SUNY Potsdam UUP : News

SUNY Potsdam Chapter
United University Professions

Proudly serving the educational needs of the SUNY Potsdam community.

Spring 2007:

Potsdam UUP Analysis of the College Administration's Salary 'Norming' Model, April 2007 [.doc file]
Results of the College Administration's Salary Norming, April 2007 [.xls spreadsheet]
2006 study of SUNY Potsdam professional staff salaries [.xls spreadsheet]
Please contact your UUP officers or area representative for further information about these projects.

Fall 2006:

Contract Negotiations: See the ISSUES page for information on current work on contract negotiations.
Grants: Grant monies are available through the SUNY-UUP Joint Labor-Management Committees. Any employee or group of employees is eligible to apply. You can get detailed information and application forms at the UUP website. The next deadline for applications is September 1. Funds are available for projects that address needs that will benefit groups of employees. Topics include: Professional Development; Safety and Health; Technology; Affirmative Action and Diversity; and Enrollment Enhancement. Contact George Gonos for more information.
Workload: Check our ISSUES page for information on the workload discussions underway on campus.
UUP Event Sponsorship: In 2006-2007, Potsdam UUP will also be sponsoring certain campus events -- concerts, lectures, athletic events, panels, etc. Your ideas for this new program are most welcome. Please contact George Gonos with your thoughts. For more information on UUP events, please see our EVENTS page.
Membership Report: In the 2005-2006 academic year, UUP membership on our campus was UP 8.4% (from 380 to 412)... and the number of "fee payers" (non-members) was DOWN 9.9% (from 131 to 118). Good work! And kudos to the Area Reps.
Part-Time, Two-Thirds Time, Adjuncts, etc: Potsdam UUP has a new Part Time Concerns Representative. Karen Johnson-Weiner was elected to the post and is ready to hear from part-timers on campus about their concerns. Throughout SUNY there is a push for salary improvements and procedural rights for part-timers. We want to hear from you and get that off the ground here as well.
Safety and Health: At the urging of Potsdam UUP (and after numerous complaints from members over the past year), administration will soon be circulating a standard protocol for communicating with our members about health and safety issues related to planned building projects. Potsdam UUP shares with administration a responsibility for ensuring a safe and healthy working environment for our members. Continue to report any concerns.
Link/Labor & Social Justice Scholarship: As a result of a dynamic campaign run by G. Kahn, David Smith, and David Brouwer, ten incredibly talented and socially conscious Potsdam students completed applications for UUP's Link/Labor & Social Justice Scholarship, a number second only to Oswego among the 32 campuses statewide. Of 102 statewide applicants, a significant number made the first cut, and at least one may have made it as a finalist. We are keeping our fingers crossed that one of our own Potsdam students will take a Link scholarship for the first time.
Potsdam UUP Safe Driver Benefit: Potsdam UUP has re-instituted our safe driver benefit. The chapter will reimburse (up to $30) any member of our bargaining unit who takes any NTSI sponsored Safe Driver Program. Just send your receipt to Nancy Richards at our UUP chapter office, 234 MacVicar Hall. Completion of an NTSI program can help reduce your insurance rate and shave four "points" from your driving record. Note, however, that since these programs are run by independent contractors, the overall cost to you may differ. In some cases, $30 will completely cover your cost.
New Retiree Benefits! Last month UUP announced it had implemented a plan to extend all UUP benefits to retirees for a small monthly fee, including dental, vision, etc. Note that this program will be available to UUP members only.

The official publication
of the SUNY Potsdam Chapter of UUP

[All newsletters are .doc files, and open with Microsoft Word]

Current Issue: Issue 11

Editorial Policy:

The opinions expressed in With the Ranks are those of the writer and the Potsdam UUP chapter and do not necessarily reflect the position or policies of United University Professions.

With the Ranks encourages letters to the editor about union, campus and university issues, politics and other membership concerns. Letters must be typewritten or e-mailed, double-spaced and include the writer's name and daytime telephone number. Limit the length, when possible, to 500 words. In the competition for space, shorter letters most often will receive preference. Letters will be published based on the following criteria: the order in which they are received, space availability and timeliness of the letter's topic. Letters submitted by first-time writers may also receive preference. With the Ranks reserves the right to edit all letters. We cannot guarantee that all letters will be published. The final decision is at the discretion of the editor and/or chapter president.
Send letters to:

Potsdam UUP
234 MacVicar Hall
SUNY College at Potsdam
Potsdam, NY 13676-2299