Even More Opposition to Pathways
New resolutions opposing Pathways were passed last week by the Brooklyn College Faculty Council, the City College College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Council, and by five departments at LaGuardia Community College. Also, David Speidel, former provost of Queens College, wrote in the Queens Times-Ledger about the CUNY curriculum under Pathways, and the inability to transfer Pathways science courses outside of CUNY.
The center pages of this month’s Clarion list the names of over 4,100 verified faculty and staff who signed the petition for the repeal and replacement of Pathways as of March 23. More signatures have been added to the online and print petitions since then, and the number continues to grow. If you haven’t signed yet, there is still time to add your name to the petition. Posting the petition signatures page of the Clarion on your office door is a great way to show support for the campaign. Better yet, you could download a paper petition from the website and get your colleagues to sign it.
To keep track of the growing campaign, see the list of resolutions, letters and statements being compiled by The University Faculty Senate. To see UFS Vice-Chair Terrence Martell’s reasons for signing on as a plaintiff in the union’s lawsuit to stop Pathways, click here.
2012 PSC Elections: Mail in Your Votes
Last week, ballots were mailed to members’ homes for the election of the president, first vice president, secretary, treasurer and the rest of the 27-member Executive Council. Candidates for delegates to the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and New York State United Teachers (NYSUT). Because of election regulations, candidates for delegates to the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) are sent only to AAUP members, and on a separate ballot.. All of these elected positions are for three-year terms. Completed ballots are in the union-wide election are due by April 27 and will be counted on April 30. If you believe you are eligible to vote and have not received a ballot by April 11, or if you would like to be an observer at the vote-count, please call the PSC at 212-354-1252. (See the 2012 Elections webpage.)
CUNY at the Council, Wednesday, May 2
Mayor Bloomberg has proposed a flat-line budget for CUNY community colleges that doesn’t account for enrollment increases and inflationary costs, and includes devastating cuts to scholarships and other programs. His plan for CUNY assumes a requested $300 tuition hike that many community college students cannot afford. It also does not fund Council-supported initiatives like Vallone Scholarships, Black Male Initiative, Safety Net financial aid, and the Murphy Institute for Worker Education.
To urge the City Council to pass a budget that works for faculty, staff and students, the PSC is cosponsoring a joint advocacy day called CUNY at the Council, along with the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) and the University Student Senate (USS). Join us on Wednesday, May 2 in meeting with City Council members to tell them what CUNY needs. We’ll be meeting with Councilmembers in their offices at 250 Broadway. Contact Amanda Magalhaes (212-354-1252 ext. 221) to register to take part in lobby visits. Students can sign up by stopping by their local NYPIRG office.
Sign Up for the NYSUT Committee of 100 Lobby Day in Albany
PSC members and our partners at NYSUT are hard at work advocating for legislation to improve CUNY trustee selection, increase transparency at the CUNY Research Foundation, provide unemployment insurance for adjunct faculty, and prevent workplace bullying. (See the PSC’s full list of legislative priorities.) Sign up for the May 21-22 NYSUT Committee of 100 Lobby Day in Albany to tell your legislators how they can improve working and learning conditions at CUNY. Contact Amanda Magalhaes (212-354-1252 ext. 221) to sign up. Transportation, food and housing costs for the trip to Albany are covered by NYSUT.
Part-Timers Who’ve Joined TRS: Don’t Miss the April 30 Deadline to Submit Supporting Documents
Adjuncts who signed up to join TRS shortly before April 1, but who have not yet submitted a beneficiary form, proof of date of birth (copy of birth certificate or passport), and their letter of appointment, must hand in those documents by April 30. If you miss the deadline, your TRS enrollment will not take effect. (See www.psc-cuny.org/TRS-April-30-documents for more information.)
99% Spring Action Training
Our partners in the 99% New York coalition will hold a training and action planning session this Saturday, April 14, 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM at the PSC union hall (61 Broadway, 16th floor). PSC is a proud member of the coalition, which uses grassroots tactics, new and traditional media and direct action to demand fair tax and budget policies in New York City and New York State. To register for the training, click here.
#TaxDay—Day of Action
On Tuesday, April 17, millions of ordinary New Yorkers will pay their taxes; they will hand over a share of their hard-earned income to fund schools, mass transit, better roads, public safety, the social safety net and other services that we all benefit from and depend on. At the same time, many hugely profitable corporations will pay no taxes at all, and hedge fund managers, real estate tycoons and the rest of the 1% will pay less than their rightful share because of loopholes and unfair income tax brackets that they lobbied to create. It’s time for the 99% to collect what we’re owed.
Join the PSC and our partners in the 99% New York coalition next Tuesday, April 17 at Bryant Park (West 42nd St. and 5th Ave.) at 4:30 PM for a demonstration to demand an end to corporate loopholes and unjust tax policies. We’ll meet up at the park, then take our demands to the front doors of some of the worst corporate offenders; we’ll share our reasons for paying taxes and demand that they pay up. RSVP here.
