CUNY refuses PSC demand; PSC fights back
This afternoon the PSC leadership met with Chancellor Matos Rodríguez and his senior staff to present the union’s formal demands in response to the coronavirus pandemic. While we reached agreement on some issues and made progress on others, CUNY management refused our first and most important demand: that…
Tell your college president to stop putting us in danger
Lehman, Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center have essentially closed operations on site in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, in some cases maintaining only a food pantry. Every CUNY college must now do the same. If the college where you work is still refusing to protect its…
Response to Chancellor's March 16 Email
In recent years CUNY has repeatedly been faced with mass emergencies that have required contingency plans, from a terrorist attack to H1N1 flu to a hurricane. Yet CUNY management has developed no contingency plan for a pandemic. CUNY management also declined the PSC’s request to be a partner…
Essential Personnel Update
Colleagues: I am writing to clarify the PSC’s position on whether PSC-represented employees should report to work today. The union’s position, consistent with the directive by the governor and with CUNY’s announcement at 7:06 last night, is that no one except previously designated “essential personnel” should work on…
Management heard us and put public health first
Dear PSC Members and Colleagues: 4,240 letters were sent this afternoon to Chancellor Matos Rodríguez and Chairperson Thompson calling on them to allow all PSC-represented employees to work remotely, starting tomorrow. The chancellor just made this announcement: “Only CUNY essential personnel should report to work tomorrow, Monday, March…
Update on demand to work remotely
Dear Members and Colleagues: As of this morning, the union leadership is in discussion with the CUNY Chancellor in response to our demand that all work by PSC-represented employees be conducted remotely, starting tomorrow. The discussion has been productive so far, but we do not have resolution yet. …
PSC calls for all work to be performed remotely
The letter below was sent on March 14, 2020 to Chancellor Matos Rodríguez. Dr. Félix V. Matos Rodríguez Chancellor, The City University of New York 205 East 42nd Street New York, NY 10017 Dear Chancellor Matos Rodríguez: The time has come for all work performed at CUNY to…
PSC Response to CUNY Coronavirus Plan
Message from President Bowen March 12, 2020 Dear Colleagues: I am writing to update you on what the union knows so far about the impact of CUNY’s plan in response to the coronavirus pandemic and the actions the PSC is taking in response. More messages will follow as…
Guidance on the Use of Sick Days and Working Remotely During the COVID-19 Epidemic
Dear Colleagues: Chancellor Matos-Rodríguez’s reply to my letter demanding negotiations on the impact of the coronavirus epidemic on our terms and conditions of employment indicates that the University is not willing to negotiate with the union at this time on procedures relative to the COVID-19 epidemic. The PSC…
Coronavirus Bargaining Demands
[On Friday, March 6 President Bowen sent a message to Chancellor Matos-Rodríguez asserting the union’s right to information about health and safety procedures during the coronavirus epidemic and our right to negotiate over any changes in employment conditions in response to the virus. The Chancellor's written response is posted…