Support is Rising for The New Deal for CUNY
and Increased CUNY Investment
Senator John Liu supported the call for $416 million in public investment in CUNY in the Gotham Gazette last week. Assemblymember Karines Reyes, sponsor of the New Deal for CUNY, demanded that the state stop targeting faculty cuts to CUNY and SUNY schools serving Black and Brown students in the Daily News. Support for big funding increases for CUNY is growing. A massive turnout for the December 11 march for #APeoplesCUNY will not only show Governor Hochul what’s needed for CUNY as she prepares her executive budget, it will also show our love for students and colleagues coming back from the pandemic.
Sign up here to tell us you’ll be there on Saturday, December 11 at 11 AM as we march with our students, families and allies from LaGuardia Community College (31-10 Thomson Ave, Queens) to the CUNY Law School. We’ll be joined by state and city lawmakers and our CUNY Rising Alliance coalition partners. It’s critical that we show public support for the #NewDeal4CUNY and increased CUNY investment. If you’re already planning to come, help spread the word by sending this tweet, inviting friends via the Facebook event and sharing the flyer.
The More Members Who Contribute, the Stronger We Become
PSC/CUNY COPE, the union’s political action committee, is a vital element of our union’s political program, and the more members who contribute, the stronger we become. We use COPE money to support and hold accountable political candidates who fight for CUNY and to support organizations who fight alongside us for CUNY funding. Dues are not used for such purposes. Contributions to COPE are voluntary and only PSC/CUNY members may participate. PSC members who are on CUNY payroll can support COPE via regular payroll deductions. Retirees and Research Foundation employees can give by check or individual online contributions. Click here for more information and to sign up or increase your COPE contribution.
CUNY Must release the Ventilation Data
The PSC continues to fight for your health and safety. We have requested release of all data used in the creation of the ventilation reports for 12 colleges prepared by the engineering consultant firm Ramboll. Ten colleges have failed to provide the data, which is essential to minimizing the risk of COVID transmission. Even worse, City College and Brooklyn College, which had posted room-level ventilation data on their websites, have been told to remove their data! The union is continuing to pursue our demand for the information citing rights established under the Freedom of Information Law, the New York Taylor Law and our contract. Health and Safety Watchdogs from PSC chapters have launched petition campaigns to press the college presidents to comply and a CUNY-wide petition is now available for union members.
Setting a CUNY Climate Justice Agenda, Dec. 10, 9AM-1PM
We are in the middle of a climate crisis that must be addressed on every level—global, federal, state, city, and at our own university. The PSC campaign for #APeoplesCUNY prioritizes improving CUNY’s environmental impact as part of our effort to win billions in new capital investment. And the University Budget Request names sustainability and reducing CUNY’s carbon footprint as goals in its five-year $5.8 billion capital request.
Join CUNY faculty, staff, students and administrators for an action-oriented online mass meeting to learn about ways to advance CUNY’s climate practices and build vibrant campus-based communities doing our part in the fight for climate justice on every level. Register here. Help spread the word via the Facebook event and by sharing this flyer.
Email for more info: [email protected].
Enrollment and Change Period for Health Benefits Plans Ends Nov. 30
This year’s enrollment and change period for NYC health insurance and supplemental plans ends November 30. During this period, active employees may change plans and/or add riders to current plans offered by the NYC Health Benefits Program. All changes must be made by contacting CUNY campus benefits officers. Health plan changes requested during the enrollment and change period will be effective January 1, 2022. Read more from the PSC-CUNY Welfare Fund and see the application information & instructions provided by the NYC Health Benefits Program.
Welfare Fund members—both active employees and retirees—may also change dental plans during the enrollment and change period. For the latest on the City’s change in retiree healthcare from traditional Medicare to Medicare Advantage Plus, visit the PSC-CUNY Welfare Fund website and the “What’s Happening with Retiree Healthcare?” page of the PSC website.
Fundraiser for Belle Zeller Scholarship Trust Fund