PSC’s Response to COVID-19

“The COVID-19 pandemic was an unprecedented challenge to the safety and health of every CUNY employee. From the onset of the pandemic through the reopening process, the PSC, with the guidance of the Environmental Health and Safety Committee, aka the Watchdogs, worked tirelessly reduce risks and hold CUNY responsible for providing a safe workplace. That work continues! Here is a timeline of that process.”

Timeline

11/9/23: Protecting Ourselves from Airborne Viruses, including COVID-19 (link to https://psc-cuny.org/issues/protecting-ourselves-from-airborne-viruses-including-covid/
8/25/22: PSC members must be able to ask students to wear masks
6/24/22: We’re suing to fix CUNY’s vaccine mandate
5/02/22: FAQs about PSC–CUNY Agreement on Medical and Religious Exemptions to the Vaccine Mandate
3/10/22: Mask Mandate and Vaccine Negotiations
2/09/22: Vaccine Mandate for Faculty and Staff
1/28/22: Rallies to Protect Health, Safety & Jobs At Bronx Community College & Medgar Evers College
1/24/22: Save Jobs, Save Lives, Save CUNY…From Itself!
1/13/2022: Enforcing Your Right to an ADA Accommodation
1/13/22: Path to a Safer Spring Semester
1/05/22: 3,200 Faculty and Staff Sign Petition Calling for a Safe Return
1/02/22: New Vaccination Policy from Governor Hochul
12/29/21: Demand remote work and vaccine mandate from CUNY
12/20/21: PSC notice to Chancellor about the COVID surge
10/04/21: Vaccine Mandates at CUNY
09/03/21: Guidance for Faculty Teaching In-Person Classes
08/31/21: CUNY Faculty, Staff Protest at Medgar Evers College Against the Administration’s Inadequate Reopening Plan
08/26/21: CUNY Faculty and Staff Protest at Hunter College Against the Administration’s Reopening Plan
08/24/21: Day Before CUNY’s Fall Reopening, CUNY Faculty & Staff Union and Elected Officials Raise Safety Concerns
08/19/21: Health and Safety Update — First week back for some
08/13/21: CUNY Cannot Combat the Pandemic by Patchwork
08/12/21: Updates on health & safety and reopening
08/02/21: Safe reopening update & Fall schedule
07/26/21: Two More Weeks to Ensure a Safe Return
07/12/21: Updates on Safe Reopening and Delayed 2% Raise
06/29/21: Update on Remote Work Agreement
06/22/21: Summer Safe Reopening Campaign Plan
06/07/21: Important Updates on Reopening
06/07/21: Changes to teaching modality
06/03/21: Remote Work Agreement issues
05/13/21: Resolution on CUNY Libraries Reopening of Physical Space
03/20 – 04/21: Save Lives, Save Jobs, Save CUNY 2020

Watchdog Documents

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, the PSC’s Health and Safety Watchdogs created standards for a safe reopening of CUNY’s campuses, a reopening walkthrough checklist, and a “hot list” of key ventilation data to be collected. After the PSC negotiated a walkthrough protocol with CUNY management in July 2021, these documents were used to assess the safety of buildings across all campuses as they reopened.”

PSC Standards for Safe Opening at CUNY (April 27, 2021)

PSC Watchdog Walkthrough Checklist (June 15, 2021)

SARS-COV-2 Ventilation Hot List