The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented challenge to the safety and health of every CUNY employee. From the onset of the pandemic through the reopening process, the PSC, with the guidance of the Environmental Health and Safety Committee, aka the Watchdogs, worked tirelessly reduce risks and hold CUNY responsible for providing a safe workplace. That work continues! Here is a timeline of that process.
Timeline
- 11/9/23: Protecting Ourselves from Airborne Viruses, including COVID-19
- 8/25/22: PSC members must be able to ask students to wear masks
- 6/24/22: We’re suing to fix CUNY’s vaccine mandate
- 5/02/22: FAQs about PSC–CUNY Agreement on Medical and Religious Exemptions to the Vaccine Mandate
- 3/10/22: Mask Mandate and Vaccine Negotiations
- 2/09/22: Vaccine Mandate for Faculty and Staff
- 1/28/22: Rallies to Protect Health, Safety & Jobs At Bronx Community College & Medgar Evers College
- 1/24/22: Save Jobs, Save Lives, Save CUNY…From Itself!
- 1/13/2022: Enforcing Your Right to an ADA Accommodation
- 1/13/22: Path to a Safer Spring Semester
- 1/05/22: 3,200 Faculty and Staff Sign Petition Calling for a Safe Return
- 1/02/22: New Vaccination Policy from Governor Hochul
- 12/29/21: Demand remote work and vaccine mandate from CUNY
- 12/20/21: PSC notice to Chancellor about the COVID surge
- 10/04/21: Vaccine Mandates at CUNY
- 09/03/21: Guidance for Faculty Teaching In-Person Classes
- 08/31/21: CUNY Faculty, Staff Protest at Medgar Evers College Against the Administration’s Inadequate Reopening Plan
- 08/26/21: CUNY Faculty and Staff Protest at Hunter College Against the Administration’s Reopening Plan
- 08/24/21: Day Before CUNY’s Fall Reopening, CUNY Faculty & Staff Union and Elected Officials Raise Safety Concerns
- 08/19/21: Health and Safety Update — First week back for some
- 08/13/21: CUNY Cannot Combat the Pandemic by Patchwork
- 08/12/21: Updates on health & safety and reopening
- 08/02/21: Safe reopening update & Fall schedule
- 07/26/21: Two More Weeks to Ensure a Safe Return
- 7/14/21: Protocols for Health and Safety Walkthroughs
- 07/12/21: Updates on Safe Reopening and Delayed 2% Raise
- 06/29/21: Update on Remote Work Agreement
- 06/22/21: Summer Safe Reopening Campaign Plan
- 06/07/21: Important Updates on Reopening
- 06/07/21: Changes to teaching modality
- 06/03/21: Remote Work Agreement issues
- 05/13/21: Resolution on CUNY Libraries Reopening of Physical Space
- 03/20 – 04/21: Save Lives, Save Jobs, Save CUNY 2020
Watchdog Documents
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the PSC’s Health and Safety Watchdogs created standards for a safe reopening of CUNY’s campuses, a reopening walkthrough checklist, and a “hot list” of key ventilation data to be collected. After the PSC negotiated a walkthrough protocol with CUNY management in July 2021, these documents were used to assess the safety of buildings across all campuses as they reopened.
PSC Standards for Safe Opening at CUNY (April 27, 2021)
