Delegates to the 2007 Spring Delegate Assembly in Albany elected three incumbent officers and eight members of the union’s statewide Executive Board.

President William Scheuerman, Secretary Eileen Landy and Membership Development Officer Edward Quinn ran unopposed in their bids for re-election.

“I am proud to serve UUP as its president for another two years,” Scheuerman said. “It is a privilege to lead a union of hard-working and committed members who are always willing to lend a hand to their colleagues in need.”

Returned to the Executive Board were Weston Kennison of Geneseo, Glenn McNitt of New Paltz, Michael Smiles of Farmingdale and Darryl Wood of Binghamton. Elected to their first board terms were Laura Rhoads of Potsdam and Ezra Zubrow of SUNY Buffalo. Caroline Bailey of ESF was elected to the board following a two-year hiatus. The eight Executive Board candidates also ran unopposed.

All candidates were elected to two-year terms.

Delegates adopted a constitutional amendment to change the name of the union’s statewide Standing Committee on Legislation to the UUP Outreach Committee. Committee members will continue to advocate for the state university, and to help define the union’s annual legislative program.

Among the resolutions approved are ones requiring UUP to:

• Convey prayers of solidarity, friendship and heartfelt compassion to the entire Virginia Tech community;

• Establish an annual statewide affirmative action workshop, beginning in 2008, to train members of chapter Affirmative Action committees and others in the role and implementation of affirmative action policies in the University;

• Schedule a Women’s Health open hearing during the 2007 Fall DA in Buffalo in conjunction with the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW);

• Support justice for workers at Smith-field Packing in Tar Heel, N.C., in their bitter struggle to organize, including a demand to Smithfield Foods that Tar Heel managers stop all forms of abuse, intimidation and violence against workers;

• Publicly declare support for the Employ-ee Free Choice Act, and encourage mem-bers to stress their support to legislators; and,

• Not serve Coca-Cola products at its events, conferences and meetings, and will urge chapters to press for the termination of contracts with Coca-Cola on their campuses. The resolution comes as a direct result of the company’s use of extreme violence against trade unionists in Colombia.

In response to the recent Supreme Court decision to uphold a law passed by Congress that would criminalize the late-stage termination of pregnancies, delegates passed a resolution calling on UUP to oppose the interference of politicians in medical decisions that undermine a woman’s access to a medical procedure that could save her life. UUPers are also encouraged to: stress to lawmakers the union’s position that a woman has a right to control her reproductive life; ask NYSUT, AFT and the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) to share these concerns with their members; and ask UUP chapters to pass similar resolutions.

Delegates were up in arms about the firing of approximately 30 academic and professional faculty members at Marymount College, despite assurances that its consolidation with Fordham University in 2000 would have little impact on the terms and conditions of employment of faculty represented for 30 years by AAUP. In response, delegates passed a resolution to bring the plight of the Marymount faculty to the attention of NYSUT, AAUP and the appropriate accreditation agencies, and to have Fordham University placed on the AAUP list of censured colleges. UUP will also encourage its members to share employment opportunities at SUNY with the fired faculty.

Two resolutions were referred to the Executive Board: one that would condemn the news media for inflammatory coverage of spree violence and similar tragic events, and a second that asks UUP to purchase CLUW T-shirts for the 26 members of the union’s Women’s Rights and Concerns Committee and to fund a speaker for the Women’s Health open hearing in the fall.

Pay equity petition circulated

A petition to pass pay equity legislation in New York state was circulated to delegates by Sally Knapp of Albany, chair of the union’s Human and Civil Rights Committee. The petition, initiated by the New York State Pay Equity Coalition and Women on the Job, urges lawmakers to pass The Fair Pay Act (A-2712/S-3936) in the state Assembly and Senate.

For more information, go to www.womenonthejob.org or contact Women on the Job at (516) 883-1405.

Professionals look at outreach

Professional members discussed the best way to improve outreach and communications to chapters. Among the ideas considered: regional meetings on topics such as promotions and permanent appointments; and the best way to balance electronic and hard-copy communications between union leaders and the membership.

Vice President for Professionals John Marino encouraged delegates to send him any suggestions that members offer.

‘Basket Bazaar’ a success

More than $1,800 was collected during the union’s annual spring fund-raiser to benefit the UUP College Scholarship Trust Fund.

The highlight of the event was the raffle of two dozen baskets donated by chapters, individuals, trustees and staff — as well as a mountain bike donated by Liberty Mutual. Honorary Fund Trustee Gertrude Butera of Alfred spearheaded the event.

— Karen L. Mattison