New PSC – CUNY Rising Ads Urge New Yorkers to Tell Their Electeds: Support the New Deal for CUNY
The PSC, in coalition with the CUNY Rising Alliance, launched a digital ad campaign this week calling on New Yorkers to contact their elected officials to support the New Deal for CUNY. The ads, which are set to run almost 1000 times on TV in NYC and Albany, in targeted legislative districts, and on multiple social and online media platforms for several weeks, feature BMCC student Abigail Essiful-Stiles and Medgar Evers English Professor Victoria Chevalier. They are narrated by Hunter College student Riya Patel.
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Get on the Bus
Rally Inside the NYS Capitol, Thurs., March 9
We’re headed to the NYS Capitol next Thursday, March 9th to rally at 12 noon for a New Deal for CUNY and a New Deal for Higher Ed. NYSUT, UUP and CUNY Rising and our Albany allies will be with us. We need you there! Click here to RSVP and reserve your seat on a bus.
The Senate and Assembly are solidifying their bargaining positions for the final budget negotiations. A big, loud demonstration on the Million Dollar Staircase inside the Capitol is just what we need to keep the pressure on. And after the rally we’ll divide up and bring our message to the Legislative Office Building.
Take the day, if you can, and join us on the buses with CUNY students. Let us know here which bus location works for you, 7:00 AM at 25 Broadway in lower Manhattan or 7:15 AM at 350 W 125th Street in Harlem. We’ll be returning Thursday evening.
RSVP: March 9 Rally in Albany
Tell Your State Legislators to Support the New Deal for CUNY
CUNY can be free again and well-funded! Click here to visit the CUNY Rising Alliance website and send your message to Albany. The sample letter, which you can edit as you wish, urges your legislators to reject tuition hikes, pass the New Deal for CUNY (A4425/S2146) and fully fund CUNY this year. All you have to do is type your name and address info, and then tap “start writing” to send the letter.
Send Letter: New Deal for CUNY
March Over the Brooklyn Bridge for a New Deal for CUNY
Sunday, March 19, 12:00 PM
Demonstrate growing support for the New Deal for CUNY at the student-led March across the Brooklyn Bridge on Sunday, March 19. The event begins at Brooklyn Borough Hall (209 Joralemon St.) at 12:00 noon and ends at City Hall. CUNY students were there Monday morning at our contract rally and have been an integral part of the CUNY Rising Alliance and the New Deal for CUNY campaign. Sign up now to let us know you’ll be there with them for the March.
RSVP: March 19 Brooklyn Bridge
Follow #NewDeal4CUNY and Retweet
PSC campus chapters are organizing a series of quick, rolling actions with visuals to keep the pressure on Albany leaders and keep the #NewDeal4CUNY hashtag visible on social media. Hunter College staged a powerful photo last week and Brooklyn College took action earlier this week. The BMCC chapter is up later today around 11:00 AM, and there will be speak outs and other actions next week. Twitter users should follow #NewDeal4CUNY and retweet and respond to the messages you see. Tag your legislators when you do!
Join the PSC Twitter Corps
Lobby Training for PSC Members
On Tuesday, March 7 at 6:00 PM the PSC’s legislation team will host an online training for PSC members on how to lobby your elected officials. Don’t miss this chance to learn how to be an effective CUNY advocate! The training will also feature a briefing on the PSC’s current budget demands and the latest campaign updates. To attend RSVP here!
Testify With the PSC at the CUNY Board of Trustees Brooklyn Borough Hearing
Monday, March 20, NYC College of Technology
Manfred Philipp, professor emeritus, Lehman College and the Graduate Center, testifying before the Board of Trustees in December. He elaborated on his testimony to write “CUNY is at an inflection point in this year’s state budget” for amNY.
Fair Contract! No Cuts! No Tuition Hike!
The CUNY Board of Trustees will hear in-person and online testimony at a public hearing to be held 4:30 PM on Monday, March 20 at the City Tech Academic Complex, 285 Jay Street, Brooklyn, directly across from the College’s main campus. PSC leaders will testify in person, pressing the Trustees and management to come to the table and bargain a fair contract with real raises. They will oppose planned tuition hikes and speak out against management’s $100 million in college “savings targets” (i.e., cuts to academics and student services).
PSC members can sign up here by 12 noon Thursday, March 16 to let us know you plan to deliver testimony related to the cuts, tuition, or the coming contract campaign. We’ll register you with CUNY and publicize your testimony after the hearing. If you wish to give remote testimony or to register yourself for in-person testimony, email the Board Secretary at [email protected] prior to CUNY’s deadline of noon on Friday, March 17, 2023. Please indicate whether you intend to testify in person or remotely. (Official Hearing Notice.)
I Will Testify March 20
PSC State Budget Testimony
President James Davis called for a New Deal for CUNY as he testified Monday alongside leaders of UUP and NYSUT at a legislative hearing about state funding for higher education. Click here for the PSC’s budget platform, which calls for a $431 million increase in CUNY’s state operating funds, $983 million in new capital investments and $284 million to make CUNY community colleges tuition-free. Click here for the union’s written testimony. Video of testimony of President Davis is posted here at the 4:35:56 timestamp.
Published: March 3, 2023
