UUP has its work cut out for it, in light of the state’s financial condition leading to decreased overall state spending. The union is fully prepared to mount an aggressive effort to protect SUNY—particularly its core mission—as evidenced by the content of its 2009 Legislative Agenda and outreach efforts.

“The very essence of SUNY’s core mission—to provide New Yorkers with access to affordable degree programs of the highest quality—must be maintained despite adverse circumstances,” said UUP President Phillip Smith. “New York’s citizens will look to SUNY now more than ever, as those who have lost their jobs look to acquire new skills, and working families look to the University for an affordable college education for their children.”

UUP’s legislative agenda specifically asks state lawmakers to take steps to ensure access to public higher education for all New Yorkers, as well as maintain SUNY’s ability to offer quality higher education and student services.

The legislative agenda also calls for keeping SUNY’s three hospitals in Brooklyn, Stony Brook and Syracuse public, to avoid any new efforts toward privatization. UUP additionally requests that lawmakers preserve vital hospital services in the face of a $25 million budget cut for the three hospitals.

“Cuts of this magnitude would jeopardize the hospitals’ core mission to deliver quality patient care, to provide services regardless of a patient’s ability to pay, and to train the next generation of health care providers,” Smith said.
UUP is calling for an increase in the numbers of full-time, tenure-track faculty along with protections for part-time and contingent faculty.

Among other issues, the union’s agenda asks lawmakers to preserve their oversight of SUNY, in light of the University administration’s efforts to grant SUNY greater autonomy to allow its campuses to sell or lease property without legislative supervision. UUP opposes this so-called “flexibility,” which really amounts to deregulation, since it could lead to the sale or lease of property that students need, such as classroom space. The union also points out that the property belongs to the state and its taxpayers, not to individual campuses.

UUP is advocating a variety of social issues in its agenda, including:

• Protecting access to SUNY for employees and students with disabilities;
• Enacting the New York State Fair Pay Act that would ensure equal pay for equal and comparable work without regard to gender;
• Supporting waivers of sovereign immunity legislation to restore public employees’ rights;
• Supporting paid family medical leave for all New Yorkers, and
• Supporting health care benefits for all New Yorkers.

The union’s legislative agenda also appeals for protection against diminished health insurance benefits for SUNY retirees, and supports providing unemployment insurance benefits for SUNY’s part-time employees.

— Donald Feldstein