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THE VOICE
September 2010 Issue The Voice is the official publication of United University Professions. (Click on the cover to read it!) |
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John Delate, Chapter President, received the 2007 "Best Web Site" Award from statewide UUP President, Bill Scheuerman, at the Spring Delegate Assembly in Albany. This is the third year in a row the chapter has won this most prestigious award!
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March 8th marked the 29th anniversary of my Father’s passing. Edward Delate’s life was cut short by cancer of the colon, but he left behind a wife and family of eleven and an inspiration for us to learn and serve.
My Dad earned his Ph.D. in mathematics from SUNY Buffalo, and he went on to a successful career in management with the DuPont Corporation. Although my Dad’s primary occupation did not provide an opportunity to be involved in unions, his Father was a long-serving shop steward at a rubber factory in Morrisville, PA. My limited memory of Grandpop Delate included the sense of pride he emitted when he spoke of his days at the factory and performing his union duties. His blue-collar, fiscally populist, and socially conservative political philosophy was passed on to the next generation and beyond. While the occupations and culture changed, that spirit of collective action remained.
Grandpop Delate and family resided in Trenton, NJ, once a vibrant city for well-paying unionized manufacturing jobs. While our family re-located to Buffalo, NY prior to my birth and then settled in Wilmington, DE, my Dad never forgot his Trenton roots. With several relatives residing in Trenton, our family would travel there periodically on weekends to spend some time with everyone. Although still young during that period, what struck me about our visits was how my Father cherished the time we could spend with family and friends from his past. There were a number of non-relatives who we still referred to as “uncle” or “aunt,” with many of them apparently Italian. Although we did not have an ounce of Italian blood in our ancestry, I think the traditional Italian focus on the family and group gatherings attracted my Father at a deep level. “Bowling Alone” was not an option, and the Trenton excursions continued up to my Father’s passing. His final resting place is, appropriately enough, with family and friends at St. John’s cemetery in Trenton.
While his primary position was at DuPont, my Father’s real passion was for teaching. For most of his life in Wilmington he served as an adjunct professor in mathematics at the University of Delaware and periodically at Widener University in PA. Once a week each semester and during the summer my Dad would travel to Newark or Chester to teach a class in one of several math areas. Although his officer hours were held at the respective universities, I remember on a number of occasions when college-aged students would come by the house for a brief tutorial from my Father. Despite limited compensation for the teaching, I only recall a feeling of joy and satisfaction emanating from my Father whenever these visits occurred. The supplemental income certainly helped with the budgetary requirements to care for 11 kids, but it was obvious to me that my Dad taught the courses as a labor of love. That dedication to his students and to education was demonstrated clearly towards the end of my Father’s life. He had mentored one of his students, Ralph Meagle, for a number of years, and as my Father’s health weakened Ralph took over the courses and continued to teach them for years. My Father had departed the classroom, but his love for mathematics and teaching lived on in Ralph.
Purchase College has over 200 adjunct professors teaching at least one course per year. From individual music instruction on instruments to large lecture-style courses on world history, our part-time academics perform an important service to the College and our students. While they also teach for the love of the discipline and education, we must all recognize that these dedicated part-time instructors deserve more for all that they do for Purchase and SUNY. Whether financial recognition is forthcoming in the immediate future or not, I personally thank my Father and all of the adjunct professors for the service and instruction they provide. We all benefit from your efforts.
"Dr. Nancy Zimpher is credited with guiding the University of Cincinnati through tough fiscal times. She will need to draw upon those same skills to lead the State University."
"Based on her resume, we are optimistic she will bring the steady leadership that is so vital to SUNY, as it faces the serious financial challenges caused by state budget cutbacks. We look to her to act as a strong advocate for the University’s students and faculty, and ensure we have the resources to continue providing access to affordable, quality public higher education."
"UUP stands ready to work with Dr. Zimpher to send the message that SUNY is the solution to improve our state’s economy."
UUP represents 35,000 academic and professional faculty on 29 New York state-operated campuses, including SUNY’s public teaching hospitals and health science centers. It is an affiliate of NYSUT, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, and the AFL-CIO.
United University Professions (UUP), the union that represents more then 34,000 academic and professional faculty on 29 State University of New York (SUNY) campuses, reached an agreement on a new four-year contract with New York state.
UUP Acting President and Chief Negotiator Frederick G. Floss hailed the terms of the agreement and thanked Gov. Spitzer for his support.
"This agreement meets our goal of a fair and equitable contract for all our members academic and professional, full-time and part-time," he said. "The agreement provides competitive salaries and strong benefits that will attract and retain top-quality faculty."
The agreement replaced the contract that expired July 1, 2007.
Highlights of the pact include the following salary increases:
The agreement runs from July 2, 2007 to July 1, 2011. It features other benefits, including:
There will be no percentage increases in employees' share of the cost of health insurance premiums, with only small increases in their co-pays.
The agreement also features a Pre-Tax Transportation Program that would reduce employee commuting costs, and a continuation of support for the Employee Benefit Fund, Inconvenience Pay, and Labor Management Committees.
The union's 19-member Negotiations Team, led by Floss, worked diligently with the state to come to an agreement.
"The Team visited each campus prior to the start of negotiations to gauge members' concerns," Floss said. "The terms of this agreement reflect those concerns, and we are pleased the state heard them at the bargaining table."
The agreement was subject to ratification by the union's membership.
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