Help PSC Members Get Out The Vote
PSC members are gathering on Zoom twice a week from now until Election Day to call AFT members in swing-states and urge them to vote Joe Biden for President. We’re also mobilizing union volunteers to help get out the vote for State Senator Andrew Gounardes, a stalwart supporter of PSC members and CUNY students, and Congressman Max Rose, a key vote in the House of Representatives. Click here to volunteer.
Vote for Biden/Harris on the WFP Ballot Line
You can amplify the power of your vote and help make CUNY funding a priority in Albany and City Hall by voting on the Working Families Party (WFP) line this Election Day. The PSC and NYSUT are both proud affiliates of the WFP, which leverages its endorsement to push progressive policies like increased funding for public K-college education. The WFP must receive at least 130,000 votes or two percent of the total vote — whichever is higher — on its ballot line for the presidential election, or it will lose its automatic ballot line in New York. WFP-endorsed candidates and party leaders have stood with the PSC in our contract and budget campaigns and are active supporters of the CUNY Rising Alliance. Pledge here to vote on the WFP line.
October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month
A group of PSC members working to stop bullying has been organizing a series of events to raise awareness and change the culture that allows bullying to take place within CUNY. A schedule of events and a confidential survey and story collection portal are posted here. At the same time, PSC leaders are pressing CUNY management to launch the labor-management anti-bullying campaign that was bargained in conjunction with the contract. The effort was interrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak, but is now progressing.
Victory for Students, Teachers and Community at Hunter College Campus Schools
After an intense campaign that included an 85% “yes” vote on strike authorization and much subsequent negotiating, PSC-represented teachers and students at the Hunter College Campus Schools (HCCS) are now protected by important new safety protocols, including regular COVID testing, safety inspections, and containment of dangerous mold. The PSC also went to court for the HCCS teachers and won a temporary restraining order that compelled Hunter to install HEPA air filters in classrooms. Read more about the campaign.
The Census Deadline is October 31
Have you been counted? Have you urged your students and friends to be counted? Billions of dollars in funding for NYC and our representation in Congress are at risk. If you haven’t already, fill out your Census form right now at my2020census.gov, and be sure to speak up about the Census during your classes. The CUNY Census 2020 page has good resources for students, faculty and staff, including a map that lets you follow your neighborhood’s Census participation rate. Here’s a NY Counts 2020 Zoom background.
