Reaction to Governor Hochul’s State of the State
Governor Kathy Hochul made affordability the theme of her State of the State address earlier today. The speech, which comes a week ahead of the release of her Executive Budget for the next fiscal year, included plans for a tuition freeze and an expansion of the SUNY and CUNY Reconnect program. PSC President James Davis released the following statement about those proposals.
“We’re encouraged that Governor Hochul is making public higher education a tenet of her affordability agenda by extending a tuition freeze and expanding CUNY Reconnect, the state’s program of free community college tuition for high-demand fields. We’re eager to see the details of the Executive Budget’s plan to continue increasing operating support for the City University of New York.
“CUNY enrollment has increased by 9,000 students this year, thanks in large part to the success of CUNY Reconnect. But the University will only realize the full potential of the free community college initiative and other recent state investments by also addressing the shortage of full-time faculty and staff. Governor Hochul earmarked funding for new CUNY faculty in her first budget; she should do so again this year while including money for advisors and counselors. To put more nurses, teachers, engineers and technology workers into New York’s economy, CUNY needs more full-time faculty to teach and mentor students and more support staff to keep them on-track to graduation.”
We’ll have more to say about the budget for CUNY and the need for increased state revenue next week, after the release of the Executive Budget.
Solidarity With Striking Nurses
The PSC stands in solidarity with our union siblings at New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), who went on strike Monday to demand a fair contract with guaranteed safe staffing, healthcare benefits, and protections from workplace violence. While healthcare executives take home millions from a broken system, the nurses who actually provide care to New Yorkers are facing unacceptable disrespect, and are fighting back with the largest nurses strike in city history.
PSC leaders were proud to join the NYSNA picket line on Monday, and our members will continue showing up for New York’s nurses in the days to come.
Left to right: NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, PSC Secretary Andrea Vásquez, and PSC First Vice President Jen Gaboury on the NYSNA picket line, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, January 12.
Sign up to walk the NYSNA Picket Line
Wednesday & Thursday, January 14-15
When the wealthiest hospitals in the city pick a fight with their workers instead of fighting for patient safety, the labor movement must stand together! We urge fellow PSC members to join the picket lines happening outside of Mount Sinai, Montefiore, and NewYork-Presbyterian hospital locations. Picket lines run from 7 AM – 7 PM daily, unless otherwise noted, and the busiest times are 10 AM – 2 PM. All locations are posted here on the NYSNA website.
Sign up here if you can join a contingent of PSC members and union staff on the NYSNA strike lines. Our schedule:
Wednesday, January 14
- 8:00 AM – 9:45 AM, Henry & Lucy Moses Campus, 111 East 210th Street, Bronx, NY
- 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM, New York-Presbyterian Allen, 5141 Broadway, New York, NY
- 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Mount Sinai Hospital, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, NY
Thursday, January 15
- 10:00 AM – 12:00PM, Mount Sinai Hospital, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, NY
If the strike continues next week, PSC members will receive additional information about when and how we can make the greatest positive impact with our presence.
Send a Message to Hospital Management
Court Support Every Friday Morning
(and Thursdays through January only)
PSC members are continuing to bear witness and support immigrants who are called to the courts at 26 Federal Plaza. Join your colleagues as we escort our neighbors out of the courts. Meet any Thursday or Friday at 7:30 AM in front of 319 Broadway, across the street from 26 Federal Plaza. Starting in February, we will only courtwatch on Fridays. PSC training is required to participate and a refresher is strongly recommended if you were trained more than two months ago. The ever changing tactics and scenarios we are witnessing require updates. The next zoom training will be held on Tuesday January 27th at 6:30 PM. RSVP here.
Whether you are able to go to the courts or not, you are welcome to participate in campus-based ISWG activities. Sign up here to learn more about this campus and community work.
Rallying to Pass New York for All Legislation
PSC members were in Albany Monday calling on the state legislature to pass the New York for All Act and defend our non-citizen students, neighbors, and colleagues! We are proud to stand with hundreds of members of community organizations like Make the Road NY, The Bronx Defenders, and Immigrant Defense in calling for this common-sense legislation to prevent state and local government collusion with lawless ICE attacks on our communities.
Loan Forgiveness & Academic Freedom Webinars from the NEA
The PSC’s affiliation with NYSUT gives its members access to resources from the National Education Association (NEA). This month, NEA is offering two free webinars on pressing higher education topics:
Degrees Not Debt: Navigating Loan Forgiveness Programs
Wednesday, January 14, 6:00PM | Register Here
Navigating changes to federal student loan policies and loan forgiveness programs can be difficult and complicated. Join NEA experts as they discuss recent legislative and regulatory changes around federal student loans and review NEA resources available to members.
Academic Freedom in Higher Education
Tuesday, January 27, 6:00PM | Register here
This legal update will focus on the protection of academic freedom in higher education. The NEA will discuss defensive litigation for members facing discipline based on protected speech, as well as challenges to overly restrictive state and federal statutes and funding conditions. They will also discuss the potential to better protect academic freedom through state legislation.
No Wars! No Kings! No ICE!
Hundreds of PSC members marched down Fifth Avenue Sunday alongside thousands of our fellow New Yorkers to demand NO WARS! NO KINGS! NO ICE! It was one of many demonstrations held throughout the nation to protest the Trump Administration’s transparent bid to seize control of Venezuela’s oil and the killing of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis last Wednesday.
PSC stands against US intervention in Venezuela (Clarion Online)
The Trump administration’s abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife on January 3 was met with widespread condemnation in the labor movement, including from PSC members. Citing a long history of US racism and imperialist intervention in Latin America, the PSC Delegate Assembly in December adopted a resolution opposing any US intervention in Venezuela.
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“We’re encouraged that Governor Hochul is making public higher education a tenet of her affordability agenda by extending a tuition freeze and expanding CUNY Reconnect, the state’s program of free community college tuition for high-demand fields. We’re eager to see the details of the Executive Budget’s plan to continue increasing operating support for the City University of New York.
“CUNY enrollment has increased by 9,000 students this year, thanks in large part to the success of CUNY Reconnect. But the University will only realize the full potential of the free community college initiative and other recent state investments by also addressing the shortage of full-time faculty and staff. Governor Hochul earmarked funding for new CUNY faculty in her first budget; she should do so again this year while including money for advisors and counselors. To put more nurses, teachers, engineers and technology workers into New York’s economy, CUNY needs more full-time faculty to teach and mentor students and more support staff to keep them on-track to graduation.”
Published: January 13, 2026
