RED ALERT ON FEDERAL BUDGET

The Time to Act is NOW

This week (June 30-July 3), the Congress is taking final steps toward passing a Federal Budget that will prove disastrous for New York State, SUNY, and our members. We call upon you to take action now–by joining the national AFL-CIO Federal Fight Back phone banking efforts to reach members of Congress before they approve this continuing resolution which in its current state would:

  • Make cuts to Medicaid that can threaten both Kingston and Ellenville hospitals with closure1
  • Cost an estimated $15.4 BILLION to New York State, leading to renewed CUTS to SUNY2
  • Make Pell Grants harder to access, increasing full-time status from 12 to 15 credits, leading to an estimated 10% of current students to no longer qualify3

Join us for a scale to win zoom bank to call union members in New York and let them know what is at stake in the proposed republican reconciliation bill. The good news is that you can help stop this!

Zoom bank! Join your labor family for a virtual phone bank on zoom talking to union members across the district. All you need is a computer and a phone. Don’t worry your personal number will not be shown as we connect you to members and a full training on the Scale to Win system will be provided.

By connecting union members to their member of Congress to vote NO until they make changes to ensure this bill benefits working people and not just the ultra wealthy. The first bill passed by just one vote. We only need a few members of congress to step up and do the right thing. They’ve set a deadline to vote by July 4th so the time to take action is now!

Sign up to make phone calls to urge action by New York State Congressional Representatives here.

Footnotes:

1Fiscal Policy Institute, 6/27/25.

2UUP President Fred Kowal, Zoom call with chapter presidents on 6/30/25.

3Politico.com, 6/28/25.

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Take our Professionals Survey!!

If you are a UUP Professional, we want to hear from YOU–please take our questionnaire about your experience working at SUNY!! The results will be used both to inform statewide contract negotiations, and to provide local data for our UUP New Paltz Chapter team to take to labor-management with our campus leadership. The more people participate, the stronger our case will be!!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/UUPWORKNewPaltz

We are hoping to have at least a 60% response rate….have YOU taken it yet??

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UUP JOINT STATEMENT DEFENDING HIGHER ED

As you know, the attacks on our work and our values from the Trump Regime has been unrelenting. A statement has been crafted by James Davis, President of PSC/CUNY, Roberta Elins President of UCE of FIT, and President Fred Kowal of UUP that calls on SUNY and CUNY leadership to respond much more aggressively in the face of these attacks. Not unexpectedly, compromises had to be made to get agreement on the wording, and to get it out in a timely fashion. 

Beyond this statement, UUP is considering other options to combat the hostile steps already taken, and those we anticipate. Expect to hear more from me on a regular basis on these efforts.

In solidarity,

Frederick E. Kowal, PhD

President, United University Professions 

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