Tell Chairperson Thompson and Chancellor Matos Rodríguez that PSC Will Fight for Every Job at CUNY
President Bowen has sent a video message to members opposing preemptive cuts to CUNY. The PSC will not stand by while budgets are cut without justification and without a fight. Watch the video then join the union’s fight to protect every job at CUNY. Send this message to the chancellor and the chairperson of the board of trustees demanding that no colleges be cut until every other option, including federal money, has been accounted for.
Submissions for the PSC “In Memoriam” Webpage
The PSC officers, members and staff offer our deepest condolences to the family, colleagues and students of CUNY faculty and staff who have died during the COVID-19 pandemic. The union is posting the names of our deceased colleagues here on an In Memoriam page. The names of deceased members of the PSC bargaining unit will be added to the In Memoriam page when they have been announced by a CUNY college administration or published by a news outlet. The immediate family of a deceased PSC member whose name has not already been made public may also give permission for their loved one’s name to be added to the list via this web form.
If you are a PSC member and know of a colleague whose death has been announced publicly but is not listed on the In Memoriam page, please fill out the form. (You may also forward an emailed announcement to Tiffany Brown at [email protected].) If you have lost a colleague whose death has not been made public and you believe their survivors would like the PSC to commemorate them, please share the submissions web form link with their immediate family.
FAQs about Unemployment Insurance for Adjuncts
The PSC encourages all eligible adjuncts–Teaching, Non-Teaching and CLTs–to apply for Unemployment Insurance when the semester ends in May 2020. Many adjuncts are eligible to receive benefits, though there are some exceptions. Read this FAQ for more information on how to apply and what to expect.
Help Observe Workers’ Memorial Day 2020
Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 28, PSC members will have an opportunity to express publicly our thanks for the workers who are working throughout the pandemic to provide healthcare, food, protection and essential services during the pandemic. Tuesday, April 28 is the annual Workers’ Memorial Day, a day to remember workers killed or injured on the job and renew the labor movement’s fight for stronger health and safety protections. The theme for the day, “Protect our rights. Speak up for safe jobs,” has a deeper resonance during the coronavirus pandemic when even the commute to work is a health threat and business interests are pushing for a premature end to social distancing.
The vigils and gatherings that usually mark Workers’ Memorial Day here in New York are impossible this year, so the PSC will join the New York Central Labor Council (CLC) and its 300 affiliated unions for a city-wide online observance.
Throughout the day Tuesday the CLC will publish the names of deceased workers, including PSC members, who have died during the COVID-19 pandemic. New York’s 300 affiliated unions and their members are invited to share images of solidarity and appreciation for essential workers. That’s where we need your help.
Can you share a statement or a photo expressing solidarity and thanks to other workers? It can be a photo of a handwritten note, a short selfie video, a sign drawn by homeschooling children, or just a few typed words of thanks. Social media users should post the images and messages on Tuesday, April 28 on their platforms of choice; tag @CentralLaborNYC and use the hashtag #WMD2020. If you are not on social media, but wish to participate, email your message or image to [email protected], and the PSC will share it for you.
Labor Goes to the Movies—at Home
What’s your favorite Water Cooler Moment?
“Laughing Matters” is the theme of the PSC’s film series this year, and boy could we all use a laugh right now. The Labor Goes to the Movies committee had planned to continue their exploration of filmed comedy in relation to social critique with an April screening of topical clips dubbed “Water Cooler Moments.” An in-person discussion isn’t possible in these days of social distancing, but shared screen time on Zoom is becoming practically de rigueur.
The committee invites you to suggest funny online clips for its first virtual Labor Goes to the Movies at-home event. We suggest clips no longer than 3-4 minutes. Just submit the url(s) of the clip here along with a short rationale for your choice(s). And stay tuned for announcements about the future scheduling of our online screening, featuring the best of your submissions!
