“We can’t wait until January to get started.”

That firm directive from UUP President Phillip Smith regarding UUP’s advocacy activities reflected the critical nature of the issues the union faces.

Addressing a joint meeting of chapter presidents and members of the Outreach Committee in early August, Smith said, “We have to be on the ground because we think the Legislature is coming back in the fall. We need your help now.”

Smith predicted the governor would call for mid-year budget cuts to cope with another projected deficit.

“We’re going to have a real uphill battle and need to activate people on campuses,” Smith said. “We are urging all of our members to get active and stay active.”

Smith’s concerns didn’t stop with potential budget cuts, but also included the widening threat posed by so-called “flexibility.” He said there’s another worry in addition to the controversial A./S. 2020 bill, which would grant the University at Buffalo the authority to charge differential tuition, and to sell or lease campus property without legislative oversight. The other bill, S. 5836, would allow similar provisions at SUNY’s other university centers—Albany, Binghamton and Stony Brook— as well as at SUNY teaching hospitals in Brooklyn and Syracuse.

The union’s leaders and activists know full well the consequences of such legislation.

“This is another attempt to break the (SUNY) system,” said Buffalo HSC Chapter President Raymond Dannenhoffer. “We have to stop this if we want SUNY to survive.”

“It’s an assault on public education,” added Michael Formato of UUP’s Buffalo Center Chapter. “We need to win the hearts and minds of the people.”

Smith also alerted the chapter and outreach leaders about the Tier V pension proposal for new employees, which would move the minimum retirement age from 55 to 62 and require employee retirement contributions to continue after 10 years of service. Aside from causing inequality in the state’s pension system, Smith emphasized Tier V will not bail out the state’s finances.

“Tier V may save money perhaps 10 years down the road, but it won’t rescue the state now,” he said.

Smith emphasized the crucial need to reach out to state lawmakers in their home districts, not just during union-sponsored advocacy days at the Capitol. He said the nature of the legislative calendar often limits UUP’s advocacy activity in Albany to nine days during the session, and the union needs to hammer home its message on a more regular basis.

Cortland Chapter President Jamie Dangler offered her chapter’s outreach activities as an example of how other chapters can involve their members in local advocacy campaigns. She delivered a detailed presentation on her chapter’s outreach strategy.

The chapter formed a crisis committee. Its members met with local businesses, lawmakers and the campus administration, educating local organizations and students about the major economic impact the Cortland campus provides.

Dangler said chapter leaders branded their campaign as “SUNY Cortland Matter$” to focus on building support for the campus based on its economic contribution to the community.

Dangler added their local outreach effort led to an additional benefit.

“It was also a chapter building exercise, getting people involved by visiting a local business,” she said.

— Donald Feldstein