News

"Audit" of Dependents on City Health Insurance

A Message from President Bowen

To PSC Members:

The City of New York, which administers the health insurance program that covers CUNY faculty, staff and retirees, has begun an “audit” of dependents on City health insurance. The announced purpose of the audit is to determine whether dependents covered under the City health insurance plan are in fact eligible for coverage. If you have a spouse, child or other dependent covered under the City health plan, you should expect to receive correspondence from the City about the audit. The union wants to help you to be prepared.

The audit is not on behalf of or approved by PSC or any other municipal union; it is a City initiative. The City has asserted that it has the legal right to determine whether dependents receiving health coverage are legitimately entitled to be covered, and has hired a for-profit consulting company to conduct the audit. It is not hard to see a connection between the City’s decision to conduct the audit at this time and the City’s approach to contracts for public employees—which includes a demand to shift more of the cost of healthcare onto employees.

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92% VOTE NO CONFIDENCE IN PATHWAYS, CUNY’S NEW CURRICULUM

NEWS RELEASE

“NO CONFIDENCE” VOTE BY FACULTY AT CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK

92% VOTE NO CONFIDENCE IN PATHWAYS, CUNY’S NEW CURRICULUM

In a faculty vote on Pathways, a CUNY-wide overhaul of curriculum scheduled to go into effect next fall, 92% declared they have No Confidence in the new plan. In a University-wide referendum completed late yesterday, 3,996 full-time faculty voted to support a statement of No Confidence, with only 323 voting against.
Close to two-thirds of CUNY’s full-time faculty participated in the vote, which was conducted by the American Arbitration Association at the request of the faculty union.

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Feeling Squeezed, PSC-CUNY Workers Fight Back

This is an excerpt from the Laborpress's coverage of the PSC-RF Central Office Rally on May 21. Click here to read more.

May 22, 2013
By Joe Maniscalco

PSC-CUNY Research Foundation protest.

Protesters march outside Research Foundation HQ.

New York, NY - Frustration levels were high outside the CUNY Research Foundation's 230 West 41st headquarters on Tuesday, as employees who have been working without a contract since last December hit the pavement to protest what many view as management's increasing greed and hostility. (Watch Video)

"I've never experienced this type of insistence on taking advantage of people that work with you every day," Central Office Chapter Chair Anthony Dixon told Laborpress. "Research Management has decided that it's important for them to squeeze as much as they can out of the union members."

The Research Foundation (RF) is a private, not-for-profit educational corporation that supports City University of New York faculty and staff in identifying and obtaining external support from government and private sponsors.

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College educators from across U.S. take on ways online classes can help or wreck a student’s hopes for a good education.

COLUMBUS, OHIO—

Faculty and staff members from colleges and universities across the U.S. met in Ohio over the weekend to address some of the toughest issues facing student success in America’s higher education system.

The rapid drive to move students’classes from campuses to online and the Gold Rush mentality behind many entrepreneurs pushing the new teaching schemes — especially the latest incarnation known as MOOCs (massive open online classes) — was a hot topic at the 5th national meeting of the Campaign for the Future of Higher Education (CFHE).

Click here to read more.

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April 2013 Election Results

Thirteen PSC chapters held votes in April to elect chapter officers, delegates and alternates to the union’s Delegate Assembly. Seven campuses also voted to elect representatives to the PSC-CUNY Welfare Fund Advisory Council.

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Fair Contracts for All Rally

If you care about getting a raise and a new contract, make sure you attend this rally—and bring a colleague! Mayor Bloomberg has made it clear that he will not approve retroactive pay for City workers and that he means to increase health insurance costs. Neither PSC nor any other public-employee union in NYC has pursued bargaining under those terms. “The rally on June 12th is our chance to make clear collectively to the next Mayor that that position is not acceptable,” said Pres. Barbara Bowen. “The City has had multi-billion-dollars surpluses for several years, and Mayor’s projected budget deficits have not fully materialized.”

The rally is at City Hall Park, next Wed., June 12, from 4-6 PM. Contact Deirdre Brill (dbrill@pscmail.org) to RSVP. Need more reasons to attend? How about proposals to shift health care costs onto workers? Or tabloids casting public servants’ contract demands as an attack on tax-paying New Yorkers? As if CUNY professors, sanitation workers, teachers or firefighters aren’t also taxpayers.

A promotional video for the rally with workers from every sector of the City’s labor movement—including PSC leaders—is now online.

Click this link to watch the video and this link to download a flier about the rally.

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One Voice United Rally in Albany

NYSUT will rally for full investment in higher education and against corporate control of public education.

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Phased Retirement Pilot Program Announced

Next Deadline is June 7

PSC has reached agreement with CUNY on a three-year pilot program of Phased Retirement for full-time instructional staff who participate in the Optional Retirement Plan and are at least 65 years old. Instructional staff members interested in participating in the program starting Fall 2013 must express interest in doing so by submitting a notice of intent to their department chair/supervisor by May 15. Interested instructional staff must work with their department chair/supervisor to decide on a mutually agreeable “phased” workload configuration. A formal application must be submitted by June 7.

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Rally to Save SUNY Downstate—Thurs., May 9

Rally to Save SUNY Downstate—Thurs., May 9
A coalition of faith, labor and community organizations will rally this Thurs., May 9 at 5:00 PM, as part of an all-out campaign to save SUNY Downstate, Brooklyn’s only state-run public hospital. Vital healthcare services and jobs are on the line after the state budget passed without funding appropriated to save the hospital, which has been on the verge of insolvency. PSC’s sister union, United University Professions, represents many SUNY Downstate workers. A press conference and “pre-rally” with Rev. Al Sharpton is set for 3 PM at SUNY Downstate’s 470 Clarkson Ave. entrance. A church service at Mt. Zion Church of God, at 203 E. 37th St. (between Church Avenue and Linden Boulevard) is scheduled for 4:15 PM, and the rally will start at 5 PM at SUNY Downstate’s 470 Clarkson Ave. entrance. Download a flier at this link.

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PSC Hosts Mayoral Forum

Candidates in the New York City mayoral election named their priorities for the City University and affirmed their commitment to public higher education last night at a forum hosted by the Professional Staff Congress. John Liu and Bill Thompson attended, Thompson arrived late.

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