The PSC chapter at Bronx Community College just won a major victory, with promotional step increases for many of its members. It was an example of how collective action on campus can deliver real results for PSC members. Ari Paul, Clarion’s editor, spoke to the BCC chapter chair, Peter Kolozi, about the campaign.
What did the chapter demand and what was the outcome?
Historically, BCC has had among the lowest starting salaries at CUNY. Before the pandemic, the BCC chapter won guaranteed salary step increases upon promotion as a way to address these low starting salaries. When the pandemic hit, the promotional salary step increases were terminated. From 2020 to 2024, over 70 faculty and CLTs were promoted at BCC. None of them received a salary step increase. We received quite a few requests from members asking what can be done to address this inequality.
Our request was that the BCC administration provide a one-step salary increase for each promotional action taken between 2020 and 2024. Thus, over 70 individuals would get a one-step increase. Those faculty who were promoted twice in that time period would get one step for each promotion.
What did the chapter do to make this happen?
The fact that this was achieved is a testament to the collaboration of individual members of the union, especially to the hard work of members on the chapter’s Executive Committee. Professors Maria Treglia (English) and Jawied Nawabi (Social Sciences) collected data on comparative starting salaries at CUNY community colleges, and compiled a spreadsheet with the names of individuals who had been promoted from 2020 to 2024.
Based on this data and the context at BCC, they pitched a compelling argument highlighting that in making an equitable decision, the administration would boost faculty morale and their engagement in campus activities. The acting president and the provost recognized the justice and fairness of our demand.
We reached out to the BCC Diversity and Inclusion Committee, led by Professor Grisel Acosta; we wrote a letter in support of our negotiations with the administration, signed by nearly all 15 department chairpersons at BCC. We presented our request and evidence at the first labor-management meeting of the Spring semester. At the second labor-management meeting, the president informed us that they accepted our request and that the promotional step increases for affected faculty will take effect in September 2025.
Why is this an important victory?
It is a tangible material improvement in the salaries of over 70 individuals, helping, at least a little, to defray the increasingly high cost of living. It shows that active chapters can win substantive improvements on our campuses for our members.
It is at the campus/chapter level where our members most experience and engage with the PSC to foster a culture of unionism and solidarity, which is crucial for building a strong union and cultivating union leaders for years and decades to come.
