Take Over Albany to Tax the Rich | On the ground in Minneapolis

Reserve Your Seat on the PSC Bus

New Yorkers are demanding a better, more affordable life with universal childcare, free buses, and a free and fully funded CUNY system. We’re organizing to take over Albany on Wednesday, February 25th to win the higher taxes on corporations and the rich that are necessary to fund our affordability agenda and to protect our city and the services on which we depend. Both the state and city are facing massive financial pressures. Albany has to address more than $8 billion in federal cuts to our state’s healthcare system and City Hall has a looming $7 billion budget deficit. Making the rich and wealthy corporations pay their fair share is how we balance the budgets while also investing in the better life New Yorkers deserve.

PSC buses will depart at 6:00 AM from locations in Harlem and Lower Manhattan and will arrive back to the same locations around 7:00 PM. Lunch provided.

RESERVE A BUS SEAT                     DOWNLOAD FLYER

In 2012, Governor Cuomo strong armed lawmakers into cutting pensions for future state employees by creating a harsh new pension tier. Tier 6, which now covers two-thirds of state workers including CUNY faculty and staff, requires workers to pay more out of pocket than workers in lower tiers. It also sets a later retirement age and has worse early retirement terms than the pensions available to earlier hires. The changes were particularly hard on CUNY adjuncts.

Union membership in the PSC has been powering a multi-year Fix Tier 6 campaign led by NYSUT, our statewide affiliate, and other major unions. And we’re winning. In 2022, the 10-year vesting period enacted with Tier 6 was reduced to 5 years. In 2025, the Final Average Salary calculation was reformed to allow for more generous payouts. This year, NYSUT is planning to finish the job, and PSC members are needed in the fight.

Several thousand NYSUT members have already registered for a massive Fix Tier 6 rally on March 8 at the MVP Arena in Albany! PSC members can register to attend even though the ticket portal says they are sold out. We’ve been assured that members who type “Professional Staff Congress (PSC)” into the waitlist form will be approved for admittance.

RSVP: FIX TIER 6 RALLY

To celebrate the 100th year of Black History Month, the PSC BIPOC Working Group is bringing together union members for activities and events throughout February and all year long. On Thursday, February 26th at 6pm, join us for an art build to celebrate the diversity of our members! This will be the start of a multi-session process to create a beautiful new banner for our working group.

Each of us has a story that reflects the challenges, joys, and knowledge gained throughout a lifetime. Starting on February 26th, you will have the opportunity to tell your story by designing and decorating an 8 x 8-inch square of canvas that will be incorporated into a larger banner. Together, this mosaic will represent the scope of our experiences, lessons learned, worldview, and other aspects of our personal narratives. No past art experience or skills necessary – come as you are and we’ll support you!

Sign up here to join us at the PSC Union Hall (25 Broadway, 15th Floor) on 2/26 at 6pm! It will be a fun, communal opportunity to make art with colleagues while building the power of our working group and our union! Dinner will be provided.

RSVP: ART BUILD

The masked face of ICE continues to pose a growing threat of indiscriminate violence and violation across the city. From communities to the courts, immigrant workers and families live in fear of being wrongfully detained and denied due process rights. In response and in resistance, more than 350 members and allies have now been trained to participate with the PSC in supporting immigrants in the courtrooms and we have made more than 800 discrete visits since May. Please join your fellow PSC members to bear witness and support immigrants who are called to the courts at 26 Federal Plaza. Spanish speakers are especially helpful. Meet any Friday at 7:30 AM at 319 Broadway, across the street from 26 Federal Plaza. PSC training is required to participate and a refresher is strongly recommended if you were trained more than two months ago. The next zoom training will be held on Thursday, March, 19th at 6:30PM. RSVP here.

Sign up here to learn more about the Immigrant Solidarity campus and community work.

Register here for the Zoom meeting link

The CUNY Alliance to Defend Higher Education is a coalition of CUNY faculty and staff organized by university governance leaders in response to federal attacks on higher education. CADHE is campaigning to promote collaboration for mutual defense across the academy, counter misinformation about CUNY, engage with elected officials, and defend academic freedom.

All CUNY faculty and staff are welcome at an open meeting CADHE is hosting on February 23rd at 6:30 PM to discuss their work so far and shape the organization’s mission going forward. Register here to get the Zoom link and click here to download a flyer.

Our national affiliate, the American Federation of Teachers, has launched a nationwide survey to identify the most urgent affordability issues facing union members. Please take a few minutes to complete this short survey about the financial pressures and debt burdens faced by you and your family. The results will help inform union campaigns that, in the coming years, can make a real, measurable difference in your family’s financial security.

PSC members’ dues have already supported big AFT wins on public-sector loan forgiveness. Completing this survey will help our national union learn how best to focus its might on winning affordable housing, healthcare, child care and college.

AFT DEBT SURVEY

The PSC will begin registration for the New York City mobilization as soon as details become available. For now, save the date in your calendar and make a plan to bring friends, family and colleagues along with the PSC contingent.