The Voice

David Curry of SUNY Plattsburgh joins the discussion to begin the union's legislative outreach as soon as possible, in both Albany and in lawmakers' home districts

“This is the worst state of affairs that we’ve had in the last 20 years.” That ominous assessment delivered by UUP President Phillip Smith marked the start of the union’s Outreach Committee retreat in mid-August. The two-day gathering in Albany drew nearly 60 UUP members.

Smith painted a bleak picture regarding SUNY’s finances, following the latest round of state budget cuts issued by Gov. David Paterson in response to a mounting state deficit. On top of a $52 million state budget cut earlier this year, the governor ordered a 7 percent budget cut for all state agencies in August, translating to another $96 million reduction for SUNY. That brings SUNY’s budget down by a total of $148 million, which Smith predicted will be a long-term cut carrying over into future years. He warned the Outreach Committee members that the sharp reduction will put SUNY further behind in the numbers of full-time faculty it needs to keep up with enrollment growth.

“Our heads are way below the water line on this,” he said.

Smith noted the $148 million budget reduction does not include approximately $100 million in non-general fund revenues SUNY collects from students and hospital patients, but is being forbidden from spending. The union president said he expects the state will eventually take that money.

UUP President Phill Smith talks with union members about the governor's call for the state university to make deep cuts

Weeks before the start of the fall 2008 semester, SUNY was up against yet another significant reduction — an estimated cut of $96 million in state support. This comes on top of a cut in May of $52 million. The latest slash ordered by Gov. David Paterson followed an unprecedented July 29 televised address in which he announced that the state faces “increasingly harsh economic times.”

UUP President Phillip Smith warned the additional $96 million cut will irrevocably damage the University’s ability to fulfill its core mission.

“Providing the people of New York with educational services of the highest quality, with the broadest possible access to all segments of the population is SUNY’s core mission under the state Education Law,” Smith told reporters in August. “This reduction — on top of the earlier $52 million cut from the general fund — will make it impossible to fulfill that mission and could result in tens of thousands of students being turned away, or closed out of courses needed for graduation. An education delayed is an education denied.”

“It is inconceivable that SUNY is being directed to absorb an overall cut of $148 million in anticipated state aid, just weeks before classes were scheduled to resume,” Smith added.

The $148 million cut does not include the state’s order to SUNY to reduce its non-general fund spending by as much as $109 million, affecting operations such as residence halls and food service.

McNitt

Public higher education rose to the fore in Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s 2008 State of the State address. In his annual address to both houses of the state Legislature Jan. 9, the governor called for the hiring of 2,000 more full-time faculty for SUNY and CUNY over the next five years, reflecting the recommendations of his Commission on Higher Education.

“If you want to participate in the innovation economy, a high school diploma is not always enough – you’re going to need a college diploma, or better yet, an advanced degree. We can’t strengthen our economy without the best colleges producing the best-prepared graduates,” the governor said. “That’s why our goal must be to make an outstanding higher education affordable for every New Yorker.”

The ranks of full-time faculty within New York state’s two public university systems would increase by 2,000 during the next five years. That is among the major recommendations contained in the preliminary report of the New York State Commission on Higher Education released Dec. 17.

UUP Acting President Frederick Floss said he found the commission’s report encouraging in regard to its call to hire more full-time faculty.

“The commission is on the right track in recognizing that hiring additional full-time faculty is vital to building an outstanding university system,” Floss said.

During a news conference at the Capitol where the preliminary report was officially presented, Gov. Eliot Spitzer termed the need to hire more full-time faculty at SUNY and CUNY as “a core proposal.”

UUP achieved its long sought-after goal of pension equity for its members, as the result of Gov. Eliot Spitzer signing the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) pension equity bill into law.

UUP President William Scheuerman thanked UUP members who sent more than 4,000 faxes to the governor urging him to sign this bill.

“He heard us,” Scheuerman said.

The new law means that state employees who participate in an ORP with 10 years or more of state service will no longer be required to contribute 3 percent of their salary to their ORP retirement accounts. The effect of this new law is especially significant for UUP, since 64 percent of its members participate in an ORP, according to figures from SUNY.

Current employees with 10 years or more of service who are paying 3 percent to their ORP will see their contribution eliminated over the course of the next three years.

Beginning in 2008, New York state will pick up 1 percent of the 3 percent contribution each year on April 1, until the entire 3 percent is covered.

UUP is unparalleled in its ability to mobilize members to contact lawmakers — in person, by phone and via fax — on issues that would strengthen the state university for faculty and students. New York’s most prominent legislators have repeatedly stated that UUP is a leader in getting its message heard.

But there’s always room for improvement.

That was the message delivered by UUP Outreach Committee Co-chair Glenn McNitt during a recent two-day retreat in Lake George. It was there that McNitt told the new and returning committee members that the union can’t rest on its laurels.

The 2007 legislative session brought UUP members a step closer toward achieving pension equity.

For the second year in a row, both houses of the state Legislature passed the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) pension equity bill. The legislation would have the state pick up, over a three-year period, the 3 percent pension contribution now paid by ORP members after 10 years of service.

The measure would put ORP members on par with public employees enrolled in the Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) and the Teachers’ Retire-ment System (TRS), who do not contribute to their pensions after 10 years of membership.

As The Voice went to press, the bill had just reached the governor’s desk.

Hospital issue healed

UUP’s extensive effort to keep Upstate Medical University (UMU) in Syracuse within SUNY led to an apparent affiliation agreement between UMU and neighboring Crouse Hospital.

The tentative agreement maintains UMU as part of the SUNY system while conforming to the recommendations of the Berger Commission regarding hospital capacity.

UUP has escalated its drive to keep Upstate Medical University in Syracuse part of SUNY by initiating a lawsuit.

Assemblyman Jack Quinn, left, and UUP statewide VOTE/COPE Coordinator Tom Tucker of SUNY Buffalo talk about how important SUNY-operated hospitals are to New York state during a recent Committee of 100 advocacy event hosted by NYSUT. Tucker was joined by hundreds of his K-12 union colleagues.

Weeks of traveling to Albany by UUPers, crowding into elevators packed like sardines, and knocking on the doors of dozens of state lawmakers have paid off for UUP in the form of a positive state budget.

“Last year’s budget that provided $148.8 million in additional funding for SUNY’s state-operated campuses was the best higher education budget in a generation,” said UUP President William Scheuer-man. “This year, we did even better.”