UUP President Phillip Smith delivered a forceful, familiar message during the 2009 Fall Delegate Assembly: the time is now to spread the word that state aid cuts to SUNY weaken one of the state’s important economic engines and put its standing as one of the nation’s premier higher education systems in peril.

At the Oct. 2 plenary session, Smith urged delegates to form and mobilize chapter “crisis committees” to show legislators, business leaders, parents and students how hard last year’s state cuts have hit SUNY campuses and the harm another year of budget cuts could do. He said state cuts would force SUNY to cut classes and courses, increase class sizes and lengthen hiring freezes. The possibility of retrenchments is a real concern at a handful of campuses, union leaders told delegates.

“We need to get your chapter members engaged,” Smith said. “If not now, when? If not you, who is going to do it? This has to be an old-time, grassroots union effort.”

Delegates, who received outreach handbooks tailored for their campuses, applauded Smith after his nearly hour-long presentation.

Just days later, Gov. David Paterson ordered a cut to SUNY’s budget for 2009-10, which amounts to $90 million. (See related story, page 5.)

With this latest cut, state support to SUNY has dropped by an astounding $410 million over the last two years and is at its lowest levels since the mid-1990s. The reductions, part of $500 million in cuts to SUNY and 72 other state agencies, were made by Paterson to reduce a $2.1 billion state budget deficit.

Nearly 400 delegates, observers and committee members attended the Fall DA, held Oct. 2-3 in Rochester. During the two-day convention, unionists took action on two dozen resolutions, attended several committee meetings, and stopped at the union’s Political Action Center to send computer faxes to legislators opposing SUNY flexibility legislation, advocating for a quality SUNY budget and supporting national health care reform.

During the DA, Smith discussed his September get-together with SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher—a meeting he called productive and pleasant.

Smith also mentioned the state Senate bill, S.5836, known as the SUNY Innovation and Economic Growth Act. The proposal would allow SUNY’s four university centers, as well as Upstate Medical University and Downstate Medical Center, the ability to increase tuition and flexibility for purchases and enter into contracts and agreements without legislative approval.

“S.5836 is very dangerous because it essentially sets up a two-tier SUNY system,” said Buffalo Center delegate Ezra Zubrow. Smith said UUPers must unite and talk to people on their campuses and in their communities about the peril of such a bill.

Smith said he was confident UUP and Zimpher can work together to find common ground on the issues.

“If we work together, things will get done,” Smith said during the Oct. 2 Chapter Presidents & Vice Presidents meeting.

Smith noted that several UUPers will take part in Zimpher’s SUNY-wide strategic planning process. ESF Chapter President John View is part of the committee.

He also talked about the union’s opposition to New York’s edict for mandatory H1N1 flu shots for hospital workers. UUP has joined with NYSUT, CSEA, PEF and other locals in opposing mandatory H1N1 shots by signing on to a Sept. 21 letter from the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health to state Health Commissioner Richard Daines.

“I think it should be a personal choice and that’s the message we sent to the commissioner,” Smith said.

On the other hand, some UUPers at the four-year colleges are calling for the free shots to protect them from the virus.

Delegates worked through the day Oct. 2, following a compressed meeting schedule that slated all committee meetings on one day. The intense Friday schedule allowed more time for discussion and action at the Saturday morning plenary.

Delegates also voted to keep the compressed work schedule for future DAs.

The UUP Outreach Committee selected state Assemblywoman Deborah Glick (D-Manhattan) as its choice for UUP’s Friend of SUNY award.

The recommendation will be sent to the statewide Executive Board for a decision.

More than 60 professionals packed the Professional Delegates meeting, which included conversation on the need to establish professional committees on campuses. The committees make it possible for professionals to challenge decisions.

Vice President for Professionals John Marino also said a revised handbook for professionals is in draft form and soon should be ready for distribution to the chapters.

During the Academic Delegates meeting, Vice President for Academics Frederick Floss unveiled a UUP survey that shows the academic membership is getting younger.

Longtime UUP member Michael Zweig of Stony Brook was awarded the union’s highest honor, the Nina Mitchell Award for Distinguished Service. UUP’s four College Scholarships winners were also honored (read more about the winners in the October issue of The Voice online at www.uupinfo.org).

UUPers also collected $1,537 for Rochester-area food banks as part of the union’s Caring for Communities campaign.

— Michael Lisi