News & Events
The PSC and our AFT affiliates plan to fill social media with messages from proud union members if the Supreme Court rules, as expected, against workers in Janus v. AFSCME. Please join us. The Court’s rulings are announced on Monday mornings, and the Janus ruling could come any Monday before the end of June. The PSC will inform members via email and social media when it happens. When you receive the PSC’s message about the ruling, share a photo of yourself on social media, tag the union, and use the hashtags #UnionProud #UnionStrong.
If you email a photo to PSC Communications Coordinator Fran Clark a photo (fclark@pscmail.org), we’ll add to your photo a frame with the hashtags that says “I’m Sticking to Our Union” and share it via the union’s Twitter and Facebook accounts on the day the Court’s Janus ruling is announced. Be sure to tell us where you work.
CUNY Needs a Strong Maintenance of Effort
The NY State Senate has passed Maintenance of Effort (MOE) legislation that would begin to reverse the State’s record of underfunding the CUNY senior colleges.The Assembly is still considering it. MOE bills have been passed both houses twice with overwhelming bi-partisan support, but were vetoed both times by the governor. But the political dynamics in New York are changing and there is a chance that the MOE bill could be passed again and signed into law.
Click here to send a letter to your representatives in Albany urging them to pass the MOE again. This version of the bill requires the State to fund CUNY’s inflationary operating costs, such as collective bargaining, energy and rent. It also provides reimbursement for a portion of the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) Credit, which currently leaves public colleges on the hook for financial aid that should come from the State.
In April 2018, the PSC held elections are for the union’s principal officer positions of President, First Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer; for Vice Presidents for Senior Colleges, Community Colleges, Part-Time Personnel and Cross-Campus Units; and for the other 19 positions on the PSC Executive Council. Members also elected delegates to the AFT, NYSUT and AAUP. The Elections Committee certified the results of the 2018 PSC elections on Monday, May 7.
PSC President Barbara Bowen, Treasurer Sharon Persinger and Secretary Nivedita Majumdar were all re-elected. Andrea Ades Vásquez was elected to the position of PSC First Vice President. Full results of the election are posted here. The term of office starts on Monday, May 21.
CUNY Rising, a coalition of 33 CUNY-allied groups, including the PSC, will host two hearings for city and state elected officials, one in Brooklyn and one in the Bronx. PSC chapters are helping to organize both events. The Brooklyn hearing was held Wed., April 25. The Bronx hearing will focus on the community colleges and their students. It will be 4 PM Thurs., May 3 at Bronx Community College in Nichols Hall, room 104 (2155 University Ave.). Download a flyer here.
The panel at Brooklyn College consisted of NYC Public Advocate Letitia James, Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte, NYC Council Members Inez Barron and Robert Holden and Ernest Skinner sitting in for Council Member Jumanne Williams. The testimony from students and community groups focused on the effects of public disinvestment in CUNY including the shortage of full-time faculty and advisors at CUNY, low-pay of adjuncts, and the University's crumbling infrastructure. Many student speakers linked the students' push-back against disinvestment and tuition hikes to the CUNY Board of Trustees' pending initiative to restructure student activity fee allocation. They testified that the process has been a sham and that they believe the proposed changes to the activity fee system are an attempt by the Board to stifle free speech on campus and curb student activism. Video of the event is posted here on the CUNY Rising Facebook page.
The PSC Executive Council has passed a resolution expressing solidarity with CUNY cafeteria workers and the Retail Action Project of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, which has been organizing them. (Read about the conditions that CUNY cafeteria workers face.)The resolution supports the workers’ demands that all CUNY cafeteria contractors adhere to relevant labor and workplace safety laws, that workers have a right to continuous employment when vendors change, and have the freedom to seek union representation without threat of retaliation. Read the full resolution.
Vote by Phone or Email
On April 2, ballots were mailed to members’ homes for the election of the 27-member Executive Council (including president, first vice president, secretary and treasurer), and delegates to the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), and American Association of University Professors (AAUP). Voting will be by phone or email. Completed ballots must be registered by April 27 and will be counted on April 30.
A G E N D A
Iris DeLutro, PSC Vice President, Cross Campus Units/Andrea Vásquez, HEO chapter chair:
PSC members can see Alternating Currents, a play by Adam Kraar, directed by Kareem Fahmy, May 6 at 3 PM for a discounted rate of $22 per ticket. The play tells the story of two newly married electricians who move to Electchester. At first, everything seems perfect: spacious apartment, low rent, friendly neighbors, and an incredibly close-knit community. But as they settle in, they discover how much they may need to give up in order to really belong.
