a mounting state deficit. On top of a $52 million state budget cut earlier this year, the governor ordered a 7 percent budget cut for all state agencies in August, translating to another $96 million reduction for SUNY. That brings SUNY’s budget down by a total of $148 million, which Smith predicted will be a long-term cut carrying over into future years. He warned the Outreach Committee members that the sharp reduction will put SUNY further behind in the numbers of full-time faculty it needs to keep up with enrollment growth.
“Our heads are way below the water line on this,” he said.
Smith noted the $148 million budget reduction does not include approximately $100 million in non-general fund revenues SUNY collects from students and hospital patients, but is being forbidden from spending. The union president said he expects the state will eventually take that money.
Advocacy strategy change
Amid this challenging scenario, Smith directed the committee to kick the union’s advocacy machine into high gear as soon as possible, instead of waiting until the next regular legislative session
“You need to come up with plans to get shoes on the ground at our campuses, to engage more of our members to talk with state legislators in their home districts,” Smith urged. He also recommended that UUP advocates team up with small-business owners in their respective communities to inform lawmakers about SUNY’s economic multiplier effect. Research has shown that each dollar the state invests in SUNY returns between $6 and $8 to th communities in which SUNY campuses are located. Additionally, he suggested that union activists reach out to high school students who are thinking of going to SUNY and their parents to get them involved. “It’s time to think out of the box to get more voices into the fray,” Smith said.
Outreach Committee Co-chair Glenn McNitt of New Paltz observed the change in advocacy strategy presents an opportunity.
“Our hope is to draw more people into advocacy by their not having to go to Albany,” he said. “We’ll need more help this year than we’ve ever had before.”
“You’ve got their (lawmakers) attention now thanks to the list of NYSUT-endorsed candidates,” said fellow committee Co-chair Thomas Tucker of Buffalo. “Here’s a chance now to express your concerns to them.”
“Not only is this a real opportunity to talk to our legislators, it’s a chance to remind them that enormous cuts to SUNY are well out of bounds,” said committee member Patricia Bentley of Plattsburgh.
Despite the bleak budget picture, UUP did achieve some key successes this year. Christopher Black, NYSUT’s legislative representative for higher education issues, pointed to the bill Gov. Paterson signed into law permanently establishing the agency shop fee for public employee unions.
Hailing it as a major victory, Black explained that UUP no longer has to go back to the Legislature every two years to renew the law.
“This is a really important piece of legislation to get done,” he said.
Black also singled out as victories the governor’s signing into law the measure barring mandatory overtime for nurses, and the Legislature’s passage of a bill protecting public employee retirees from health benefits cuts or premium increases without corresponding changes to health benefits for active employees.
However, as The Voice went to press, the governor vetoed the bill.
— Donald Feldstein