Dear CUNY Student: 

Did you know that CUNY faculty and staff have been without a contract for three years and without a raise for four? 

A fight for the future of CUNY is going on this fall. The faculty and academic staff, represented by the Professional Staff Congress (“the PSC”), are battling for a contract. The fight for our contract is a fight for your education. 

Why does the PSC contract matter to students? 

Fair salaries, benefits, and working conditions for professors and academic staff mean that we will do a better job for you. We want CUNY to continue to attract and keep the best scholars and teachers, but salaries and benefits have fallen behind other universities, and some of our most dynamic faculty are leaving. That ultimately hurts you and the value of your degree. 

Better working conditions for us mean better learning conditions for you. For example, the PSC fought hard and won paid office hours for part-time faculty. Thousands of students now have access to their professors for one-on-one consultation and support. 

Will raises for faculty and staff mean increased tuition? 

No. The PSC has consistently opposed tuition increases and fought for the restoration of free tuition. We have taken the firm position that funding for our contract should come from the State and City budgets, not from tuition increases. 

Since 1990, New York City and State decreased their support for CUNY by almost 40%. Meanwhile, your tuition increased by 195%! And the real value of faculty salaries and benefits declined. While the City and State were refusing to pay their share and invest in a good education, the students, faculty and staff were subsidizing the University. It’s time for a change. 

Why are faculty and staff picketing on campus and talking about a referendum? 

For three years we have tried everything we can to win a fair contract—negotiations, rallies, protests, e-mails and faxes to CUNY management, the Mayor and the Governor. But it may not be enough. We’re up against a whole history of underfunding CUNY and a trend of slashing salaries and benefits nationwide. The union leadership has decided that we may have to consider taking action on the job to press our case. 

PSC members are discussing whether to hold a referendum—a yes or no vote—among the faculty and staff to authorize the union leadership to call for a job action. The PSC is doing everything it can to settle the contract without considering a strike and without disruption to students. But if CUNY management forces us to consider stopping work, we will be standing up for the principle that we are entitled to fair salaries, benefits and working conditions so you can be assured of a quality education. We believe that your education is worth fighting for, and we want your support.

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Fill out the form below and we will send you periodic emails about the progress of contract negotiations.

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