brEAkthrough ● Paid parental leave As Clarion goes to press an agreement is reached. larıon PAGE 6 CNewspaper of the professioNal staff CoNgress / City UNiversity of New york MarCh/april 2009 Pat Arnow ON-CAMPUS HEARINGS THE STATE’S BUDGET AND OURS Above, at Brooklyn College’s hearing on the CUNY budget, adjunct and graduate or potential loss of income as a part-time faculty member. At campus hearings teaching fellow Brandy Moore provides a reality check about balancing her own across CUNY, students, faculty and staff called for “Fair Share” tax reform, to pro- budget every month. Gov. Paterson’s proposed State budget would squeeze Moore vide CUNY with the resources it needs. More hearings are planned for April and May from two directions: paying higher tuition as a grad student and facing speedup at John Jay and at Bronx, Hostos and LaGuardia Community Colleges. PAGE 3

ProPosAl PsC ElECtions AdjunCts immigrAtion New community Candidates PSC challenges Making college college debated state their case late paychecks access easier CUNY has issued a proposal The New Caucus and CUNY The PSC has filed a CUNY- A CUNY training session for a new community college. Alliance share their views wide grievance over several helps staff understand the Faculty say some of its ideas on the future direction of colleges’ failure to pay ad- challenges faced by undocu- are intriguing, but others the PSC. Ballots go out juncts on time. Why is this mented students. Organizers have provoked questions and April 1 and are due back a big problem on some cam- see the DREAM Act as the deep concerns. PAGES 8-9 by April 29. PAGES 11-19 puses, but not others? PAGE 7 next step. PAGE 10

AmericAn AssociAtion of University Professors ● AmericAn federAtion of teAchers ● n.y.c. centrAl lAbor coUncil ● n.y. s. Afl-cio ● new york stAte United teAchers 2 news & letters Clarion | March/April 2009

CAlEndAr Write to: Clarion/PSC, 61 BroadWay, 15th Floor, neW york, ny 10006. lEttErs to thE Editor | e-mail: [email protected]. Fax: (212) 302-7815. MONDAY, MARCH 30: 6:00 pm / HEO Chapter meeting. CUNY Gradu- ate Center, 34th St. and 5th Ave. Room 9206/9207. Jean Weisman, chapter chair and Mike Fabricant, PSC treasurer, will discuss orga- ‘draconian cuts’ would hurt education nizing at CUNY. Iris DeLutro, vice president for Cross-Campus Units, ● From processing applications lence will reduce the high-qual- Power comes including members in decision will discuss bullying and a hostile for financial aid to securing our ity research opportunities that making. work environment. Dinner will be campus buildings, the members of CUNY is known for providing to from the rank & file To win fundamental change, served. RSVP to Nick Cruz at (212) DC 37 at CUNY are a linchpin for award-winning faculty and stu- ● Passage of the Employee Free unions must shift from bureau- 354-1252. the students, faculty and adminis- dents alike. Choice Act would make it more cratic, staff-driven organizing to trators. The support services we That is why we must stop the difficult for employers to prevent energizing rank-and-file-based or- THURSDAY, APRIL 2: 4:00 pm / PSC provide make it possible for faculty budget cuts and tuition hikes pro- unionization, and it is rightly at ganization of workers. The union Campus Budget Hearing at Bronx to spend more time teaching, for posed by the governor and the the forefront of organized labor’s victory at Smithfield meatpacking, CC. Meister Hall, Schwendler Audi- students to have learning oppor- mayor. The solutions are to imple- legislative agenda today. If the leg- reported in the February Clarion, torium, University Ave and 181st St. tunities, and for administrators to ment fair taxation and a “million- islation is enacted, we will likely is a good example of the kind of For more information, contact Act- perform their jobs in a professional aires’ tax,” use the rainy day fund, find an upsurge in union represen- power this can create. ing Chapter Chair Sharon Persinger and dedicated manner. create public sector jobs for the fu- tation and also in union influence To bring lasting gains for most at [email protected]. The draconian cuts proposed ture and use the stimulus package in advancing a national working- workers, the labor movement must by Governor Paterson and Mayor to fund much-needed service and class agenda, including good jobs win firm legal protection for any MONDAY, APRIL 6: 1:00 pm / Retirees Bloomberg would hurt our abil- capital improvements at CUNY. and maybe single-payer universal group of workers who choose to or- Chapter meeting. PSC Union Hall, ity to provide a quality public This is the fair way to address our health care. ganize collectively, affirming the 61 Broadway, 16th Fl. Discussion of higher education to those most budget problem, not putting it on But we should recognize that constitutional right to freedom of “Public Education in a Global Con- in need. Higher tuition costs for the backs of those most vulnerable the Employee Free Choice Act is association and the right to strike text.” For more information, contact students and less available finan- in our community. not the panacea that will establish in every industry in both private Jacob Judd, [email protected]. cial aid will only make it harder Linda Ann Bowman a mass democratic workers move- and public sectors. Without such to achieve the college education Vice President, Local 2054 ment in the US. Too often today, guarantees, labor law reform could TUESDAY, APRIL 21: 4:00 pm / Women’s so critical to those who desire to DC 37, AFSCME staff-driven organizing is pursued boost the ranks of organized labor, Committee meeting. At the PSC of- reach the middle-class dream. & College Assistant by bureaucratic unions that aim but only marginally increase work- fice, 61 Broadway, 15th Fl. For more These cuts in programs of excel- College of Staten Island to build power without actively ers’ power on the job. information, contact Marcia New- Immanuel Ness field at [email protected]. Brooklyn College FRIDAY, APRIL 24: 6:00 pm / Labor Marriage equality & ‘Pride in Our Unions’ Objects in rear-view mirror Goes to the Movies shows Quanto Vale Ou É Por Quilo? (“What Is The PSC, UFT and dozens of other in his/her district office, the Pride sembly to pass our community’s are closer than they appear It Worth?”). Directed by Sergio New York unions support mar- in Our Unions Committee of Em- three most important bills: mar- ● You were right and I was wrong. Bianchi, Brazil’s most important riage equality for their lesbian, pire State Pride Agenda asks you riage equality, the Gender Ex- I thought President Bowen and the political filmmaker, this 2005 film gay, bisexual and transgender to contact Joanna at (212) 627-0305 pression Non-Discrimination Act rest of the union bargaining team explores the relation between members. Do you? Do you believe or [email protected]. (GENDA) and the Dignity for All would appreciate the seven words Brazil’s slaveholding past and its every worker deserves the right You can also get on the bus for Students Act. With an Assembly that are everyone’s favorite to hear. contemporary reality in which to be able to get a job free of dis- Equality & Justice Day on April and a governor supporting these I’m writing about the controversial Afro-Brazilians are victims of per- crimination? Do you oppose bul- 28. Isn’t equality worth one day? issues, we now must make sure contract from last June. Regardless vasive discrimination and corrup- lying in schools? Whether you are Equality & Justice Day (E&J Day) that the State Senate takes up and of how disappointed I was with tion. Dramatized vignettes about a straight ally or a member of the is the one day of the year when passes these bills so that they can many aspects of the agreement, slavery, taken directly from the LGBT community, you can make a over 1,000 LGBT New Yorkers and become law in 2009. Go to www. with 20/20 hindsight I can see national archives in Rio de Janeiro, difference in the lives of all LGBT our allies – from unions, neigh- prideagenda.org to find out more that, given what’s happened to are interwoven with the story of a New Yorkers by meeting with your borhoods and faith communities and to register. If you sign up on- the economy and in New York in young black woman, who works in State Senator to lobby for equal – go to Albany to demonstrate line, please indicate that you are a particular, settling was the right a community center. PSC Union rights. If you live in Queens, the the power of our communities PSC member. thing to do. You of course did not Hall, 61 Broadway, 16th Fl. For Bronx or on Long Island, and are and lobby our elected officials. – from the Pride in Our Unions have the benefit of hindsight at the more information contact Albert willing to meet with your Senator We have persuaded the State As- Committee, Empire State Pride Agenda time – yet you did the right thing Muñoz, [email protected] or then. Hats off to you all! (212) 354-1252. No RSVPs. Anyway, thank you for making a tough but right decision back then. SATURDAY, APRIL 25: 9:30 am-12:30 pm / you’re invited...to the working theater David Arnow International Committee meeting. Brooklyn College For location and more informa- The PSC Retirees Chapter and the tion, contact Renate Bridenthal at PSC Women’s Committee are spon- [email protected]. soring a theater party for all PSC members on Sunday, May 3. It’s Write to Clarion THURSDAY, APRIL 30: 3:30 pm / PSC for the 3:00 pm production of Exit Do you have something to say to Campus Budget Hearing at Hostos, Cuckoo at the Clurman Theatre, 410 your fellow union members? And Savoy Bldg., 2nd Fl., 120 E. 149th W. 42nd Street (at 9th Avenue). can you do it in less than 200 words? St. For more information, contact The Working Theater is New If the answer is yes, consider send- Chapter Chair Lizette Colón at glo York’s only professional theater ing us a letter to the editor. It might [email protected]. company dedicated to produc- be about events on your campus, the ing theater for and about working union contract, political debates or THURSDAY, APRIL 30 / PSC Campus people. Exit Cuckoo is a funny and a conversation in your classroom. If Budget Hearing at John Jay. Loca- deeply moving depiction of “moth- you think other PSC members would tion and time TBA. For more infor- ers, nannies, caretakers and the find it of interest, take a few minutes mation, contact Chapter Chair Carl complex chemistry between them.” and send us your thoughts. Williams at [email protected]. Also highlighted is the campaign for If you’re using e-mail, write to a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, [email protected]. For postal SUNDAY, MAY 3: 3:00 pm / Retirees which would remedy the unjust mail, send it to Clarion, c/o PSC, 61 Chapter and Women’s Committee omission of these workers from Broadway, 15th floor, New York, sponsored theater party for all PSC state and national labor law. Lisa Ramirez as Mrs. Johnson, one of 10 roles she performs in her play. NY 10006. Or send it by fax to (212) members. See story at right. The playwright, Lisa Ramirez, 302-7815, marked “Attn: Clarion.” brings her own experience work- side look into the complicated, dis- for $19 per seat to the PSC, c/o Faye (This contact information is also THURSDAY, May 7: 2:00 pm / PSC Cam- ing as a nanny to both the script turbing, often overlooked world of Alladin, 61 Broadway, 15th floor, at the top of the Letters section in pus Budget Hearing at LaGuardia. and her performances. This wide- mothers, nannies and children,” NY, NY 10006. Check must be re- every issue.) Location TBD. For more informa- ranging work is co-produced by said Ensler, author of The Vagina ceived no later than April 19 to as- Letters should be less than 200 tion, contact Chapter Chari Lor- Eve Ensler. Monologues. sure your reservation. words in length, and are subject to raine Cohen at [email protected]. “Lisa Ramirez gives us an in- To reserve tickets, send a check – Steve Leberstein, Retirees Chapter editing. Clarion | March/April 2009 news 3 Speaking out at campus hearings Community colleges By JOHN TARLETON Union members, students denounce budget cuts Faculty, staff and students at the City University of New York win – for now launched a semester-long series of budget hearings on CUNY campus- By dINELLE LUCCHESI es, highlighting the damage that Joseph Murphy Institute proposed budget cuts and tuition hikes would do to the New York Governor David Paterson pro- economy and to CUNY’s future. posed a mid-year cut of $4.2 mil- Gov. David Paterson’s proposed lion in State aid, or 10%, for CUNY State budget for 2009-2010 calls for community colleges in August, in an $85 million reduction in State November and again in December. support for CUNY senior colleges, The PSC and its allies have beat the while Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed cuts back, but members has asked for a $30 million cut in continue to work to keep them out CUNY’s City funding. Under Pat- of next year’s budget. erson’s budget, community college The mid-year cuts were “prob- base aid would be cut by 10%, or ably the worst public policy idea $270 per full-time equivalent stu- I’ve heard in the entire discussion dent (FTE). of the State budget,” PSC Presi- dent Barbara Bowen told the Sen-

TAPPEd OUT Pat Arnow ate Finance Committee and the Paterson’s budget would also Professor Stephen James of City Tech encourages audience members to resist proposed cuts in State support for CUNY Assembly Ways and Means Com- require students to take 15 credit during a March 12 campus budget hearing that the PSC helped organize. From left: Other panel members looking on are mittee in her testimony at the joint hours per semester (instead of the Carol Stanger, a HEO at City Tech, Ron Leone of DC 37 and Terel Watson of City Tech’s Student Government Association. hearing in Albany on January 15. current 12 hours) to receive their The cuts were the first focus of her full TAP grants. Tuition would said Tracey Madkins, a member the first generation of my family of testified Emile Chi, acting PSC testimony – which was not empha- be increased by $600 per year at of DC 37. “As a student here at BC, eight to go to school,” Burmeister chapter chair at CSI. “I give my stu- sized in CUNY’s testimony – and a CUNY senior colleges and $400 who is also the mother of a BC stu- told the hearing. “My mother did dents very hard problem sets, and priority in the testimony present- per year at community colleges. dent, I must tell you that these cuts not go to school because she got my students need the time to do my ed by NYSUT, the PSC’s statewide Eighty percent of the money from would put up a roadblock on a vital pregnant with me, and I don’t want problem sets, not work.” affiliate. increased tuition would not stay avenue my family has chosen to to see that happen to any more of In addition to the three budget with CUNY, but would go into the achieve the American dream,” she our students.” hearings, 200 students participated 50,000+ vOICES State’s general fund. said. “This is not just a budget cut, in a February 26 student speak-out Meanwhile, more than 9,000 PSC Initiated by the PSC, the hearings it’s severing a lifeline.” ‘TELL THEM’ at BMCC, which was jointly spon- and UUP members sent letters to are being cosponsored by District Eighty-five people attended the Ruby McDonald, a 52-year-old sored by NYPIRG, BMCC student lawmakers opposing the cuts, plus Council 37, the New York Public second hearing, held on March 12 at nursing attendant at St. Luke’s- government and the PSC. Lisa the PSC delivered more than 50,000 Interest Group (NYPIRG) City Tech. City Councilmem- Roosevelt Hospital and part-time Palmer, a BMCC freshman, said a postcards signed by students, facul- and the University Student Tuition ber Letitia James heard tes- student, described how she pho- number of her friends became ac- ty and staff calling for investment Senate. money timony from students and tocopies her books to save money. tive after she told them about the to come from “public dollars, not The hearings kicked off union members, along with She said she was determined to proposed tuition hikes and the tuition hikes.” On February 3, the February 26 at Brooklyn wouldn’t aides to State Senators Vel- prevent a tuition hike that could changes to the TAP program. mid-year budget plan was passed College, where 65% of stu- stay with manette Montgomery and without any cuts to community col- dents come from households CUNy. Daniel Squadron and City lege funding. that earn less than $40,000 Councilmember Charles “We really pressured the legisla- a year. About 200 people filled the Barron. tors to do what was right for their room where the gathering was “Now that we are suffering this constituents,” PSC Legislative held. Students expressed alarm at recession, this is no time to cut Committee member Ron Hayduk a proposed tuition increase. “A tu- back on higher education,” said told Clarion. “When tens of thou- ition hike of $300 more per semes- James. She cited the power of stu- sands of voices say ‘no’ it’s pretty ter means some students will not dent movements to change his- hard for representatives to ignore be able to attend CUNY,” said Tara tory, from Soweto to the election of the message,” he said. Mulqueen, a BC student who helped President Barack Obama, and then Though the union has defeated coordinate the hearing. implored students to fight for their Paterson’s proposal for communi- right to an affordable higher educa- ty college cuts three times this aca- A CLOSE LOOk tion. “If you don’t raise your voice,” demic year alone, the governor also “Working students would have she said, “they will close the doors included them in his proposed bud- to work more hours to afford the of opportunity on working-class get for next year. increase in tuition,” said Jiaxin students.” Huang, a sophomore physics and Fifty-five percent of City Tech fIGHT GOES ON Spanish double major who is also students belong to the first genera- There is wide agreement that isa Quiñones isa pre-med and a NYPIRG member. tion in their family to go to college. l these cuts, at a time when enroll- “But by working more hours, these Terel Watson, a member of City BMCC students broke into small groups to discuss future organizing plans ment and interest is soaring, would students are less likely to be able to Tech’s Student Government Asso- February 26 after 200 students participated in a speak-out against proposed be terrible for CUNY. “Cuts would concentrate on their schoolwork.” ciation, noted that a $600 annual tu- budget cuts and tuition increases. mean more adjunct layoffs, class CUNY is already severely un- ition increase is the equivalent of a cancellations, increased class size derfunded, noted Scott Dexter, month or two of groceries for some derail her plans to graduate in 2010. “They were upset,” she recalled. and a depletion of campus infra- professor of computer science. “At families. “Do we want this 55% to “Let’s write letters,” McDonald “At first, they didn’t believe me – structure,” Hayduk, who teach- Brooklyn College over the past have to choose between buying said. “Let’s go to their offices and they hadn’t heard about it.” To stop es at BMCC, said. “In short, it will several years, there haven’t been food or going to CUNY?” tell them this can’t happen.” the cuts, she said, students need further erode CUNY’s capacity to enough funds to maintain build- A hearing at the College of Staten to make their cause more visible uphold its mission of access and ings and hire sufficient faculty and fOOd OR CUNy? Island, also on March 12, drew more and gain more allies. “The more excellence.” staff,” added Dexter, who is acting “Already CUNY does not in- than 150 people. “How do you expect people we have who support us, the PSC leaders argue that the bud- PSC chapter chair. Before legisla- vest adequately in health services us to live?” asked CSI student Re- more likely we are to stop this,” she get problems are a revenue problem tors consider further cuts, he said, for CUNY students,” said Holly gina Moro, who supports herself on said. and Fair Share Tax Reform (see they should take a close look at to- Burmeister, a PSC member who $21,000 per year and relies on a Val- PSC chapters will host more page 5) is a better solution. day’s conditions. is director of City Tech’s Student lone Scholarship. If tuition is raised, campus hearings on the impact of The fight continues in Alba- “As a long-time clerical-adminis- Wellness Center. City Tech and she added, “Students like me will proposed budget cuts on March 26 ny, where PSC members opposed trative employee in the registrar’s 10 other CUNY colleges no longer not be here….We’ll have no future.” (Queens), April 2 (Bronx CC), April the cuts proposed for next year office, I believe these cuts would have any reproductive health ser- “Without support for the budget, 30 (Hostos and John Jay) and May 7 in March lobbying visits with dry up critical funding streams,” vices on campus, she noted. “I am CUNY can’t serve the students,” (LaGuardia); see page 2 for details. legislators. 4 news Clarion | March/April 2009 Paterson presses state workers By PETER HOGNESS Paterson has called for creating a cause. Their attitude was captured Governor demands givebacks new pension tier – “Tier 5” – with a in a headline in the civil service Governor David Paterson doesn’t range of givebacks. weekly, The Chief: “Wall Street Gets want New York’s wealthiest resi- courts to be illegal.” eral firm legal obstacles. The first is Under New York law, public Drunk, Workers Sent to Detox.” dents to pay more – but he does The Civil Service Employees As- Article I, Section 10, of the US Con- worker pension benefits are de- want State workers to earn less. sociation (CSEA) also drew a line stitution. Known as the “contracts fined through legislation, not col- OTHER OPTIONS While the governor has declined against the governor’s demand for clause,” it provides that “[n]o state lective bargaining. On Paterson’s “There is no question the state to support the growing calls to wage concessions. “These propos- shall...pass any bill of attainder, ex proposed pension concessions, the is facing hard times,” said CSEA make New York’s tax system more als violate our contract and we will post facto law, or law impairing the question is whether he can win leg- President Danny Donohue. “But progressive (see page 5), he has fight against these changes,” the obligation of contracts” – which ap- islative approval. If he does, new cutting essential services and shift- proposed canceling a 3% pay raise union said. “These actions cannot plies to labor contracts as much as hires in “Tier 5” would would have ing more burdens to working New for State employees that is due this be taken without negotiations, and any other. to be 62 years old before Yorkers without serious consid- year. In addition, his budget pro- CSEA will not re-open contracts.” New York’s law governing Unions they could collect a pension eration of alternative savings and posal calls for “deferring” a week’s public employee labor rela- benefit (ending the current revenues is wrong. CSEA does not worth of wages for each State em- PSC’S POSITION tions, the Taylor Law, also pro- vow 30/55 provision of TRS and apologize for trying to maintain a ployee, to be paid only when the The PSC spoke out strongly hibits this kind of attempt to not to other defined-benefit sys- little dignity, respect and fairness employee resigns or retires. Pater- against Paterson’s proposed con- rip up a past agreement. Under tems); would be required to for our members when we say no to son is also seeking pension chang- cessions, but also noted that the the Taylor Law, once the Leg- reopen continue the 3% employee concession bargaining .” es that would cost new employees employees it represents are not islature approves the pay bill contracts contribution even after 10 more and pay them less for the employees of the State. “We stand needed to implement a public years of service; would not same amount of service. together with our union colleagues employee labor contract, it cannot be vested until they had 10 years of in opposing [these] proposals in later reverse course and withdraw service (compared to five years for BLATANTLy ILLEGAL their entirety,” PSC President Bar- that approval. TRS today); and suffer other dis- What does “The proposals to unilaterally bara Bowen testified on February The New York State Constitu- parities. withhold a week of State employ- 4 in Albany. “But we also point out tion protects the pension benefits In addition, Paterson wants State this mean for ees’ pay and take away negotiated that the employees we represent of current employees: once they workers eligible for retirement raises guaranteed in contracts are not State employees – our collec- have signed up with a pension sys- health insurance to pay more for the governor signed less than a tive bargaining agreement is with tem, they cannot be required to pay coverage. CUny? year ago are illegal,” responded CUNY, not the State.” (See sidebar.) more, and their benefits cannot be On both wages and pensions, the Public Employees Federation If Paterson tried to abrogate labor reduced. Employee contributions or State unions seem determined to In her February 4 testimony in Al- (PEF). “Similar actions taken by contracts signed by the State, he retirement benefts can, however, be fight against Paterson’s demand bany, PSC President Barbara Bo- Governor Cuomo were found by the would find his path blocked by sev- changed for future employees, and that they pay for a crisis they did not wen made three points about Gov. Paterson’s proposal to take a bite out of State employees’ paychecks: Since the hearing, QC activists the proposal is unfair, it is in viola- joined rallies at each end of the bus tion of state and federal statutes, route; City and State representa- and it cannot in any case apply to fighting to save the Q74 tives showed their support. “We employees of CUNY. are trying to stay involved,” Ander- Particularly in tough economic By kARAH WOOdWARd son explained, “so that our student times, Bowen said, “public employ- Queens College bus line at risk body, faculty and staff are aware of ees throughout the state are the Queens College campus communi- these local activities and can sup- solution, not the problem.” Any ties are up in arms over proposed port them.” attempt to arbitrarily alter public service cuts by the Metropolitan Deale, who has been riding the worker labor contracts would be Transit Authority (MTA) that Q74 since 1989, noted the MTA’s both unconstitutional and banned would leave countless students and plan will cost riders more. “Most by statute, Bowen said (see article faculty members facing a longer students and working people can- at left). and more costly commute. not afford to have [an additional But beyond the PSC’s opposition The authority has proposed elim- charge] tacked onto their daily to the demands in general, Bowen inating or drastically reducing ser- commute.” said, “the PSC should not be includ- vice on 14 bus routes in Queens. The ed at all in the discussion of wage Q74, which serves Queens College WORkING CLASS: TARGET freezes and salary deferral....We and the CUNY School of Law, would “The MTA’s proposal is aimed at are not employees of the State. We be eliminated entirely. The MTA the working class,” Hester Eisen- are employees of CUNY, which is, estimated the Q74 cuts will mean stein, a QC sociology professor, under the law, a separate and dis- an annual savings of $1.03 million, told Clarion. She added that the QC tinct corporate body.” At least four which would help plug the MTA’s campus cannot accommodate ad- different provisions of State edu- projected $1.2 billion budget hole. ditional cars. “We have incredible cation law make this clear, Bowen problems with parking,” Eisenstein told State Senators and members of A CRITICAL ROUTE said. “I have students who are late the Assembly. “The Q74 is the only line that cir- every day because they were cir- cumnavigates the campus, which is cling around the parking lot.” PENSIONS quite large,” explained law school MTA officials said the ser- The PSC also took a strong stand student Patrick Foster, whose com- vice kills and budget cuts will be against the governor’s push for pen- mute from Williamsburg includes stopped only if Albany adopts the sion changes for future employees isa Quiñones isa two buses and one train and takes l plan proposed by former MTA (see above). These shifts “would more than an hour. Queens College students tell MTA to take a hike after the transit agency announced Chairman Richard Ravitch, which be a disaster for CUNY,” Bowen On January 20, Foster joined his plans to eliminate service on the Q74 bus route. includes placing tolls on East and emphasized, particularly when the fellow students, faculty and staff Harlem River bridges and increas- University is faced with the need to at a public hearing in Flushing. attend the meeting on short notice. subway links to Queens College are ing payroll taxes in the Greater hire a new generation of faculty as Many criticized the scheduling of “It was hard to organize students two and four miles away, bus routes New York Region. older employees retire. “Enacting the hearing that was held on the during the break,” agreed Bright to the campus are a must,” wrote “It’s very dependent upon what the proposal for a Tier 5 pension same day as the inauguration of Limm, president of CUNY Law QC President James Muyskens in a the State Legislature decides to do,” would pull the rug out from under President Obama, and during a School student government. letter to MTA Chief Executive Of- explained Neysa Pranger, spokes- that recruiting,” she said. “Fortu- time when Queens College was on The activists who attended did ficer Elliot Sander in December. person for the Regional Planning nately, there is a better way – enact winter recess. not feel their concerns were heard. More than 100 law student and Association. progressive, far-sighted tax reform “It was clearly held at a time “The overall sense of the meeting faculty members signed a petition The MTA board is set to meet to generate the revenue that New when we couldn’t go in there with a was that this was a done deal,” Fos- against the cuts, and at the hearing, again on March 25 to vote on fare in- York needs.” lot of students and storm the place,” ter said. “In general, the people on CUNY Law School Dean Michelle creases and service cuts. Fare hikes To let your representatives know said CUNY Law associate professor the board were inattentive.” Anderson explained to MTA board would go into effect in June, with that you oppose calls for conces- Frank Deale, who helped organize The administration has also been members how the cuts would hurt service cuts phased in throughout sions by public employees, go to law school students and faculty to fighting the cuts. “As the nearest students at the Queens campus. the year. http://tinyurl.com/no-givebacks. Clarion | March/April 2009 news 5

ized workers, social service provid- ers and members of community or- ganizations – held signs advocating a tax increase on those with higher fair Share takes center stage incomes. From the podium, politi- cians, grassroots leaders and labor By CHLOE TRIBICH officials reiterated the need for Fair & dANIA RAJENdRA End tax bracket racket: PSC chants at March 5 demo Share tax reform. “People who make more should Hundreds of PSC members and pay more,” said City Council CUNY students turned out for a Speaker Christine Quinn. The massive demonstration for “Fair crowd, which stretched for several Share” tax reform, held March 5 blocks up Broadway, responded in Lower Manhattan. “Raise taxes, with cheers and applause. not tuition!” union members and students chanted as they marched UNfAIR BRACkET from BMCC to City Hall, where they Today the wealthiest New York- joined 70,000 New Yorkers in a loud ers are in the same tax bracket as and growing demand for fair taxes many average wage-earners. If as the key to resolving the State’s your taxable income is $40,000 or revenue crisis. $400,000 or $4 million, you pay the PSC President Barbara Bowen same marginal tax rate of 6.85%. and City Tech student Selah Brown Under the “Fair Share” plan, New spoke from the stage. Yorkers earning $250,000 or more “I came to CUNY because it was would pay an additional 1.4%, while affordable, and it is the path to New those earning more than $1 million York’s future,” said Brown, an aspir- would pay 3.45% more. ing optometrist. “But budget cuts While these higher tax brackets could delay my dream – or force me would affect only 3.2% of all New to drop out. That’s why I think those Yorkers, they would raise an esti- at the top should pay a little more. mated $6 billion. (For more details, And when I’m at the top, I’ll pay my see http://fairsharereform.com. share to help students like me.” You can send a message to Albany isa Quiñones isa

l in support of Fair Share from the SANE SOLUTION A contingent of 200 PSC members march on City Hall alongside CUNY students during a massive March 5 protest for Fair PSC website, www.psc-cuny.org.) After Bowen led the energetic Share tax reform. Seventy thousand New Yorkers attended the demonstration. The NYC rally was organized by crowd in chanting “They say, ‘Cut the One New York Coalition, which back.’ We say, ‘fight back!’” she spoke “By enlarging the State’s tax base Demorgandie, a student at BMCC. have been imposed over the last 15 includes the PSC and more than 200 about CUNY’s economic impact. and enriching public life, CUNY “It’s unfair.” years,” Shortell said. “Then there other unions, community groups “Enrollment at the City University graduates will repay New York’s in- “I’m here because I’m a full- would be no need for the $600 tu- and non-profit organizations. Simi- is at a record high, as thousands of vestment a thousand-fold.” Bowen’s time student and I take care of my ition increase, which taxes the lar protests were held the same day New Yorkers turn to CUNY in this speech was featured on WABC-TV mom,” said BMCC student Hakima wrong group of people.” in Syracuse, Westchester, Buffalo, frightening economy,” Bowen said. and other outlets. Akter, who carried a banner pro- Cutting CUNY’s budget will Albany and other towns and coun- “Budgets are not about numbers, testing the cuts. “If they cut my aid shortchange students’ education, ties across the state. they’re about people. And Albany UNAffORdABLE it’ll be much harder for me to come said Howard Pflanzer, adjunct as- Despite the potential devastation has a choice between preventing For those who earn comfortable to school.” sistant professor in theater at John from the proposed cuts, the mood people like Selah Brown from get- incomes, the $600 tuition increase Tim Shortell, associate professor Jay College. “I’m concerned about of the crowd at City Hall was opti- ting a college degree and demand- proposed for CUNY may sound like of sociology at Brooklyn College, both the tuition hikes and the lay- mistic. “They say cut back, we say ing a fair share of taxes from those a minor expense. But many CUNY said there is a clear alternative to a offs of adjuncts,” Pflanzer said. fight back,” was a common chant. who can afford it.” students said it could endanger policy of budget cuts and increased “Already the University has been “I think if we keep protesting we’ll “The sane solution is Fair Share their education. “Now I’m apply- tuition. “The solution is to roll back preemptively cutting sections.” prevent the cuts,” said CUNY stu- tax reform,” Bowen told the crowd. ing for food stamps,” said Delayne the tax cuts on the wealthiest that Many of the protestors – union- dent Adriana Escandón. economist, business execs warn against higher ed budget cuts

By JOHN TARLETON at Hunter and Queens Colleges, is business leaders echoed Stavisky’s Government investment is key one of 20 State Senate co-sponsors words in a letter to Gov. David Pa- Economic renewal through in- of the “Fair Share” tax reform terson, urging him to refrain from creased investment in public high- and other support from SUNY; and At the conference, Madrick em- proposal, which would increase imposing severe budget cuts on er education: that was the theme of Frank Mauro, executive director phasized the particular benefits taxes on those earning more than higher education. a public symposium in Albany on of the Fiscal Policy Institute. The of investing in education. “A good $250,000 per year (see above). “The Executive Budget proposal March 3. Working in tandem with meeting drew 200 people, a mix of education system from top to bot- “There is no reason why the family recommends several dramatic cuts New York State United Teachers statehouse staffers, legislators, and tom results in higher wages, faster that makes $40,000 per year to higher education that (NYSUT), United University Pro- educators from SUNY and CUNY. economic growth, less inequality, a pays the same rate of tax as Saving the will dash the aspirations of fessions (UUP, the SUNY faculty Madrick, director of policy more equal society, a society that somebody making $4 million ‘seed corn’ low-income workers and cut union), SUNY and CUNY, the PSC research at the New School’s tends to reward its people accord- per year,” she said. of New off the flow of skilled work- took the lead in organizing a sym- Schwartz Center for Economic Pol- ing to their efforts,” he said. She emphasized that sup- ers essential to our state’s posium that featured progressive icy Analysis, argued that the cur- porting higher education york’s economic competitiveness,” EROSION NOTEd economist Jeff Madrick and State rent economic crisis is the product is crucial not only for New economic wrote the coalition of busi- Senator Toby Ann Stavisky. The of three decades of a “destructive... Sen. Stavisky noted the steady York City but upstate New ness leaders. “Access to col- event sent a strong message to Al- anti-government ideology.” erosion in government support for York as well. “Whether it future lege is the seed corn of New bany, not just because of the pre- “Robust government has been higher education in New York and be the steel industry in Buffalo or York’s economic prosperity.” sentations, but because it was the integral to the US economy and the further cuts proposed in the the automobile industry in Tarry- The signers represent a wide ar- first-ever such collaboration be- US society since our earliest days,” current budget debate. But as New town or General Electric leaving ray of economic sectors, including tween labor and management, CU- said Madrick, pointing to a number York considers the best response Schenectady or...any place in New insurance, computer technology, NY and SUNY. of 19th century examples such as to a projected $14 billion budget York State where we’ve lost indus- life sciences, engineering and con- the construction of the Erie Canal, deficit, Stavisky (D-Queens) urged try,” Stavisky said, higher educa- struction. They head companies PANEL the promotion of the railroads that attendees to remember the impor- tion is key to turning around New ranging from Albany Molecular Other panelists at the event, titled opened up the West, the founding of tance of maintaining affordable, York’s economy. “We have to be Research to the Catskill-Hudson From Recession to Resurgence, in- free public schools and land grant accessible higher education. investing additional funds in edu- Bank and organizations from the cluded Joyce Moy, head of CUNY’s universities, and the creation of pub- “Financing higher education is cation,” she emphasized. “It may Biotechnology Association of New Asian American/Asian Research lic health and sanitation systems. important for developing a middle be morally correct, but I think it’s York to the Eastern New York Co- Institute; Matthew Cusack and Mi- He explores these themes further class,” she said. “We have to put economically correct, too.” alition of Automotive Retailers. chael Garvey, entrepreneurs whose in his recently published book, The money into it.” In a sign of growing support for (The statement is online at http:// businesses depended on research Case for Big Government. Stavisky, who did graduate work fair taxation, on March 9, 100 upstate tinyurl.com/cc-biz-letter.) 6 your rights and benefits Clarion | March/April 2009

City. Employees who joined the op- tional retirement program after Ju- Paid ly 17, 1992, have 10 or more years of TIAA-CREf pension equity CUNY membership, and who cur- rently contribute 3% will have 2% of parental By CLARISSA GILBERT-WEISS their employee contribution made PSC Director of Pensions & Welfare Benefits by the City or the State and will Hard-won benefit kicks in continue to contribute 1% for an- In August 2007 the PSC gained pen- ployee contribution into the TIAA- members’ pensions by the employ- other year. leave news! sion equity for its members when CREF pension plans. Installments er, resulting in an effective in- But this hard-won benefit is not Governor Spitzer signed a PSC- were scheduled to be phased in crease in take-home pay. entirely secure for those hired As Clarion went to press, nego- backed pension bill into law. over three years, beginning in Members who joined the TIAA- in the future. Governor Pater- tiators were putting the finishing The hard-won victory required April 2008. Effective April 1, 2009, CREF plan prior to July 16, 1992, son is threatening both plans as touches on an agreement to begin persistent political pressure by the next 1% installment – or .5% for and currently contribute 1.5% will he weighs a “pension reform” that immediate implementation of the the union over the course of sev- those employees with a 1.5% annu- have the total 1.5% employee con- would make future employees pay paid parental leave benefit for eli- en years. As a result an inequity al contribution – will be paid into tribution made by the State or the more (see p. 4). gible PSC-represented employees that existed between members who of CUNY. Full-time employees were in the Teachers’ Retirement with at least one year of service System (TRS) and the optional re- are eligible for eight consecutive tirement program (TIAA-CREF) weeks of leave with full pay and was eliminated. benefits immediately upon the birth or adoption of a child (up to AfTER 10 yEARS five years old) and, for birth moth- Prior to the law’s passing, those ers, immediately following use of members who joined the TIAA- childbirth-related sick leave. CREF defined-contribution plan Eligible employees who became were permanently required to pay parents of a newborn or a newly an annual employee contribution – adopted child between July 17, 1.5% or 3% of annual salary, depend- 2008, and March 20, 2009, are en- ing upon when an individual was titled to a retroactive benefit if hired. Meanwhile, those members they have not already received who had chosen the TRS defined- an equitable benefit. Contact the benefit plan had their entire contri-

union by May 20, 2009, if you are bution paid by the City or State af- atson in this category. Once the agree- ter 10 years of service. ment is signed, it will be posted on The reform, which applies to the PSC website (www.psc-cuny. those members who have 10 or Andrew w org). More details in the next is- more years of service, requires the PSC activists lobbied in Albany for years to win pension equity for those in TIAA-CREF, finally seeing victory in 2007. Now sue of Clarion. City or State to also pay the em- Governor Paterson wants to reverse this gain (see p. 4), and union members are going back to Albany to defend their rights.

make any unilateral changes in the grant program because its CunY Conflict over grant program current structure is protected by the union contract. in briEf “Broad faculty opinion across By PETER HOGNESS the University is strongly support- CUNy sociology profs win Peer review process defended ive of the way in which the facul- CUNY faculty have expressed a ty peer-reviewed research pro- prestigious award uniformly negative reaction to a would give college provosts the fi- could not unilaterally make such gram functions now,” stated a CUNY sociology professors David CUNY management proposal to nal say on grant applications. changes. And in a March 16 follow- March 12 resolution jointly adopt- Lavin and Paul Attewell have change the structure of the PSC- In a February 19 statement, up statement, the union declared, ed by the University Faculty Sen- received the 2009 Grawemeyer CUNY Research Awards. A “work- Steve London, PSC first vice pres- “The PSC leadership opposes the ate (UFS) Research Committee and Award from the University of ing draft” proposal was circulated ident said, “This and other recom- CUNY administration’s ‘work- the UCRA. To put grant decisions Louisville for “Passing the Torch: by Vice Chancellor for Research mendations in the ‘working draft’ ing draft.’ The union is committed in the hands of the provosts, they Does Higher Education for the Gillian Small to a task force she em- violate the PSC-CUNY collective to ensuring that faculty control warned, “would open the way to Disadvantaged Pay Off Across the paneled. The proposal, first floated bargaining agreement.” London of and faculty access to the PSC- arbitrarily focusing awards in cer- Generations?” The award carries at a January 29 task force meeting, emphasized that the University CUNY grant program are pre- tain disciplines, or to politicization a prize of $200,000 which they will served.” of the selection process.” share. Attewell and Lavin tracked The joint committee resolution, nearly 2,000 disadvantaged women IN THE CONTRACT and a March 6 letter from two UFS who entered CUNY through open PSC-CUny research grants “The contract specifically sets representatives on the task force, enrollment in the early 1970s. forth how the grants are to also took issue with oth- When they interviewed the women The PSC-CUNY Research Award science, creative writing and Eng- be awarded,” PSC Director CUNy er aspects of the man- three decades later, they found Program needs faculty members lish, education, health sciences, of Legal Affairs Peter Zwie- seeks agement proposal, such more than 70% had graduated and to coordinate grants in their area health and human services, and bach told Clarion. “It states as allocating funds and boosted their income and that their of expertise. sociology. that the faculty committee, provost deciding on awards on a children also had better education- Members meet to establish Criteria for selection are: called the University Com- control of campus basis, instead of al success. guidelines for grant disbursement, 1. evidence of continuing in- mittee on Research Awards the process. through University-wide form grant review panels, and volvement in scholarship; (UCRA), shall establish peer review. Both state- CUNy J-School, Ny Times select grant recipients. You can 2. experience in receiving and ad- guidelines and shall make eligibil- ments rejected the idea that the volunteer to join the University ministering grants and fellowships; ity determinations regarding the current peer review process is team up Committee on Research Awards 3. representation from a variety awards. The language of the con- “too expensive,” arguing that the The New York Times and the (UCRA) or nominate colleagues. of CUNY colleges. tract is mandatory, not discretion- PSC-CUNY Research Awards Pro- CUNY School of Journalism an- Applicants are recommended In-service allotment is available ary in nature. It does not give CU- gram functions with relatively low nounced in early March that they by the UFS Research Committee to faculty performing this service NY any choice about bypassing the overhead. will team up this semester to and appointed by the chancellor. ($6,000 over the three-year term). committee.” cover Fort Greene with a new blog Chairs, executive officers and per- Nominees should forward a CV, Vice Chancellor Small submit- PEER REvIEW called The Local. A half dozen sonnel on the executive pay plan including grants and fellowships ted her “working draft” to a task PSC and UCRA leaders have CUNY students will work with a are not eligible. Candidates may received and research undertaken force on the grant program that been in regular communication, veteran Times reporter. According hold a PSC-CUNY award at the to: The Research Committee, Uni- she convened last November. The and met on March 18 to coordinate to Associate Professor Jeff Jarvis, time of their appointment, but may versity Faculty Senate, 535 East group had met twice, with the their opposition to the administra- the students will “both report and not apply for an award during their 80th Street, New York, NY 10075. union actively monitoring task tion’s plan. The PSC Delegate As- help the community work on its three-year service on the UCRA. Or e-mail this information to Sta- force deliberations. At both meet- sembly was scheduled to vote on a own in ways we can only imagine The UCRA is looking for faculty [email protected]. Closing ings PSC Executive Director Deb- resolution of opposition on March now: recruiting people, training to coordinate the following areas: date is April 30. For information, orah Bell reiterated the union’s 19, while the full UFS was to con- them and creating crowd-sourced anthropology, chemistry, computer call the UFS at (212) 794-5538. position: the University cannot sider its own resolution March 31. reporting projects.” Clarion | March/April 2009 your rights 7 Adjunct pay delays cause hardship

By kARAH WOOdWARd This term was definitely a big Union files CUNY-wide grievance change,” said Wendy Scribner, an The PSC filed a University-wide adjunct in the ESL program at City grievance in February after hun- Tech. “Somehow they managed dreds of adjuncts at CCNY, John to have our paychecks in the first Jay, Medgar Evers and York cycle,” said Scribner about her en- Colleges were left waiting for their tire department. “I’ve been there first paychecks weeks into the 14 years and this was the first time Spring semester. The grievance the college managed to pay us in aims to stem a widespread problem the first cycle.” that has existed to varying degrees There is a long chain of paper- throughout the CUNY system. work for getting an adjunct on pay- This semester, adjuncts in de- roll for the semester. It starts with partments throughout Medgar a PAF being submitted by a depart- Evers received no checks on the ment chair to the dean’s or pro- first pay date of January 29, Debra vost’s office, which in turn sends Bergen, PSC director of contract the form to the human resources administration, told Clarion. “Over department, which forwards the the years there have been ongoing PAF to the finance/payroll de- problems with colleges meeting partment and then on to Albany, their adjunct payrolls on time,” said for senior college paychecks, or Bergen, but at certain campuses the City, for salary earned at the the late payments have been more community colleges. Each college widespread and more persistent. has its own payroll deadline for Initially Medgar Evers was the submitting PAFs in order to meet only campus cited in the griev- the payroll schedule arranged by

ance, but growing reports of late anders CUNY. payments at John Jay, York and ave s ave City College led the PSC to refile d GUIdELINES the grievance on a University-wide David Hatchett served as an adjunct grievance counselor for several years, often taking calls from adjuncts paid late: “By the When problems arise, fingers basis. time it got to me, it was really bad. There were adjuncts who had not recieved checks for six weeks [or] two months.” are often pointed at individuals. “These are the most vulnerable But some colleges consistently people, and they must be paid on said Nancy Thompson, an adjunct hardship” can request an advance passed. Because payroll informa- perform better than others, and time – especially in this economic lecturer who first taught at the col- through their campus’s human tion is confidential, chapter chairs CUNY announces pay dates to all period,” said Kathleen Barker, lege in 1985. “It has been standard resources department. While an and department representatives of its campuses well in advance. In campus grievance counselor at operating procedure at the cam- advance certainly helps, it is not may be unaware of a problem until May 2008 a university-wide memo Medgar Evers and a professor of pus, but this semester it has been ideal. Often it is only for a portion individual members have brought with the payroll dates for the 2008- psychology. particularly egregious.” of the amount owed, and the it to their attention. And 2009 school year was submitted to At CCNY, 65 adjuncts in the In response, the PSC filed a adjunct still has to spend ‘I think if many adjuncts have been business managers, labor desig- School of Education received no grievance against the college ad- his or her time applying and conditioned to expect that nees, personnel officers and pay- checks at the start of the semes- ministration on February 2. A let- waiting for the advance. one college their campus will miss roll officers. And the University’s ter. At John Jay, an entire depart- ter from college Vice President And an advance can have can pay on the first pay period – even own guidelines acknowledge that ment was not paid on time, while at Arthur A. Taylor pledged that the other drawbacks. Usually time, then though CUNY’s own ad- colleges “are responsible for adopt- York, all adjuncts in one program college’s adjuncts would be paid when adjuncts miss a pay junct payroll guidelines ing procedures that ensure that ad- were left out. this semester by February 12, but a period, the college “makes all colleges provide procedures to pay juncts are paid beginning with the David Hatchett, who served as number of Medgar Evers adjuncts up” the amount by adding can do it.’ adjuncts on time. “We’re first scheduled pay date.” an adjunct grievance counselor for were still waiting to get compen- the missed period to the between a rock and a hard “It’s true that sometimes cours- several years, said he would field sated after this deadline. check issued on the next pay date. place,” said a Medgar Evers adjunct es are not assigned to adjuncts calls about late paychecks from all “It’s insulting to have profession- However, adjuncts spoke of missing still waiting to get the first paycheck until the last minute and that over the CUNY system. “By the al people scrambling for money,” their third and fourth paychecks, of the semester in late February. can have a domino effect,” said time it got to me, it was really bad,” said one who had still not been paid which results in additional bun- “We don’t really have a secure job, Menna. But employers in other in- explained Hatchett, who is now as of February 19. dling of their pay. This means that and we are subject to the whims of dustries – temporary labor agen- on a full-time line. “There were John Jay College had also been an adjunct is placed into a higher others. Therefore you don’t want to cies, for example – face the same adjuncts who had not received cited in a past union grievance over tax bracket for that pay period. This make noise.” problem and manage to meet their checks for six weeks, two months late paychecks for part-timers, but results in additional withholding of Persistent collective action by legal obligation to pay people in a or the check was lost altogether. I until this semester, the college’s re- taxes for workers who often live union chapters at BMCC and at timely manner. And the contrast would take calls all the time from cord appeared to have improved. paycheck-to-paycheck with little to Queens has been able to resolve between different CUNY cam- adjuncts at the Medgar Evers cam- “People’s pay should be treated spare. late payment problems in the past. puses, she said, shows that when pus. It was excruciating for them.” more seriously,” John Jay Chapter Taxes are not the only problem a Diane Menna, an adjunct grievance a college administration makes Chair Carl Williams told Clarion. large check can cause. “I have two counselor and union officer for part- timely pay a priority, then it can PROMISES This semester, a paperwork prob- classes and no other income and time personnel, told Clarion that be accomplished. This is the fourth grievance lem meant that a number of ad- we’re on food stamps,” one adjunct City Tech had also had ongoing over the adjunct payroll issues juncts at John Jay did not receive told Clarion. “If you give me a check difficulties with paying adjuncts WHy NOT ALL? at Medgar Evers in the last five their first paychecks, and Williams that says I made $4,000, guess who on time. But Menna said that after “I think if one college can pay on years. College administrators had said this shows the need for a sys- is not getting food stamps.” stubborn pressure from the City time, then all colleges can do it,” made promises to the union to fix tem of administrative checks and Tech PSC chapter, this campus may Menna told Clarion. “If this were the problem, but these went unful- balances. BREAdWINNERS also be on its way to getting the pay happening to college administra- filled. “The provost’s office should Other adjuncts paid late this problem under control. tors, if they missed even one pay- As a result, Barker told Clarion, have an idea of how many adjuncts semester told Clarion of needing Bob Cermele, PSC chapter chair check, much less two or three, you “This was raised as the priority are needed in any given semes- funds to pay their mortgage, visit at City Tech, said that at every can bet they would be taking this concern in our labor-management ter and how many corresponding family overseas or fill their re- labor-management meeting, the problem more seriously. Whatever meeting this December. We went Personnel Action Forms (PAF) sponsibilities as single parents and Executive Council would bring up needed to be done, it would be fixed to them in advance, in a preemp- have been processed,” Williams breadwinners – while waiting two the issue of adjunct pay. “For people immediately.” tive attempt to prevent payroll explained. “It shouldn’t wait until and three pay periods to receive a who are among the poorest paid, it Activists say the real solution problems from resurfacing. We someone fails to get a check and paycheck. Many expressed a fear is devastating to miss a paycheck,” is for the University to enforce its said that a reoccurrence would be then complains before there’s the of retribution and did not want to said Cermele. “We told manage- own procedures. “The union will unacceptable, and they promised realization that a whole depart- be quoted by name. ment they should be ashamed. do whatever it takes to get peo- to take action.” ment didn’t get paid.” Lack of job security leads many They finally set up a new system, ple paid on time,” said PSC Vice Yet this Spring, “huge numbers Adjuncts who are not paid on adjuncts to suffer in silence, fail- and Fall 2008 was the first semester President for Part-time Personnel across all departments at Medgar time (for a wide variety of rea- ing to report a missed paycheck when adjuncts were generally paid Marcia Newfield. “But it shouldn’t Evers were missing payment,” sons) and experience “financial until more than one pay period has on time.” take a war to get a paycheck.” 8 opinion Clarion | March/April 2009

CunY’s ProblEmAtiC sChool of thE futurE Community college plan unveiled By LENORE BEAky to this point. It is envisioned that the new Center for College Effectiveness “will con- The planning bodies included no CUNY college would move into the North Hall tinually disseminate information derived faculty. The national advisory board was n February 2008, CUNY Chancellor currently occupied by John Jay College; it from data analysis to faculty, students, staff composed of professors of education, people Matthew Goldstein charged Univer- would open in September 2011. and administrators as well as college and from educational think tanks, administra- sity Dean John Mogulescu with cre- Some of the proposed features of the new University officials.” A Standing Committee tors and the vice president of the College ating a “bold and imaginative plan” college include a required pre-admissions on Accountability and Self-Study will help Board; the steering committee consisted that would “reimagine community interview, conducted jointly by faculty and to prepare for Middle States accreditation. of CUNY vice chancellors, two community collegeI education from the ground up.” admissions staff, and a required full-time The planners envision “new roles and ex- college presidents, university deans and no Following an October 2008 concept paper three-week summer program focusing pectations for all faculty and staff hired to faculty; the planning team was chaired by (available at http://tinyurl.com/new-cc-pa- on skills. Students would be assessed by work at the new college.” As an example, Dean Mogulescu, led by Tracy Meade and per) and public hearings at five of the six means other than the ACT COMPASS tests. “faculty who are recruited for the new com- included program directors from the NYC community colleges, Dean Mogulescu and (Maplesoft Placement Test Suite is recom- munity college should be committed, by Department of Education and CUNY, again, others are now embarking on the second mended for math assessment.) Students contract or obligation, to help develop and no faculty. No member of the elected leader- phase of the planning for this college. But would be required to be full-time, at least sustain relationships that facilitate work- ship of the University Faculty Senate or the while some aspects of the plan are intrigu- through the first year and to take a re- based learning and student internships and PSC was consulted before the paper was ing and attractive, others raise profound employment.” published. doubts as to both process and substance. The new The need for a new community college is college will be SILENCE apparent: enrollments throughout CUNY fundamentally The lack of CUNY faculty involvement are growing sharply, and some colleges are defined by lack shows in the final product. The concept already full to bursting. CUNY’s community of choice, by “a paper is silent on many conspicuous and college graduation rate, however, is an unim- limited number important issues of academics – for exam- pressive 28% after six years. Low completion of programs of ple, which of these courses or programs will rates at community colleges are a national study with well- be transferable, within CUNY or to another problem, and CUNY hopes that a series of in- defined path- college or university? The same silence oc- novative, or at least different, configurations ways to degree, curs on terms and conditions of employment will result in significant improvements. The transfer and/or for faculty and staff. Will the college employ overriding goal of the proposed college is to employment.” full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty or- graduate its students with associate degrees The planners ganized in departments with chairpersons, at a rate of 30% after three years, 35% after “recommend or will there be mostly adjuncts in programs four years and 40% after five years. the creation with deans? (It may be significant that the There are some attractive aspects to this of prescribed proposal is led by the dean of the School of proposal. Given the rising demand for com- pathways for Professional Studies, which is organized munity college education within CUNY, the each major that into programs with deans and staffed with need for another college is there, and it’s limit choice and mostly adjunct faculty.) good that CUNY is considering establishing exploration but How will professional autonomy and aca- a new one. The plan calls for student advisors nevertheless demic freedom be protected? What are the to work with cohorts of students, a wonderful fulfill degree re- implications for workload (and TAP regula- model that should be adopted everywhere quirements in a tions) of the proposals to award credit on a in CUNY. Eliminating the remedial/credit clear and timely sliding scale or to perform interviews and

curricular divide is another intriguing idea, emec way.” They cite teach during the summer pre-college ses- one that is definitely worth trying. And it’s approvingly sion? What are the implications for faculty great that the ACT COMPASS tests in writ- an author who and staff of the proposals for accountability ing, reading and math would not be used for Gregory n warns against and the workings of the Center for College any of the assessments; the COMPASS has quired first-year core curriculum focusing “the risk of making mistakes” or “direction- Effectiveness? How much of this high- proven to be unreliable, invalid and destruc- on New York City, a curriculum described less exploration, unneeded courses, [and] concept college can at this point be altered tive to good pedagogy. as both academic and occupational. Courses unexpected timetables.” They concede that from the concept paper, as the so-called would be given in five-week modules the some might even describe the frequent and second phase of planning begins? Since PROBLEMATIC first year, eight-week modules the second varied advisement activities as “intrusive.” representatives of CUNY faculty were not But too many other particulars of the year. Utilizing a case study methodology, And though the plans purport to prepare part of the group that wrote the concept proposal are problematic, in a variety of the first-year core curriculum would include students for transfer as well as terminal paper, this is a serious question. More gen- ways. The curriculum is designed to be nar- a required City Seminar and a Professional degrees, of the 12 majors, only Earth and erally, active faculty participation in the row and regimented, with little room for Studies course. The familiar divide between Environmental Studies, Urban Education, earliest processes of planning could have exploration. Required core courses, taught remedial and college-level courses would be and Urban Studies would prepare students resulted in a stronger, more substantive in blocks, take up the entire first year; in eliminated; at the conclusion of a module, for transfer to baccalaureate programs, proposal. the second year, students choose one of a students would be evaluated and awarded and only three paragraphs (half a page) of In “The ‘Cooling-Out’ Function in Higher limited number of majors, such as Supply credit on a sliding scale. All courses would the concept paper discuss articulation and Education” (1960) by Burton Clark (cited, Chain Management. The proposal’s over- be arranged into learning communities. transfer. The curricula, as described, seem interestingly, in the references at the back emphasis on data collection and “account- Student advisors, working with cohorts of designed to prepare students for careers as of the paper), Clark adapted an idea devel- ability” is troubling. Neither the University students, would serve as faculty in the City lower-level city bureaucrats. oped by Erving Goffman in “On Cooling the Faculty Senate nor the PSC – indeed, no Seminar and Professional Studies courses. Mark Out – Some Aspects of Adaptation CUNY faculty member – was part of the The advisors would work with faculty and LIMITEd CHOICE to Failure.” The con man takes something group that wrote the proposal. Perhaps as students in a “Group Workspace.” The concept paper makes no mention of from the “mark,” but consoles him with a result, a number of its elements raise the Programs to be offered by the college ESL students. Employers will work with something of lesser value so that he is not left likelihood that faculty rights and responsi- would be strictly limited in scope. Here they faculty to create curricula. The proposal’s completely bereft. Clark described a process bilities will be diminished to the benefit of are, in their entirety: Nursing, Surgical stress on few or no options for students, sent whereby a student with transfer ambitions administrators. Technology, Environmental Technology, out on their required core curricular “path- could be persuaded to accept a terminal de- Tracy Meade, university director for Energy Services Management, Earth and ways” but prevented from wandering its by- gree instead. This new community college Collaborative Programs (including College Environmental Sciences, Information ways, coupled with a sense of unremitting may be successful in graduating more of its Now), led a planning team supported by a Studies, Geographic Information Systems, data collection and dispersal, contributes students than usual. But will those students national advisory board, a local steering Supply Chain Management (including to an atmosphere of regimentation and sur- be prepared for a complex world that re- committee, and consultations with na- Logistics), Community Health Worker, veillance. The group workspace, which the quires critical thinking, the ability to judge tional and local administrators and some Disability Studies, Urban Education and concept paper is quick to describe as “not a and make choices, to create and to change faculty – but not the UFS or the PSC. With Urban Studies. study hall,” will be populated by students, with changing circumstances? Or will those hoped-for financial support from the Gates The proposal puts great stress on data faculty and advisors holding workshops “so students be prepared to be really good sup- Foundation, the second planning phase for collection and dissemination, and the term that the expectations we set for students can ply chain managers? this college has begun. It will fill in ques- “accountability” gets heavy emphasis. A be closely observed and supported.” tions of governance, costs, and administra- Lenore Beaky is a professor of English at La- tive and organizational structures that have Guardia Community College. She is the Vice been deliberately omitted from planning ‘Re-imagination’ or ‘cooling out’? Chair of the University Faculty Senate. Clarion | March/April 2009 opinion 9

ConCErns & quEstions The ‘concept paper’ and the contract The proposal from CUNY Central Admin- Development,” are troubling: “The kind of curriculum. istration for a new community college has teaching required will represent a signifi- The document provoked sharp debate (see article at left). cant departure from traditional classroom continues, “The In a February 26 letter excerpted below, practice, which is most often an isolated and goal of this col- PSC President Barbara Bowen outlined isolating activity . . . .” (page 27). The impli- laboration is the PSC’s concerns and posed a number of cation is that teaching in a way that is not not to control questions to Chancellor Goldstein. “isolated and isolating” would be something faculty and “The union contract is one guard against new. Where is the recognition that CUNY’s their curricula, a purely vocational concept of education – a community colleges include nationally but to regular- concept suggested too often in this proposal,” known experts on interactive pedagogy? Or ize a process Bowen told Clarion. “CUNY will have to that many of our faculty have been practic- whereby all fac- negotiate with the union if they seek to make ing innovative, participatory methods of ulty and staff changes that would violate the contract.” teaching for decades? The concept paper have a role in emec seems to disregard their expertise. promoting the highest quality CONCEPT learning expe- Gregory n February 26, 2009 Despite our concerns, we approach the riences....” We would like clarification of team” will award credit on “a sliding scale.” concept paper open to considering any the expectations of professional autonomy Are there implications of this proposal for Dear Chancellor Goldstein: changes that would benefit students. We for the faculty with respect to curriculum the calculation of faculty teaching contact hope, however, that the proposal does not development. hours, as referenced in Appendix A of the I write on behalf of the leadership of the offer merely a cosmetic solution to a struc- ● Given the contract’s opening statement collective bargaining agreement? Professional Staff Congress in response to tural problem. According to the Fiscal Policy that the parties “seek to maintain and ● The concept paper does not discuss de- the “concept paper” on a new community Report published last month, New York State encourage, in accordance with law, full partmental organization and governance, college…. support for CUNY community colleges on a freedom of inquiry, teaching, research or the role of department chairs. We would The PSC welcomes academic innovation per-FTE basis has fallen by 26 percent since and publication of results,” how does the like clarification of these areas, given their and strongly supports the goal of better 1991-92. Only 38 percent of the faculty at the proposed new community college intend to relevance to the contractual provisions on serving the people of New York through CUNY community colleges are full-time. protect academic freedom and professional evaluation, observation and other areas. community college education. We share Sixty-two percent of CUNY community col- autonomy? ● Section VII of the concept paper dis- the proposal’s sense of urgency about en- lege students come from households whose ● Given the concept paper’s emphasis on cusses “Accountability,” with a heavy abling more students to achieve the college annual income is under $30,000 (2008 Student student advisement, what are the plans for emphasis on testing. It describes “a whole degree. As you know, the union has a deep Experience Survey). We suspect that student employment and workload of faculty coun- college approach to accountability” and interest in student retention, especially as retention would be dramatically improved if selors and counselors in higher education proposes to “locate accountability and in- it is affected by differences in race, ethnic- the burden of tuition on students were light- officer series titles? Article 14.3 of the con- stitutional research in a Center for College ity and family income. In part to address ened, class size reduced, and the percentage tract specifies the period of annual leave Effectiveness.” This appears to bypass the this issue, the PSC proposed a new contrac- of full-time faculty doubled. CUNY has an for faculty counselors: we would like clari- department chair and, in the case of profes- tual provision in the last round of collective extraordinary part-time faculty, but a largely fication of how the new community college sional staff, the chairperson or supervisor, bargaining for a pilot project on student part-time faculty is structurally unable to would adhere to this provision, in the light who have responsibility for evaluation un- mentoring, and we are delighted that the provide the continuity and one-on-one atten- of its plans for summer programs der Article 18 of the contract. We would like University accepted that proposal as part of tion students need to succeed. ● We would also like clarification of the clarification of the plan on evaluation. the final agreement. intention on workload for other teaching ● The section of the concept paper on The concept paper, however, raises sev- TERMS & CONdITIONS faculty. Pages 22 to 27 of the concept paper “Facilities” describes a physical “hub” in eral concerns. First, we strongly object The concept paper also raises a number propose a semester that will be 16 weeks the campus, and then states that the hub to the University’s failure to include the of specific questions concerning terms and in length. How is this lengthened semester “will serve as a space where the college’s University-wide PSC leadership in the conditions of employment, including but not consistent with the current contractual pro- faculty and staff spend time learning and discussions that led to its development. To limited to the following: visions on workload? working” (page 61). We would like clarifi- develop a 120-page “concept paper” that ● The concept paper is unclear on the ● The concept paper also refers to “signifi- cation of whether there is an expectation makes frequent reference to new roles for manner in which the new community col- cant instructional intensity over the first that faculty will be required to work for a faculty and staff without ever consulting lege would use existing instructional staff year of study (at least 135 hours/semester certain period of time in a specific location the elected representatives of the instruc- titles, as specified in Article 1 of the collec- – 200% more time – of math and quantita- outside of the classroom or laboratory. tional staff on issues of terms and condi- tive bargaining agreement. We would like tive reasoning)” (pages 22 to 23). We would tions of employment is disrespectful to the clarification. like clarification of how this expectation CONfIdENT people the union represents. ● The concept paper does not specify that adheres to the provisions of Article 15 on We are confident that some of these the faculty of the new community college workload and of Appendix A, the Workload questions can be successfully resolved, but COUNTERPROdUCTIvE would be employed in tenure-bearing titles. Settlement Agreement. we regret that we did not have a chance It is also counterproductive. The concept Given that several of the majors envisioned ● Page 29 of the concept paper describes to raise them during the conceptualiza- paper would have been strengthened by for the new community college are not in an annual “Summer Institute” that appears tion stage of the process. It would have including the PSC leadership – and the traditional academic fields – Supply Chain to include both faculty and staff. What been much more efficient to discuss them University Faculty Senate – from the outset, Management, for example – we would like are the plans for aligning this expectation before the concept paper was made public. rather than forcing the elected representa- clarification of whether the University with the provision in Article 14.1 of the col- Nevertheless, we seek an opportunity to tives of the faculty and staff to add our com- plans to employ traditionally credentialed lective bargaining agreement for annual discuss these and other questions with you ments after the fact. We are grateful that a faculty in these fields. leave for the full-time teaching faculty? Is before any further progress is made on the number of individual faculty and staff mem- ● What is the expectation with respect to there an expectation that part-time faculty, proposal. bers, invited by management, added their employment of faculty and professional adjunct college laboratory technicians and/ Discussion becomes particularly urgent comments during the conceptualization staff in part-time or hourly positions at the or non-teaching adjuncts would participate now, as CUNY seeks and secures private process, and we are sure that their partici- new community college? in the “Summer Institute”? If so, what funding to support the proposed new com- pation enriched the final product. But solic- ● Article 18 of the contract includes are the plans for compensation for their munity college. We assume that CUNY iting individual comments is no substitute “course and curricula development” in the participation? will not move forward with any plans to for including elected representatives. list of elements that may be considered ● Page 25 of the concept paper describes establish a new college without discussion One source of our concern is the effect when evaluating teaching faculty. Page an elaborate process for determining the with the union. We look forward to your the concept paper sometimes has of devalu- 28 of the concept paper speaks of a “cur- number of credits a student receives for the response. ing the work of current faculty and staff. riculum team” that will consider proposed first-year courses and states that a “faculty We assume this was not its intention, but Sincerely, comments such as the following, in the Barbara Bowen section on “Professional and Curriculum Lack of faculty input weakens proposal. PSC President 10 city life Clarion | March/April 2009

Work/life Russell Sharman Immigrant students gain allies Associate Professor / By kATE PfORdRESHER & JOHN TARLETON timely. The central office makes Department of Eligibility rules explained the final decision and does not re- Anthropology & Navigating CUNY’s bureaucracy imburse overpayments for more Archeology / should be easier for undocumented than the current semester. Brooklyn College immigrants following a November To avoid more confusion in training session at City Tech that the future, PSC Vice President of B.S. from: University of Texas brought together immigrant rights Cross Campus Units Iris DeLutro (Austin) / 1994 (Film) advocates and more than 100 pro- suggested that CUNY publish a Doctorate from: Oxford University fessional staff representing each of brochure, which Murphy agreed (UK) / 1999 (Anthropology) CUNY’s campuses. would be useful. Guest-edited: Anthropology & Hu- “It was the best training CUNY Barrientos also appealed for manism (v.32, n.2) – on “Narrative has ever had in terms of admit- broader staff training – including Style as a Research Method.” ting immigrant students,” said work study students and staff that Just published: Nightshift NYC Jean Weisman, PSC’s HEO chapter answer the telephone – so that they (University of California Press). chair. properly direct students to some- An examination of the life of those one able to answer complicated who work at night in the city that EyE OPENING questions about residency and im- never sleeps. Cowritten with his Undocumented immigrants are migration status. “If they say, ‘no’ wife, Cheryl Harris Sharman. eligible to receive in-state tuition the student won’t come back.” Globalization and 2 a.m. takeout: under a 2001 State law if they at- The training session was the Working the night shift is nothing tended a New York State high product of months of organizing new in NYC. But Sharman says school for two or more years and and meeting with CUNY officials. it changed dramatically after the graduated or received their GED The effort was led by Make the 1980s, as the city’s manufactur- in New York. However, critics say Road New York, the New York State ing economy was dethroned by that CUNY has done a poor job of Youth Leadership Council, Cabrini a round-the-clock service sector applying the law – aspiring undoc- Immigrant Services and the PSC. centered around international fi- umented students have frequently nance. If there are more Big Apple been charged international rates BROAdER TRAINING bankers staying up to watch stock and discouraged from enrolling “As far as I know, this was the first exchanges in Hong Kong, Sharman when told they will have to pay top- time in the eight years of this legisla- explains, there’s going to be a cor- dollar tuition. tion that CUNY actually provided a responding increase in the number Speakers included Midori Hills, di- training for admissions staff on how of night shift workers who feed rector of legal services for the CUNY choichet to implement this,” Barrientos said. them and shuttle them around. Citizenship and Immigration Project, He hopes that the opportunities un-

Classroom connections: Many of who reviewed the complex web of im- Gary s documented students have at CUNY Sharman’s students have parents migration status issues, and Walter Baruch College graduate Walter Barrientos has a world of experience with the will expand with the passage of the who are first generation immi- Barrientos, director of the New York challenges faced by undocumented immigrant students. Development, Relief and Education grants and work the nightshift in State Youth Leadership Council, as for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, order to pay for their children’s well as members of CUNY’s central anything about their status – much However, University Associate which would grant temporary legal tuition. These workers “obviously administrative staff such as the less sign an affidavit. Dean for Enrollment James Murphy residency to undocumented students prioritize education,” Sharman University registrar and director for “If they do sign,” Barrientos emphasized “that our objective is who came to the US as children and says, “and their children – or cer- financial aid services. added, “they fear the information to enroll students.” In that vein, require them to earn a two-year de- tainly their grandchildren – will Donna Gill, a long-time finan- will get to the government or im- Murphy reminded registrars gree or serve in the mili- not be hawking popcorn and beer.” cial aid officer at Hunter and an migration services or even to their not to create unnecessary Passing tary for two years to be able Some of these families provided immigrant from Trinidad, said professors and be used against hurdles for undocumented to earn citizenship. Those Sharman with introductions that led Barrientos’ presentation was an eye- them or their families. Even im- students transferring from the who fail to do so would face to some of the book’s best interviews. opener for most of her colleagues. migrant students who are them- one CUNY college to another. dREAM deportation. One person’s story.... Alam, a na- selves citizens (because they were “If a student established their The DREAM Act came tive of Bangladesh, earns $8.50 fEAR Of ExPOSURE born here) worry about revealing residency status when they Act is the within eight votes of pass- per hour as the night manager of Barrientos recounted his ex- anything that would expose their were accepted to community next step. ing the US Senate in 2007 a corporate-franchise deli in Penn periences as an undocumented undocumented parents.” college, we shouldn’t be ask- and supporters are hoping Station. Alam told Sharman sto- teenage applicant to Baruch who Natalia Ariztabal, a Queens ing them to do it again – or sending to fare better with a Democratic pres- ries about the drunk girls who fre- had emigrated to the US from the College student and member of them back to the community col- ident and increased Democratic ma- quent his establishment, and how Guatemala as a young child. the community group Make the lege to retrieve their documenta- jorities in both houses of Congress. he believed that his English wasn’t “You have to understand the fear Road New York, concurred, say- tion. You should admit the student According to www.dreamact.info, “proper” enough for daytime work. students like me experience com- ing “You’re maybe 18 years old and and e-mail your colleague.” the measure currently has the sup- Then, describing his years as a stu- ing to your office,” said Barrientos, you’re lost. If you’re given misinfor- port of 53 senators with another 20 dent of poetry in Dhaka, the Ban- now 24. “It’s the first time an official mation over the telephone, it is dis- fIRST STEPS listed as undecided. A super-major- gladeshi capital, Alam launched is asking about your immigration couraging and some students stop While CUNY’s newfound willing- ity of 60 votes in the Senate would into a rhythmic recitation of a status. Students like me don’t even there and don’t even try to apply.” ness to train its staff in the intricacies ensure the bill’s passage. favorite Bengali love poem. know that they are undocumented. The rules defining eligibility of immigration law was appreci- “The DREAM Act would apply to ...is another person’s monograph: It’s a shock. Even though they may status have become increasingly ated, activists continued to push the at least 60 to 70% of undocumented “Inherently we’re storytellers,” not show it, they’re afraid. They were complex as US immigration policy University to reimburse students for students at CUNY,” Barrientos re- Sharman says. “I think anthropol- never asked to prove their immigra- has become more restrictive. This past tuition overpayments. cently told Clarion. “They would go ogy has lost sight of that in the last tion status to go to high school, and was reflected in the many compli- Katherine Raymond, CUNY’s se- from being undocumented to hav- 35 years.” Also a playwright, he’s understandably their families are cated questions that were put to the nior counsel, said that all appeals ing conditional lawful permanent one of a number of anthropologists extremely reluctant to have them say panelists. must be in writing and must be residency.” who approach their work as literary nonfiction, aiming to connect with a more general audience. “As anthro- pologists when we do fieldwork, Clarion MARCH/APRIL 2009 we have to be very flexible and newspaper of the Professional staff congress/city University of new york, collective bargaining representative of the cUny instructional staff. vol. 38, no. 2. Psc/cUny is affiliated with the American Association of University creative,” he says. “We’ve got to Professors, national education Association, the American federation of teachers (local 2334), Afl-cio, the new york city central labor council, and new york state United teachers. Published by Psc/cUny, 61 broadway, know our audience, to ‘speak their 15th floor, new york, ny 10006. telephone: (212) 354-1252. website: www.psc-cuny.org. e-mail: [email protected]. All opinions expressed in these pages are not necessarily those of the Psc. PSC OFFICERS: barbara bowen, President; steven london, first vice President; Arthurine desola, secretary; michael fabricant, treasurer; stanley Aronowitz, Jonathan buchsbaum, lorraine cohen, John Pittman, language.’ But we tend to speak to nancy romer, University-wide officers; robert cermele, vice President, senior colleges; kathleen barker, marilyn neimark, Alex vitale, senior college officers; Anne friedman, vice President, community colleges; each other only in very specialized Jacob Appleman, lizette colón, susan o’malley, community college officers; iris delutro, vice President, cross campus Units; donna veronica Gill, steven trimboli, vera weekes, cross campus officers; marcia newfield, vice President, Part-time Personnel; susan diraimo, diane menna, George walters, Part-time college officers; Peter Jonas, James Perlstein, retiree officers; irwin h. Polishook, President emeritus; Peter journals.” If anthropologists ap- i hoberman, vice President emeritus, cross campus Units. proached their fieldwork the way STAFF: deborah bell, executive director; naomi Zauderer, Associate executive director; chris Aikin, director, organizing; faye h. Alladin, coordinator, financial services; debra l. bergen, director, contract they approach writing about it, he Administration & University-wide Grievance officer; nick cruz, coordinator of organizing; kian frederick, coordinator of organizing; barbara Gabriel, coordinator, office services and human resources; kate Pfordresher, coordinator, research & Public Policy; dania rajendra, coordinator, communications; diana rosato, coordinator, membership department; clarissa Gilbert weiss, director, Pension and welfare says, “no one would understand benefits; Peter Zwiebach, director of legal Affairs. what we were talking about.” Editor: Peter hogness / Associate Editor: John tarleton / Managing Editor For Life: dania rajendra / Designer: margarita Aguilar / Proofreader: nicole lisa / Reporter: karah woodward – Hirsh Sawhney © 2009 Professional staff congress/cUny Clarion | March/April 2009 psc election Material 11 PSC elections – April 2009 Vote for union-wide officers The PSC is holding union-wide On the following pages are state- given a certain number of words PSC elections occur on a three- have been a PSC member in good elections this spring. Ballots will ments and advertisements from for a statement; candidates run- year cycle. In 2010 there will be standing for at least four months be mailed to eligible members’ candidates and their slates. They ning on a common slate may pool elections for chapter level positions when ballots are mailed out on homes by the American Arbitra- are printed in accordance with this amount and devote some of in half of the union’s chapters, and April 1. If you have not received tion Association (AAA) on April the PSC’s election rules, which it to a statement from the slate chapter elections in the other half your ballot by April 8, contact 1. Completed ballots must be re- provide all candidates access to as a whole. Candidates may also will follow in 2011. The next elec- Barbara Gabriel at the PSC office ceived by the AAA by 5:00 pm on union publications in order to put purchase advertising space, with tion for union-wide offices will be (212-354-1252) for a duplicate bal- April 29 and will be counted the their views before the members. slates allowed to purchase up to held in 2012. lot or to check your membership following day. Each candidate for PSC office is one page each. You are eligible to vote if you status.

neW CaUCUS candidates for delegates to new york State United teachers and american Federation of teachers conventions Melanie Abreu LaGuardia Carol DeMartinis Staten Island Geoff Kurtz BMCC Felipe Pimentel Hostos Anthony Andrews York Susan DiRaimo CCNY LaRoi Lawton Bronx CC John Pittman John Jay Stanley Aronowitz Graduate Center Jackie DiSalvo Baruch Steve Leberstein Ret Anselma Rodriguez Brooklyn Alice Baldwin-Jones CCNY Tibbi Duboys Brooklyn Penny Lewis BMCC Nancy Romer Brooklyn Judith Barbanel Queensborough Greg Dunkel Central Office Carl Lindskoog Queensborough Wendy Scribner NYCCT Kathleen Barker Medgar Evers Sarah Durand LaGuardia Patrick Lloyd Kingsborough Jacob Segal Kingsborough Steve Barrera York Hester Eisenstein Queens Steve London Brooklyn Sigmund Shen LaGuardia Anne Batiuk Graduate Center Sharif ElHakem Lehman Gerald Markowitz John Jay Albert Sherman NYCCT Craig Bernardini Hostos Mike Fabricant Hunter Claudio Mazzatenta Bronx CC Michael Spear Kingsborough Michael Batson Staten Island Alan Feigenberg CCNY Cecelia McCall Ret Abdullah Tansel Baruch Barbara Bowen Queens Shirley Frank York Nikki McDaniel Bronx CC Emelyn Tapaoan John Jay George Brandon CCNY Bill Friedheim Ret Andre McLaughlin Medgar Evers Tess Tobin NYCCT Mary Alice Browne NYCCT Anne Friedman BMCC Shelly Mendlinger Ret Steve Trimboli Lehman Jonathan Buchsbaum Queens Donna Gill Hunter Diane Menna Queens Andrea Vasquez Graduate Center Harry Cason Staten Island Mark Goldberg Hunter John Mineka Lehman Blanca Vazquez Hunter Bob Cermele NYCCT Jesse Goldstein Baruch Eileen Moran Ret Santiago Villafane BXEOC Janice Cline York Joan Greenbaum Ret Bonnie Nelson John Jay Alex Vitale Brooklyn Lorraine Cohen LaGuardia Michael Green CCNY Marcia Newfield BMCC George Walters LaGuardia Lizette Colón Hostos Jean Gumbs Medgar Evers Tony O’Brien Ret Vera Weekes Medgar Evers Marino Corniel Hostos Jonathan Halabi Lehman Susan O’Malley Kingsborough Steve Weisblatt York James Davis Brooklyn Wayne Halliday Lehman Costas Panayotakis NYCCT Carl Williams John Jay Iris DeLutro Queens David Hatchett Medgar Evers Terry Parker LaGuardia Stan Wine Baruch Arthurine DeSola Queensborough Rebecca Hill BMCC Michael Perna Hunter Jane Young BMCC Scott Dexter Brooklyn John Hyland Ret Sharon Persinger Bronx CC This slate still has two vacancies for delegate. Lenny Dick Bronx CC Glenn Kissack Ret Vasilios Petratos Staten Island See ballot or PSC website for final list.

CUny allianCe candidates for delegates to new york State United teachers and american Federation of teachers conventions Susan Aranoff Kingsborough Alfonso Garcia-Osuna Kingsborough Abraham Malz Staten Island David Salb Kingsborough Stanley Bajue Medgar Evers Thomas Gerson Ret Theodore Markus Kingsborough Michael Scaduto John Jay Colley Baldwin Medgar Evers Wallace Goldberg Queens Frank Marousek John Jay Samuel Scherek Kingsborough Michael Barnhart Kingsborough David Gordon Bronx CC Edward Martin Kingsborough Stuart Schulman Kingsborough Gordon Bassen Kingsborough Warren B. Gordon Baruch Rachel McTursh John Jay Peter Shenkin John Jay Kitty Bateman Queensborough Melvin Gorelick Queensborough Lilia Melani Brooklyn Alisa Sher Kingsborough James Blake BMCC Richard Graziano Kingsborough Max Mlynarski Kingsborough Dale Siegel Kingsborough Bobbi Brauer Queensborough Daniel Grimaldi Kingsborough Edward Molina Queensborough Jeffrey Sigler Medgar Evers Frederick Brodzinski CCNY Sidney Helfant Kingsborough Darius Movasseghi Medgar Evers Ventura Simmons Medgar Evers Lloyd Carroll BMCC Sherman Heller Staten Island Melvyn Nathanson Lehman Dereck Skeete Medgar Evers Edward Catapane Medgar Evers Cliff Hesse Kingsborough Elizabeth Nercessian Queensborough Rachel Sturm-Beiss Kingsborough Lou D’Alotto York James Hladek Staten Island Stanley Ocken CCNY Sylvia Svitak Queensborough Charles DesBordes Medgar Evers Samuel Hux York Ada Peluso Hunter Iola Thompson Medgar Evers John Donoghue Ret Pedro J. Irigoyen Queensborough Sandra Peskin Queensborough Richard Victolo Queensborough Mona Fabricant Queensborough Jewel James Medgar Evers Thea Pignataro CCNY Paul Weiss Queensborough Jonas Falik Queensborough Steven Kahan Queens Roberta Pike Kingsborough Rina Yarmish Kingsborough Robert Feinerman Lehman David Klarberg Queensborough Gloria Pollack Kingsborough Mohamed Yousef Staten Island Joseph Feit Ret Roberta Klibaner Staten Island Rishi S. Raj CCNY Arthur Zeitlin Kingsborough Ronald Forman Kingsborough Dorothy Lang Staten Island William Rooney Kingsborough Lana Zinger Queensborough Sheldon Friedland Ret David Lieberman Queensborough Eric Rothenburg Kingsborough This slate still has 18 vacancies for delegate. Linda Friedman Baruch Michael Maller Queens Karl Ruddock Medgar Evers See ballot or PSC website for final list. aaUP annUal delegateS neW CaUCUS CUny allianCe Stanley Aronowitz Graduate Center Anne Friedman BMCC Kitty Bateman Queensborough David Klarberg Queensborough Kathleen Barker Medgar Evers Steve London Brooklyn Frederick Brodzinski CCNY Lilia Melani Brooklyn Lenore Beaky LaGuardia Steve Leberstein Retiree Edward Camp CCNY Darius Movasseghi Medgar Evers Barbara Bowen Queens Cecelia McCall Retiree Edward Catapane Medgar Evers Melvyn Nathanson Lehman James Davis Brooklyn Marcia Newfield BMCC Mona Fabricant Queensborough Paul Weiss Queensborough Iris DeLutro Queens Susan O’Malley Kingsborough Thomas J. Gerson Retiree Rina Yarmish Kingsborough Arthurine DeSola Queensborough George Walters LaGuardia Cliff Hesse Kingsborough Mohamed Yousef Staten Island Mike Fabricant Hunter Roberta Klibaner Staten Island 12 psc election Material – new caucus Clarion | March/April 2009

Advertisement Clarion | March/April 2009 psc election Material – new caucus 13 the New CaUCUs

the highest and the lowest salaries. Under our And the results can be stunning. Thousands of What We Stand For leadership, the union organized rallies, signed professional staff across the University are now The New Caucus was formed in 1995, at another moment petitions and took out ads to force a change. And entitled to compensation for work assigned beyond of financial crisis for CUNY, when hundreds of faculty and we focused especially on top steps in every title, the contractual limit, and a pattern of disrespect staff from across the University came together to dedicate creatively stretching the funds in each contract. has been broken. our political lives to the project of making CUNY the great As a result, top salary steps will have increased by public university it could be. What united us was the belief at least 30% between 2000 and October of this year. 8. Under New Caucus leadership, the union has that CUNY was worth fighting for and that the union could For lower-paid titles they will have increased even defended academic freedom and freedom of be a leader in that fight. We refused to accept the premise more: 39% for Lecturers and 41% for CLTs (check speech. To take one example: when the president that CUNY will always be poor, that second-class conditions new-caucus.org for details). Even with a modest of LaGuardia Community College issued a ban are good enough for our students or for us. rise in inflation over the next eight months, those in 2008 on the use of college e-mail for union increases are well above the rate of inflation. communications, the union chapter leadership We also understood that the union would be effective in fought back. They organized hundreds of faculty the fight for change only if it became more than a narrowly 4. Under New Caucus leadership, the union has and staff to sign a petition, and then worked with defined service organization. Attempting to address been at the forefront of reversing a 20-year the union’s leaders and legal staff to file both a members’ individual needs while leaving the underlying pattern of CUNY budget cuts. When we took grievance and a First Amendment lawsuit. The conditions untouched was a failed strategy. To make real office in 2000, State and City support for the CUNY courage and strategic thinking of the New Caucus change in our working conditions—which are our students’ budget was in deep decline. Now, State support chapter leadership paid off: CUNY management learning conditions—the PSC would have to become a has risen in each of the last three years and City offered to include a provision for union access to serious political force. funding has increased even more dramatically. e-mail as part of the contract settled in June. Much of that change is due to the union. We have And that’s what the union has become. During nine years of systematically built a formidable legislative 9. Under New Caucus leadership, the union New Caucus leadership the Professional Staff Congress has operation, starting from the grassroots. The power restored the finances of the Welfare Fund, and established itself as a power at the bargaining table, on the of the union’s political arm became clear this year, refused to sell out adjuncts or retirees. During campuses, in City Hall, in Albany and even in national policy when the PSC, with NYSUT, led the effort to block bargaining for the 2002-07 contract, as the union debates. Under our leadership the erosion in conditions at a proposed 10 percent cut in State funding to the fought back against CUNY’s failure to provide CUNY has stopped, salaries have risen, health benefits have community colleges. Three times this year we adequate support for the Welfare Fund, the CUNY been preserved, support for research has increased, adjunct beat that proposal back, engaging more than 9,000 management representative leaned across the conditions have improved, and the freefall in CUNY funding faculty and staff across the state to send letters. bargaining table and said, “Why don’t you just has been ended. This year is the most critical in a generation for the cut retiree benefits? They don’t vote on contract State budget; we need to continue the momentum ratification.” We said No. We refused to compromise more effective for members we have developed. on the principle of equal rights to benefits, and we insisted on maintaining adjunct health insurance. And it turns out that the PSC is stronger in defending 5. Under New Caucus leadership, the union won We inherited a Welfare Fund that was nearing individual members’ salaries, benefits and rights because it 80 percent pay for sabbaticals and 24 contact insolvency, and through tough negotiations and has a commitment to a collective politics. The union is more hours of released time for junior faculty. We careful management, we turned it around. powerful on bread-and-butter issues when it embraces a came into office determined to break the grip of bolder vision. the idea that decent support for research was a 10. Under New Caucus leadership, the union is luxury, out of CUNY’s reach. Sabbaticals at 50 a national force for educational justice and a record of Success percent pay had been essentially unusable for a leader in progressive positions for labor. The New Caucus is proud of our record, a few highlights of many faculty members, but few believed CUNY Questions of fairness for ourselves and our which we offer here. What we are proudest of is that we have could do better. In 2004, New Caucus leadership students are finally inseparable from the larger involved thousands of CUNY faculty and staff in this work. of the PSC organized mass membership support policy choices that create the conditions in which The accomplishments are ours together. for our contract campaign, and won sabbatical we work. Under the New Caucus, the PSC has pay at 80 percent. Mobilizing the pressure of the gained a national reputation for leadership on 1. Under New Caucus leadership, the union membership, we made a similar breakthrough for issues of educational justice, academic labor policy, anticipated the crisis in the State budget, and junior faculty. Untenured faculty at every CUNY antiracism and opposition to a wasteful and unjust reached one of the best contracts the PSC has college are now entitled to the equivalent of a year, war. We were leaders in the coalition that succeeded achieved—in record time. Early last summer, on average, of full-paid released time for research in changing the law on access to CUNY and SUNY the union realized that the State would face a before the tenure decision. for undocumented students. We were among the massive deficit and that gaining approval of our first unions nationally to demand an end to the contract in Albany would become increasingly 6. Under New Caucus leadership, the union made war in Iraq, and we were instrumental in shifting difficult. On June 6, PSC president Barbara Bowen significant gains for adjuncts, other part-timers the position of our national union. Locally, we are told CUNY management that the union wanted and graduate employees. The New Caucus was strong partners in coalitions to support quality to settle the contract within two weeks, when the founded on the recognition that the labor system education, and deep believers in solidarity with legislature was expected to adjourn. Both sides in higher education must be changed, and we have other unions, especially now, as labor comes under worked virtually around the clock, and reached an worked consistently to bring parity to part-time and intense pressure for concessions. agreement at 4:00 A.M on June 20. Within days, it hourly faculty and staff. The battle is far from over, won approval by the legislature and the governor. but drawing on adjunct leadership within the union, One of the union’s fastest contracts was also one the PSC under our leadership has made significant our opponents of the best: it includes salary increases above inroads against this system. We preserved adjunct Our opponents have no record in PSC leadership; they have inflation, special increases that raise all the top health insurance despite shameful underfunding only criticisms and promises. We have a record, a history of steps, paid parental leave, graduate employee by CUNY, won paid office hours and professional success and seriousness, a deep and honest commitment to health insurance and more. development funds for adjuncts, sick leave and building the power we need to make real change. other improvements for Continuing Education 2. Under New Caucus leadership, the union has faculty. One of the biggest breakthroughs of the As a caucus that once challenged the incumbents for union energized labor’s response to the current current contract was health insurance for graduate leadership, we respect serious challengers. But the CUNY economic crisis. Last September, when the federal employees, a longtime goal of the New Caucus Alliance candidate for PSC president has never been a government proposed the $700 billion bailout for and achieved in coalition with doctoral student chapter chair (he was defeated by a wide margin in the Wall Street, the PSC was the leading voice in the organizers. 2007 election for chair of the HEO chapter), never been a effort to organize a demonstration supporting PSC delegate, never joined us in lobbying in Albany, never labor’s position. The labor rally on Wall Street was 7. Under New Caucus leadership, the union negotiated a PSC contract or even served on the negotiating one of the first to ask why there wasn’t a bailout defended the 35-hour workweek for HEOs, and team. He and his slate are the wrong choice—especially for for education, jobs, healthcare and housing. The won rights to overtime pay and comp time. a moment that calls for experience, leadership and a bold PSC has continued to be an aggressive force in Since the 1960s CUNY had been routinely violating vision for change. discussions of the allocation of federal stimulus the contract on the workweek for employees funds, working both in Washington and Albany to in the Higher Education Officer series. Under press for a fair share for public higher education. New Caucus leadership, the PSC challenged this the Current Crisis practice, carefully developing both a grievance and The next three years could be the most important for 3. Under New Caucus leadership, the union stopped a lawsuit. The key was making an individual issue working people in half a century. The New Caucus has a 25-year slide in the real value of our salaries. collective—breaking through years of silence by shown that we can make progress for members even during We were unafraid to name the failure of many CUNY organizing. That’s a hallmark of PSC strategy under economic downturns and that we have the vision to be salaries to keep up regionally and nationally—and the New Caucus: combining meticulous contract part of rebuilding the labor movement the current moment to address the gap that had developed between enforcement work with bold, energetic organizing. demands. We ask you not just to vote for us, but to join us. 14 psc election Material – new caucus Clarion | March/April 2009

relationships with stakeholder groups PSC since coming to BCC six years for presideNt in CUNY in order to promote greater ago and has helped organize many Barbara Bowen has been president investment in and access to this very events, including Junior Faculty De- of the union since 2000, when she led precious resource. For the past three velopment Days and New Faculty Ori- the New Caucus effort to revitalize the years, Mike has also been a member of entations. She previously served as PSC. Under her leadership, the PSC the national Organizing Committee of secretary of the BCC Chapter and as a has emerged as a powerful, effective the American Federation of Teachers. PSC-CUNY delegate to the NYSUT and union, and Barbara herself has earned The author of numerous publications, AFT conventions. The issues on which a national reputation as a principled he has recently completed his sixth she has focused are health and safety, and articulate labor leader. As the book, Organizing for Educational Jus- reassigned time, paid family leave and PSC’s chief negotiator, Barbara is the tice. He has served as the treasurer of the National Coalition to part-time compensation. She has organized events to oppose architect of a remarkable series of gains House the Homeless and has been a lifelong activist on issues the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. for PSC members – breakthroughs on ranging from housing to public education. sabbaticals, salaries, parental leave, professional development grants for adjuncts and professional staff, paid office hours for for viCe presideNt for seNior Colleges adjuncts, and research leave for junior faculty. She has been for UNiversity-wide offiCers Robert Cermele, an Associate Profes- a leader in the union’s sophisticated legislative operation, George Brandon is an Associate Medi- sor of Mathematics, has taught at New which has delivered victories on pensions for members and cal Professor in the Department of Be- York City College of Technology for increased funds for CUNY. As a vice president of the American havioral Medicine in the Sophie Davis nearly 37 years and has been chapter Federation of Teachers, Barbara initiated a national legislation School of Biomedical Education, as well chair since 2001. He has served two campaign to address the staffing crisis in higher education; as an Adjunct Associate Professor in the terms on the Executive Council as Se- as a vice chair of the Municipal Labor Committee, she has Biomedical Engineering Department of nior College Officer and is currently been a leading force in the effort to preserve health benefits the Grove School of Engineering at the Vice President for Senior Colleges. Bob for all City workers. The author of numerous publications on City College of New York. He earned has been the Welfare Fund Treasurer Renaissance literature, Barbara earned her Ph.D. in English a Ph.D. in anthropology from Rutgers since September 2003. He is also a lead- at Yale, and holds faculty positions at both Queens College and University in 1983. Joining the PSC soon er in faculty governance; he is active in the Graduate Center. after arriving at CCNY in 1989, George local governance at City Tech and serves on the UFS Budget has served on the CCNY Contract Organizing Committee, has Advisory Committee and the Status of the Faculty Committee. been the PSC chapter chair, a chapter delegate and a member He is a member of the PSC’s Budget, Legislation and Academic for first viCe presideNt of the chapter’s Executive Committee. Freedom Committees and has an interest in workplace health Steve London, first elected in 2000 and and safety, union democracy and member organizing at the reelected twice, is an associate profes- Jonathan Buchsbaum is Professor of chapter level. sor of Political Science at Brooklyn Media Studies at Queens College, where College. A founder of the New Caucus, he has been the PSC chapter chair he served three terms in the 1990s as since 2000. As chair, he has champi- for seNior College offiCers Brooklyn College’s chapter chair and oned many issues, including health and Kathleen Barker, Professor of Psy- as University Faculty Senator. A mem- safety, adjunct equity, family leave, pro- chology at Medgar Evers College, is ber of the Negotiations Committee for motion raises, and antiwar organizing. currently a Senior College Officer of the last three contracts, Steve is also He has served as a University-wide Of- the PSC and the grievance counselor the PSC’s Legislative Representative, ficer since 2003 and as the coordinator for her college chapter. Kathleen’s leading the union’s member-based po- of Labor Goes to the Movies from 2000 social psychological research exam- litical action campaigns and CUNY budget advocacy. Working to the present. He is currently working ines contingent work and its effects with the union’s experienced and professional staff, he molded with the Executive Council subcommittee on antiracism, one of on workers in higher education and contract enforcement into an effective, member-oriented oper- its strategic priorities. Jonathan works on political filmmaking, other sectors. Her recent research has ation. Under his leadership in this arena, the PSC has won sig- and is the author of Cinema and the Sandinistas: Filmmaking detailed the problems associated with nificant arbitration and legal victories, including the 35-hour in Revolutionary Nicaragua and Cinema Engagé: Film in the citation analyses used for tenure and workweek for HEOs. Steve is the Welfare Fund’s Executive Popular Front. His current book project is Exceptional Times: post-tenure reviews in the U.S. and Europe. She was twice ap- Officer, initiating reform of the Fund and preserving benefits. National Cinema and Global Culture. pointed to national task forces on the future of the psychology As a NYSUT Board Director, he was instrumental in increas- workforce by the American Psychological Association. Kath- ing NYSUT’s focus on higher education and gaining more re- Carl Lindskoog is a writing fellow at leen has served as a UFS Senator for nine years and co-au- sources for the PSC. Co-editor of two books, Steve brings his Queensborough Community College thored the forthcoming UFS Faculty Experience Survey (FES). expertise in political science to the union’s work. and a doctoral candidate in the Histo- The survey will report on a broad range of institutional experi- ry Department at the CUNY Graduate ences of both full-time and part-time CUNY faculty. Center. His research is in the area of for seCretary post-World War II labor and immigra- Diane Menna, adjunct lecturer in Arthurine DeSola, secretary of the tion history. As the Coordinator of the English at Queens College, has taught PSC, was the first HEO elected as a Adjunct Project of the Doctoral Stu- at CUNY for more than 25 years. She principal officer, in 2006. She is a High- dents’ Council, Carl partnered with the is an activist who serves on the Ex- er Education Assistant in the Counsel- PSC in a successful campaign to win ecutive Council and Contract Nego- ing Department at Queensborough. A health insurance for doctoral students who work for the Uni- tiations Committee. Diane has fought member of the CUNY community for versity. He has been a member of the Delegate Assembly and the two-tier labor system and served over thirty years, she has extensive actively participates with the PSC Part-timers’ Committee. He as coordinator of the Part-timers Proj- experience, having served as a faculty was recently elected to the Governing Board of the New Cau- ect. Her belief in the power of contract member at LaGuardia Community Col- cus and served as a member of the nominating committee. administration as a means of advanc- lege and a member of the professional ing members’ rights led her to become staff at Queensborough Community Costas Panayotakis, Associate Pro- a grievance counselor. Her affinity for language and detail College. Currently she is a member of the union’s Contract En- fessor of Social Science at New York motivated her work with the union’s Constitution Review forcement Committee, Legislative Committee, and Women’s City College of Technology, received Committee, which she later chaired. Diane sits on the higher Committee. She served on the PSC bargaining team during the a Ph.D. in sociology from the CUNY education council of NYSUT and the adjunct advisory commit- last round of contract negotiations. Arthurine has chaired the Graduate Center. A union activist tee of the American Federation of Teachers. A member of the HEO/CLT Professional Development Fund Committee since its since the 1990s, he worked with CUNY New Caucus since 2000, she has served as a coordinator, and inception. Her focus is assisting College Laboratory Techni- Adjuncts Unite and, after being hired recently collaborated on revising the caucus bylaws. cians and members of the Higher Education Officer series to by City Tech, became a member of the receive funding for professional development activities. She Delegate Assembly. Costas has also Alex S. Vitale is Associate Professor believes that now more than ever, we must continue to educate participated in college and university of Sociology at Brooklyn College. He and organize in order to advance the labor movement. governance by serving as secretary of has served on the Executive Council City Tech’s College Council and as University Faculty Sena- for the last three years and has been tor. His publications include numerous articles on political active with the New Caucus and the for treasUrer economy, ecology and social theory; he is currently writing a Brooklyn College chapter since 1999. Michael Fabricant, Professor at Hunter College and executive book on the relationship between capitalism and scarcity. His He is a member of the PSC Legislative officer of the Ph.D. Program in Social Welfare at the Gradu- priority as a University-wide officer will be to increase PSC’s Committee and a delegate to the Del- ate Center, has been treasurer of the PSC since 2006. As trea- leverage by strengthening solidarity within its ranks, fighting egate Assembly. When a student at the surer he has been particularly committed to the transparency against the inequities facing part-time faculty, and reaching Graduate Center, Alex was co-chair of PSC’s financial reporting. Mike has been a member of the out to students and the broader CUNY community. of the Doctoral Students Council and Executive Council and the Negotiating Team for the past nine then ran the Adjunct Project. In the early 1990s he was a com- years. In his leadership role, he has been particularly active in Nikki McDaniel is Associate Professor of Biology at Bronx munity-labor organizer in San Francisco, focusing on health building the power of the PSC through membership organiz- Community College and was elected chair of the union’s BCC and social services budget priorities. His research interest is ing. He has also led the union’s development of collaborative chapter in April of 2008. Nikki has been an activist with the policing and urban politics; his recent publication from NYU Clarion | March/April 2009 psc election Material – new caucus 15

Press is City of Disorder: How the Quality of Life Campaign is a member of the HEO Organizing breakthrough changes. In September 2008, she was elected to Transformed New York Politics. Committee and has represented union the Governing Board of the New Caucus. members at the bargaining table as a member of the PSC Negotiations Com- for viCe presideNt for mittee. In the forefront of the struggle for offiCers for part-tiMe persoNNel against the erosion of HEO benefits and Michael Batson has been an Adjunct CoMMUNity Colleges conditions, Iris works to ensure equity Lecturer in History and Women’s Stud- Anne Friedman, Professor of Aca- and advancement for the professional ies at the College of Staten Island since demic and Critical Reading at Bor- staff. As the union’s vice president for 2000. He has been active in the PSC ough of Manhattan Community cross-campus chapters, Iris has worked since then, and for the past three years College, is PSC Vice-President for tirelessly to raise awareness of professional staff issues, includ- he has been a PSC delegate and cam- Community Colleges; she has also ing “bullying at the workplace” practices that many HEOs expe- pus organizer of part-timers, work- served for nine years on the union’s rience. She has led workshops on this topic for professional staff ing successfully to build a campus bargaining team. Anne is a leader in at state and national higher education conferences. infrastructure of activist part-timers. organizing community college mem- Michael is committed to maintaining bers around workload issues. She is CUNY as a quality, affordable, and humane institution, and a member of the PSC’s anti-racism for Cross-CaMpUs offiCers has concentrated on improving both the working conditions of and two-tier labor committees and has been active in Open Donna Veronica Gill is Assistant Di- his colleagues and the learning environment of the students. Admissions struggles for 40 years, beginning as a student rector of the Office of Financial Aid at City College. Anne is also a delegate to NYSUT, AFT and at Hunter College. A member of the Susan DiRaimo, currently an Of- the AAUP; she has been appointed to the community college CUNY community since 1986, Donna ficer for Part-Time Personnel, was advisory committees in both NYSUT and AAUP. For decades, has devoted 14 years of service to the first elected in 2003. She has been an Anne has been immersed in governance issues, and she has PSC. For the past five years, she has adjunct in the English Department at been on the Executive Committee of the University Faculty been a tireless grievance counselor in City College since 1981 and at Lehman Senate since 1997. She is committed to a democratic and col- the union’s central office. Donna cur- College since 1995. Susan co-authored lective process in union decision-making. rently serves on the PSC’s Executive an ESL Textbook, Life, Language and Council and its Grievance Policy Com- the Urban Experience. She has worked mittees. She is also on the selection for a seniority system for part-timers for CoMMUNity College offiCers committee for HEO/CLT professional development grants, and and has advocated for a plan that no- Penny Lewis is Assistant Professor of active in the union’s peace and justice work. Most important, tifies adjuncts that they qualify to Sociology at the Borough of Manhat- she has contributed to achieving significant gains for the HEO participate in the TRS pension system. For the past six years, tan Community College. Fully commit- chapter. Her unwavering dedication was instrumental in win- Susan has lobbied in Albany for a change in the Unemployment ted to unionism, Penny has been active ning the HEO overtime grievance and lawsuit. A committed Insurance law to protect adjuncts’ access to unemployment. in the PSC since her days as a student activist for social change, she has developed and honed her She has been the Co-chair of the PSC Open Access committee, at the CUNY Graduate Center; she organizing skills to benefit the labor movement. testifying regularly on student issues at the Board of Trustees. has also been an organizer of junior She has been elected a Coordinator of the New Caucus. faculty. She served as co-chair of the Steve Trimboli, a Senior College union’s Solidarity Committee and rep- Laboratory Technician in Biological Steve Weisblatt, Continuing Education resents the PSC on the board of New Sciences at Lehman College, is re- Teacher in the CUNY Language Immer- York Jobs with Justice. She is also on her chapter Executive sponsible for the efficient operation of sion Program (CLIP), has taught at York Committee, is an alternate delegate, and chairs the chapter’s Lehman’s biochemistry laboratories. College for more than ten years and has committee on workload. Penny’s academic work expertise is He has been an active participant been on the York Chapter’s Executive on social class and the relationship between labor and other in the CLT chapter of the PSC for 26 Committee. He has served as Alternate social movements in the United States. years and a Cross-Campus Officer for Delegate, Delegate, Acting Chapter twelve. Steve is currently a member Chair, and Vice Chair. He serves on the Lorraine Cohen, Professor of Sociol- of the PSC Grievance Policy and the Delegate Assembly Part-timers Commit- ogy at LaGuardia Community College, HEO/CLT Professional Development tee. His union activism began with the was elected in 2006 to the PSC Execu- Committees. He is also a longtime member of the union’s bar- Communication Workers of America tive Council. In 2008 she was reelected gaining team, where he brings an understanding of both fac- where he served as shop steward. While he has particular in- to a three-year term as the LaGuardia ulty and staff as well as full-time and part-time employees. He terest in and concern for issues that impact contingent work- chapter chair. In 2007 under Lorraine’s serves as chapter delegate to the PSC Delegate Assembly and ers, he will represent all PSC constituencies. leadership, faculty and staff waged a a delegate to the NYSUT and AFT conventions. protracted – and successful – battle to stop CUNY management from ban- Andrea Ades Vásquez, is a Higher for retiree eXeCUtive CoUNCil offiCers ning the use of college e-mail for union- Education Officer who has worked at Bill Friedheim, a long-time labor ac- related communication. Lorraine also took a leading role in the American Social History Project tivist, served as a union chapter chair winning reinstatement at CUNY for thousands of students on since 1989. She is currently associate at BMCC in the sixties, seventies and public assistance. Lorraine believes strongly in grassroots or- director of American Social History nineties. A former labor editor and the ganizing and the development of a labor movement that fights Project and the Center for Media and award-winning webmaster for the PSC, for a progressive social and political agenda. She is a member Learning as well as Managing Di- he developed the Welfare Fund website of the New Caucus Governing Board. rector of the Graduate Center’s New and designs each retiree newsletter. Media Lab. Andrea is co-producer and He brings a breadth of experience to Felipe Pimentel, Assistant Professor designer of many U.S. history websites his candidacy; he has been an activist of Sociology at Hostos Community Col- that are currently used in CUNY, other in PSC and retiree chapter committees lege, holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the colleges and high school classes. For the past nine years, An- and a delegate to the AFT and NYSUT CUNY Graduate Center. He has taught drea has been involved in union activities with a particular conventions. In 2005, he played a key role on the PSC com- at several other CUNY colleges, includ- concern for contract issues. She has served as an alternate del- mittee that revised the union’s constitution, resulting in an ing Lehman, BMCC, York and Hunter. egate, helped produce the HEO newsletter, and recently joined amendment that gave retirees elected representation on the A member of the PSC since 2001, Felipe the Graduate Center’s HEO labor-management committee. PSC Executive Council. He has published books on the Civil is the vice chair of the campus chapter War/Reconstruction period and the intersection of pedagogy and worked with the union’s Contract and new-media technology in the teaching of history. Organizing Committee. Following the for viCe presideNt for publication of Felipe’s report, The Decline of the Puerto Rican Eileen Geil Moran retired in 2002 Full-time Faculty at the City University of New York (CUNY) part-tiMe persoNNel from her position as Research Asso- from 1981 to 2002, Chancellor Goldstein established an initiative Marcia Newfield, adjunct lecturer in ciate at the Queens College Michael to increase the number of Latino faculty at CUNY. English at BMCC since 1988, was elect- Harrington Center; she also taught ed Vice President for Part-Time Per- several courses in the Sociology De- sonnel in 2003. She initiated monthly partment at Queens. Before her retire- for viCe presideNt for First Friday meetings of the Delegate ment, she was active with the Queens Assembly Part-Time Personnel Com- College PSC Chapter and served on the Cross-CaMpUs Chapters mittee, serves as a grievance coun- Welfare Fund Advisory Committee. Iris DeLutro, a senior counselor and coordinator of the LEAP selor for part-timers, co-chair of the For the past six years, she co-chaired to Teacher Programs of the Murphy Institute, has been Vice Women’s Committee, and member of the PSC Legislation Committee, spearheading the union’s elec- President of the Cross Campus Chapter since 2003. She serves the union’s Grievance Policy, Finance, toral work and regularly advocating with state legislators and on the Board of Directors of NYSUT and is active within both and Academic Freedom Committees. members of the City Council on behalf of the PSC, the Univer- NYSUT and the union’s national affiliates. Iris is a member of As representative to AFT and AAUP Contingent Advisory sity and its students. Eileen currently serves on the Executive the PSC Legislation Committee and serves as co-coordinator of groups, Marcia acts to realize her belief that contingents, Committee of the Retiree Chapter. She is a member of the Gov- the political action committee for the Borough of Queens. She the nation-wide new higher education majority, are ready for erning Board of the New Caucus. 16 psc election Material – cuny alliance Clarion | March/April 2009

Advertisement Clarion | March/April 2009 psc election Material – cuny alliance 17 CUNy alliaNCe integrity and leaderShiP We have joined together as the CUNY ALLIANCE in order is different. We will focus on the bread and butter issues of Continuing Education. We will insist on a real salary scale to provide the membership with an alternative vision for the members of our educational community. for Continuing Education Teachers. union in the April Executive Council elections. We are a group of your colleagues who will provide union representation that EOC’s. Educational Opportunity Center employees are still is committed, first and foremost, to the needs and well-being the WelFare FUnd without a contract! This is an unconscionable desertion of of CUNY’s faculty and staff: part-time and full-time, active The Alliance will serve your interests by competently man- dues-paying members. The New Caucus fiddles while the and retired. We intend to change the leadership and the cur- aging the Welfare Fund, something that our opponents have EOC’s burn; in the meantime, lobbying for higher taxes takes rent direction of the PSC. We believe the leadership should failed to do. They drove the Welfare Fund into near-bank- precedence over contract negotiation. focus on the interests of its members: our salaries and ben- ruptcy. All active faculty (part-time and full-time) and pro- efits, our working conditions, grievances and job security. fessional staff were required to relinquish $31 million of ret- roactive pay in 2006 to save the Reserve. (A typical member ContraCt negotiationS The Alliance has members from across the university, rep- lost $1000-$2000 in retroactive pay, with some losing as much Negotiating a successful contract with the University is resenting all constituencies. Among our candidates are two as $2600.) As a result, we suffer degraded dental benefits and our first priority. current, and several former, chapter chairs; a founding mem- loss of free life insurance. When elected, we will survey the ber of the PSC and former member of the Executive Council; membership about priorities, make those survey results We will use professional negotiators, and will have a short members of campus chapter executive committees; griev- public (our opponents are fond of conducting surveys and list of demands that center on salary, benefits, teaching loads, ance officers; and others with years of experience in, and keeping the results to themselves!), shift funding accord- and support for research. We will get better benefits, wages commitment to, the union. The CUNY Alliance also includes ingly, and negotiate and obtain substantially greater in- and working conditions by tough and tenacious negotiating, new members with new ideas. We provide the right mix of fusions into the Fund. We will restore your benefits in the not by theatrics and empty strike threats. We pledge to get experience and fresh approach. most cost-effective ways with the best possible providers. an agreement that substantially advances our members’ interests. We are prepared to deny the university a contract unless and until we meet that goal. We don’t believe that pos- FoCUS retireeS’ WelFare BeneFitS turing, delayed negotiations, or noisy demonstrations will The PSC was formed to serve the interests and concerns of There should be no distinction between the benefits of retir- make us successful. The New Caucus leadership postures, CUNY faculty and staff. The New Caucus management has em- ees and active faculty and staff. This is a principle that the delays, and demonstrates, to no effect. barked on a campaign to recruit, as members, workers who are current officers overturned when they applied to retirees a not CUNY employees. Recruiting those workers in large num- $50 deductible for prescription drugs. A small amount, but a bers would vastly reduce the ability of CUNY faculty and staff dangerous precedent. The contributions that retirees have CUny allianCe meanS eFFeCtiVe to influence the policies of our own union. Why has the NC lead- made to CUNY entitle them to equal consideration and ben- ership done this? We believe that it is partly because they want efits. We are committed to negotiating a better benefit pack- leaderShiP power within the union movement, and partly because every age for retired and for active faculty and staff. The central issue in this election is leadership. Our platform new member brings dues. Both of the latter extend the leader- and proposals are only a small part of achieving our goals. ship’s ability to broadcast its message. What is that message? They must be modified through the bargaining process in One of social and political activism, activism that has no rel- Commitment to oUr ConStitUentS any case. The problem has been that the PSC has not been evance – whatever its merits – to the essential tasks of a faculty- The Alliance recognizes that many constituencies comprise able to reach the goals broadly shared by the entire mem- staff union. The CUNY ALLIANCE, by contrast, has pragmatic the PSC. In consultation with them, we identify and address bership – substantial gains in salary and improvements in aims: to focus on issues of faculty and staff welfare. the needs of our members. Please see our website, www.cu- benefits and working conditions – because of the poor judg- nyalliance.org, to view our platform. ment and the misplaced militancy of our opponents. We can- not afford another three years under New Caucus officers the need For Change Part-time faculty. We are committed to increasing the base who care more about global politics than they do about union The past 9 years have been marked by unrelenting losses for pay for part-time faculty. Adjuncts, especially those with business. There is an alternate future: choose the CUNY union members. Our negotiated raises failed to keep up with long-term service to the university, deserve improved job ALLIANCE, and we will devote our considerable talents cost of living increases. Since 2002, our base salary increased security, working conditions, salaries and benefits. and energy to negotiating good contracts and to protecting 11.9% as the result of contracts negotiated by our opponents, HEOs, CLTs, Librarians. HEOs, CLTs and Library faculty your benefits. far short of the 19.5% cost of living increase over that period. all deserve increases in annual leave and development op- We lost 7.5% purchasing power in that time! These losses portunities. HEO’s deserve true job security. are a result of the New Caucus focus on global politics to the vote CUNy alliaNCe, detriment of union business. We’ve paid the price for that Counselors. We will fight to restore the status of faculty coun- distracted leadership for too long. The CUNY ALLIANCE selors, which was decimated under New Caucus management. for aN effeCtive UNioN

and works closely with many Federal, State, and Local of- for presideNt for first viCe presideNt ficials. In recognition of his community service and leader- Dr. Frederick R. Brodzinski has 39 Professor James Blake is a Profes- ship skills, Professor Blake has received numerous citations years of successful administrative sor in the Department of Student from elected officials. Professor Blake received his B.S. in and managerial experience direct- Life at the Borough of Manhattan Chemistry from North Carolina Central University and his ing large organizations with signifi- Community College. Prior to coming MSW from Columbia University School of Social Work, and cant budgets, complex structures to City University Professor Blake holds a New York State License as a Mental Health Coun- and multiple funding sources. He has was an active member of DC 37 So- selor. He believes that the faculty and students are the heart served on both sides of the bargain- cial Service Employees Union, local of the University. Specifically, when the faculty members ing table and has a life long history 371, and he was a member of the PSC are paid well, have good benefits and working conditions, of union activism and membership. BMCC Executive Committee of the the students are better served and the university can better An extremely competent leader, Dr. New Caucus. Professor Blake has a achieve its mission. He is married to Dr. Bessie W. Blake, an Brodzinski has served as dean, chief long history of campus activism and award winning author, former Dean of the College of New student affairs officer, and chief operating officer of a multi- community leadership. He serves as faculty representative Rochelle, and former Adjunct Professor at LaGuardia Com- million dollar research institute. He has taught continu- to the Fitterman Hall Advisory Committee, President of the munity College. ously every semester for the last 22 years. He has taught BMCC Black Faculty and Staff Association, Department on four continents, three Caribbean islands, and led sev- representative on the College Senate, and Faculty Advisor eral federal training and education initiatives. His research to the Student Government Association. Blake also is the for seCretary topics vary from quality management, personnel budgets, recipient of numerous community service awards: The New Thea Pignataro is Chair of the Math- to future studies and forecasting. His books, articles and York Christian Times ‘Front Page Award’ as a leader for the ematics Department at City College. lectures complement his practical skill as a manager. 21st Century; honored by CBS-T.V. as one of the 15 people She came to CCNY in 1990, after He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Joseph’s Uni- in the tri-state area whose work best exemplify the ideas of receiving her PhD in mathematical versity in Philadelphia, a Master of Science degree from In- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and for his community work, physics from Princeton in 1984 and diana University in Bloomington, and a Master of Arts and a he was the recipient of the ‘King of Queens’ award from the holding postdoctoral positions at the Doctorate from Columbia University. A long time Adjunct at Queens Tribune Newspaper. His life struggles and personal Institut des Hautes Études Scienti- John Jay and CCNY he knows well the difficulties of teach- triumph over adversity were featured in an hour long pre- fique, the CUNY Graduate Center, ing part time. A certified basketball referee, he trained as sentation on the ABC-TV “Like It Is” program hosted by the Courant Institute of NYU, and an artist and worked as a professional musician for 10 years. the award winning journalist, Gil Noble. Professor Blake Columbia University. She was an Al- He has the skills, ability, and vision to restore professional- is a long time community organizer and a former elected fred P. Sloan Research Fellow from ism to the PSC. District leader in the 29th Assembly District in Queens; 1990 to 1994. She served her Department as Assistant Chair 18 psc election Material – cuny alliance Clarion | March/April 2009

and Major Advisor (2003-6), Director of Graduate Studies Award for Distinguished Mathemat- (2004-6), Chair of the Pure Math Committee (1998-present), ics Teaching (1997), and the NYS- for viCe presideNt for seNior Colleges and on its Executive Committee (1991-4, 2003-present). Her MATYC Award for Outstanding Con- Rishi S. Raj has been teaching Me- college service includes the CLAS Faculty Council (1991-4, tributions to Mathematics Education chanical Engineering at City College 2006-present), with a year on its Executive Committee, and (1992). She has published numerous for the past 30 years, where he also the CCNY Retention Committee (2007-present), which is de- articles and co-authored two text- served as a Dean. Rishi served on the voted to student success. She has also served as treasurer books. For CUNY to grow in stature, City College Senate for more than 15 and a member of the Board of Directors of a 501(c)3 non- it must attract top faculty and staff. years and also served on the CUNY profit theater company (1993-7), as well as on a coop Board This can be accomplished only if the Senate. He served as a Distinguished of Directors (2007-present). Last year, she was elected an PSC focuses on its mission to provide Fellow of ASEE-US Navy, NASA, Officer at Large of her local PSC-CUNY chapter, thus serves competitive salaries and excellent and a technical specialist in the U.S. on its Executive Committee and actively participates in working conditions. Army. Rishi has written 4 books: Sci- labor-management meetings. She strongly believes that ence and Logic of the Absolutely Pure, the purpose of a union is to secure the best possible wages, Michael Maller is a Professor of Balance, Turning Point, and Applied Chemistry. He was re- benefits, working conditions, and job security, for ALL of Mathematics at Queens College. He cently appointed by the Governor of the State of NJ to serve its members. CUNY has fallen far behind other universities received his BA from Columbia, his on the State Board of Engineers and Land Surveyors. He in these respects and we must turn the tide. It is time for MA from Harvard (philosophy), and was also the founder and president of the Society of Indian change and to put actions behind sentiment. That is why his Ph.D. from the University of War- Academics in America (SIAA) and has lectured extensively she became involved in her local chapter and now seeks a wick. Michael has been at Queens in India, Russia, Australia, Israel, UK, Germany, Canada, university-wide office. College since 1980. He previously Holland, Belgium, and the US. taught at USC and Northwestern, and as an adjunct at Hunter College. He for treasUrer has published papers in differential for seNior College offiCers Rina Yarmish is a Professor of topology, dynamical systems, and Linda Weiser Friedman is Professor Mathematics at Kingsborough Com- in continuous computational complexity. He has received of Statistics and Computer Informa- munity College, and has been Chair grants from the NSF and the PSC-CUNY grant program tion Systems at the Baruch College of the Department of Mathematics and has been a reviewer for Math Reviews, Foundations Zicklin School of Business and the and Computer Science since 1997. of Computational Mathematics, and other journals, and Graduate Center, where she is on the She served as University Faculty served on the PSC-CUNY math panel. His political point of Doctoral Faculty of the CUNY Ph.D. Senator representing KCC from 1994 view was shaped by a summer spent as a voter registration Programs in Business and Computer to 1997, and as PSC Chapter Chair- volunteer for the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party in Science. She has served as Depart- person from 1998 to the present, the Mississippi Delta in 1965. In 1970, Michael was one of the ment Chair, on the Baruch Faculty after a 3-year term as chapter Vice organizers of an attempt to form a union of teaching fellows Senate, on the College P and B, and on Chair. Rina was a long-term member at Harvard. As the child of a NYC public school teacher, he is her department Executive Commit- of the Board of Trustees of the PSC-CUNY Welfare Fund a second generation member of the AFT. He is a certified in- tee, among others. She is the author of many scholarly ar- during the times of both Professors Polishook and Bowen, structor and holds a 5th degree black belt in Aikido. Michael ticles and the books, Comparative Programming Languages and served as Treasurer of the Welfare Fund for many believes the PSC should focus on issues of bread-and-butter (Prentice Hall) and The Simulation Metamodel (Kluwer) as years. She has been KCC representative to the Welfare unionism and leave world politics to other organizations. well as fiction and poetry. Fund Advisory Council for over 15 years. She thus has comprehensive understanding of the Welfare Fund, its Lilia Melani’s commitment to our Melvyn B. Nathanson is Professor of operation and finances. A product of CUNY, Rina received Union has moved her to run for of- Mathematics at Lehman College and her BA in Mathematics from Queens College, and her MS fice again. As a founder of the PSC, the CUNY Graduate Center. He has (Applied Mathematics) and PhD from New York University. member of the first PSC Executive published more than 150 research She has authored three books on Programming Languages; Committee, and member of several papers in number theory and related her book Assembler Language Fundamentals has been contract-negotiating committees, areas of mathematics, and is author translated into both Russian and Malaysian. She has pub- she finds it incomprehensible that or editor of 20 books. In recent years lished extensively in the fields of programming languages, contract negotiations can drag on for he has also held visiting positions mathematics and mathematics education. Her experience as years and yet repeatedly be on the at Princeton University, Tel Aviv department chair and with the PSC and Welfare Fund, along verge of settlement, as e-mails and University, and the Institute for Ad- with extensive and detailed understanding of issues affect- Clarion articles have alleged. Action, vanced Study, where he also serves ing our professional lives, make her eminently qualified not rhetoric, is needed. Lilia believes that the union should as President of the Board of Trustees of AMIAS, the Asso- to assume a leadership role in the PSC at this very critical focus its energies and funds on the needs of CUNY faculty ciation of Members of the Institute for Advanced Study. Well time. Rina believes that the PSC should focus on the needs and staff – job security, salary, working conditions, the wel- acquainted with the internal operation of the University, of its members – particularly bread and butter unionism. At- fare fund, and health insurance, not on international confer- Mel served from 1986 to 1991 as Provost and Vice President tention must be refocused on issues of salary, compensation, ences and union organizers in South America, as the New for Academic Affairs at Lehman. Before coming to CUNY benefits, grievances, job security and working conditions, Caucus has done. Her union, civil liberties, and academic he was Professor of Mathematics and Dean of the Graduate and on improved relationships with state and city officials, activities include: Participant in negotiations to form PSC, School of Rutgers University, Newark. the press and the public. PSC Officer, Executive Committee Member, Central Griev- ance Committee Member, Contract Negotiating Committee Roberta Marsha Klibaner has been Member, Brooklyn College Chapter Chairperson, Brooklyn at the College of Staten Island for over for UNiversity-wide offiCers College Delegate to the Delegate Assembly, Grievance Coun- 25 years. She has been the Deputy Edward Catapane is a Professor of selor at Brooklyn College, and Founder and Coordinator of Chair of the Department of Computer Biology at Medgar Evers College. He CUNY Women’s Coalition. Lilia organized the class action Science since 1987. Currently she is was Chair of the Department of Biol- suit, Melani et al. v. the BHE, the largest and most success- the secretary of CSI’s College Coun- ogy for 13 years. He has been heavily ful suit charging a university with sex discrimination (over cil and is the faculty representative involved in grant funded programs $10 million was distributed among women faculty and staff to the CUNY FIRST Steering Com- designed to increase the number of and hundreds of women were promoted). Lilia served as mittee. She served as a member of underrepresented individuals com- Director of Freshman English at Brooklyn College and is the Supervisory Committee of PSC- pleting undergraduate degrees in the currently the Co-Coordinator of Writing Across the CUNY Federal Credit Union, and was sciences and going on to graduate Curriculum. the Chair of the committee from September 1992 to August and professional schools in biology 1996. Strongly committed to improving pedagogy at the Uni- and medicine, as well as having an Diane Wilson is a lecturer of African versity she was a University trainer for Distance Education active physiology research program, with over 100 articles American Studies at New York City and is a faculty mentor for online instruction at CSI. and presentations on his research work. Edward has been College of Technology in downtown an active member of the PSC during his entire 30 year CU- Brooklyn, New York. She received a NY career, initially serving as a Chapter Member-at-Large, BA from Hunter College and her MA for viCe-presideNt for then as Vice-Chair and currently Chapter Chair since 1998. from the Ohio State University. Di- He also has been active in the college’s Faculty Senate ane has been at City Tech since 1976. CoMMUNity Colleges throughout his career and has been an Executive Member Her area of specialization is African Ronald Forman began his CUNY ca- for most of his tenure. art and folklore. She has written sev- reer more than 40 years ago at Brook- eral articles on the topic of African lyn College. Following his Bachelor Mona Fabricant is Chair of the Department of Mathemat- art and culture and given numerous presentations on the of Science and Master of Arts in ics and Computer Science at Queensborough Community subject. She served a total of nine years as chairperson of Mathematics degrees, he continued College. She currently serves on the Executive Board of the the Department of African American Studies. As one of the his studies at New York University’s QCC Chapter of PSC-CUNY. Mona served as secretary of two original faculty members of the department (depart- Courant Institute of Mathematical the CUNY Council of Mathematics Chairs (1995 – 1999). She ment status issued in 1980), she continues to offer guidance Sciences. While at NYU, he began his received the QCC Award for Excellence in Faculty Schol- and direction for curriculum and community relations for teaching career as a lecturer and ad- arship (2002), the MAA Metropolitan New York Section the department. junct professor at Brooklyn College Clarion | March/April 2009 psc election Material – cuny alliance 19

before taking a faculty position at Kingsborough Commu- Throughout this period, he has been an active member of faculty resolve issues and problems, nity College in 1969. Ronald currently teaches mathematics the PSC, becoming a Delegate to the PSC in 2008 after serv- and has advocated for them very suc- and statistics at KCC and for the last six years has served ing as an Alternate for a period of approximately two years. cessfully. He is also a member of the on the Executive Committee of Kingsborough’s chapter of He was elected to the Welfare Fund Advisory Council and is KCC-PSC Executive Committee, and the Professional Staff Congress (PSC). He has served as the attempting to make that body more responsive to the mem- attends Delegate Assembly meet- chapter Grievance Officer. He also served as Mathematics bership and more transparent in its financial practices. For ings on a regular basis, representing Coordinator for the College Now program. Ronald has had 4 years, he served as the first Chair of the CCNY Labor Man- the instructional staff at his college. an attachment to CUNY for his entire life, as his father, Dr. agement Relations Committee that was formed to address At the KCC chapter meetings with William Forman, was a mathematics professor at Brooklyn workload and classification concerns raised by employees in the administration, he raises issues College for 60 years and two of his sons were students at the the HEO Series. related to part time faculty. He has College of Staten Island and a third at Hunter College High been teaching English at KCC since School. For the last seven years, he has hosted a radio pro- 1989. He always teaches all four semesters. He was a Class of gram on WKRB-FM that has traced the history of American for Cross-CaMpUs offiCers 2003 nominee for “Favorite Teacher.” He considers himself popular music. Abraham Malz joined CSI’s Depart- quite fortunate to be running with such an outstanding slate ment of Chemistry in 1977. As a Se- of candidates who have sensible priorities. nior College Lab Technician at the for CoMMUNity College offiCers College, he has been responsible for Karl Ruddock is an Adjunct Lectur- Lloyd Carroll is a graduate of Co- the maintenance and the implemen- er in the Department of Physical, En- lumbia University (BA, Economics tation of advanced nuclear magnetic vironmental and Computer Sciences 1979) and the NYU Graduate School resonance instrumentation as well at Medgar Evers College, serving of Business Administration (MBA, as student instructional laboratories since 1990. He also has adjuncted at Accounting 1981). He received his in physical, analytical, and polymer other colleges, including Borough of CPA license in 1983. He joined the chemistry. He earned a Master’s de- Manhattan Community College and accounting faculty at BMCC in 1985 gree in Environmental Science from New York City College of Technology. and has served as Chair of the Ac- CSI in 2003. He received a Bachelor Degree in Sci- counting Department since 2000. ence and Engineering and a Master He has written numerous articles Jeffrey Sigler was born and raised of Science Degree in Environmental that have appeared in such publica- in Brooklyn, New York. He is the Di- Health from Hunter College tions as The New York Daily News, Crain’s New York Busi- rector of the Freshman Year Pro- ness, Accounting Today, The Queens Chronicle and The gram at Medgar Evers College of There is still one vacancy on this slate for the officers for Nassau Observer. the City University of New York part-time personnel. See ballot or PSC website for final list. (CUNY). Completing his fourteenth Alfonso J. García Osuna (Havana, year at Medgar Evers College, Mr. 1953) is the Chairperson of the De- Sigler has also served as Director of for retiree eXeCUtive CoUNCil offiCers partment of Foreign Languages at Student Life and Development (1999- John (Jack) Donoghue is a Profes- KCC. He received his Ph.D. (1989) 2006) and as an instructor/counselor sor Emeritus at NYCCT. Jack was re- from the Graduate School and Uni- in the Freshman Year Program cently elected to the position of Alter- versity Center of the City University (1995-1999). He received both his undergraduate (BA in TV/ nate Delegate to the Retiree Chapter. of New York. He has published sev- Radio) and graduate (MS in Education/Guidance Counsel- He graduated from Boston College eral articles in scholarly journals, ing) education from Brooklyn College (CUNY) and believes with an AB & MS and joined the and among his most recent books helping people achieve their goals is his purpose in life. Jef- Navy and saw the world. He taught are Incidents of Travel on the Road frey currently serves as a board member of the Brooklyn chemistry at Merrimack College and to Santiago, 1998, The Cuban Filmog- College Alumni Association and is an active participant in New Hampshire Technical Institute. raphy, 1897-2001, 2002, and La filmografía cubana, 1897-2003, his church. In the 1960s he changed his academic 2003. He also regularly participates in learned conferences objectives to history and enrolled at in the United States and around the world. Because of his Michael Simmonds is the Coordinator NYU in a Ph.D. program in the School of Arts and Science. chosen field – the Classic sources of Spanish Renaissance of Recruitment at Medgar Evers Col- He received his Ph.D. in Architectural History; his disserta- Literature – he has attained a solid working knowledge of lege. He also is a graduate of Medgar tion was selected as one of the ten best in 1977-78 and was Koine Greek, Latin, and Italian, and is also fluent in Spanish Evers College, Class of 1997. published by Arno Press. Jack has taught at NYCCT for over regional languages. 39 years and was an adjunct at SUNY in Staten Island and at University of Rhode Island at Kingston. He served for over David Gordon teaches history at 20 years in the Faculty Senate, including six years on the Bronx Community College and the Executive Committee. Jack has been involved in the PSC Graduate Center. He received his for viCe presideNt for since it was founded, serving on the Executive Committee B.A. from Brooklyn College and and as Chapter Chair. He brings years of union experience his M.A. and Ph.D. in History from part-tiMe persoNNel and a fresh point of view. He is interested in bringing to the Brown University. David authored Frank W. Marousek has served in table the interests and needs of his fellow retirees, i.e. the two books, Merchants and Capital- a variety of non-instructional and dental plan, prescriptions, eyeglasses, hearing aids, etc. ists: Industrialization and Provincial instructional roles at John Jay Col- Politics in Mid-Nineteenth Century lege. Over the past twenty-five years, Sheldon Friedland served as a France, and Liberalism and Social he has served in the Office of Special faculty member of Kingsborough Reform: Industrial Growth and Pro- Programs, The Admissions Office, Community College for 33 years. He gressiste Politics in France, 1880-1914, as well as a number of the Division of Student Services and started the Tourism and Hospitality articles on French and African history. He has taught at the the College Now Program. As an Department in 1982 and served as University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, the University of adjunct faculty member in the De- its Chair for 10 years. Shelly served California at Riverside, where he was a union organizer, and partment of Law, Police Science and on the College and Department P&B the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. He also taught Criminal Justice Administration at committees for many terms and for two years as an exchange professor at Kaohsiung Teach- John Jay College for over ten years, he has taught courses worked under the Department of ers University, Taiwan, and was a seminar director at the in Introduction to Criminal Justice/Police Studies, Police Student Services in the area of Stu- École des Hautes Études, Paris. David has participated in a Organization and Administration, The Police Manager, In- dent Activities for 20 years. Among number of student and faculty study abroad initiatives. He vestigative Function, The Police and the Community, and his other activities, he was a hearing officer of the Faculty has pledged himself to the restoration of the union welfare Police Community Relations. Frank has been a member of Sexual Harassment Committee for 8 years and also was the fund, and especially a reasonable dental plan. He believes The New Programs Committee, the Standards Committee, Faculty Alcohol and Drug Abuse counselor for 5 years in the we have lost too many benefits under the present leadership, Graduate and Undergraduate Admissions Committees, the 70’s when then Mayor John Lindsey mandated such posts and that it is time the union concentrates on the basic needs Retention Committee and the Graduate Studies Committee. in all NY City agencies. Prof. Friedland is passionate about of its members. Recently, as part of a five month John Jay College/Bram- protecting the rights of faculty and has been a member of shill Police College (England) Scholar Exchange Program, the PSC since early in his teaching career. he taught and conducted research in the area of police/com- for viCe presideNt for munity diversity issues, and assisted in the development of a National Centre of Excellence in Diversity. His primary psc election reMinder Cross-CaMpUs Chapters areas of interest are proactive policing, community/police Dr. Edward Camp, HEO and adjunct relations, management and organized crime. Make sure to cast your vote! professor, has been associated with 4 the Grove School of Engineering at April 1: Ballots mailed out by American Arbitration Association (AAA), which is supervising the vote. CCNY/CUNY since 1987. For the past for offiCers for part-tiMe persoNNel 11 years Ed directed administra- William (Bill) Rooney has been serving as the Adjunct Co- 4 April 8: If you are eligible to vote and have not received a tive and external relations activities ordinator for the Kingsborough Chapter of the PSC for the ballot, call Barbara Gabriel at (212) 354-1252 to request one. on behalf of the Dean of the School. past four years. In that regard, he has helped many part-time 4 April 29: All ballots must be received by AAA by 5:00 pm. Professional staff congress/cUny 61 broadway, 15th floor NonProfit Org. new york, new york 10006 U.S. Postage PAid 1 5 – minutE ACtivist Return Service Requested New York, N.Y. Permit No. 8049 Cast your ballot

In April the PSC will hold elections for union-wide officers – and members will choose the union’s future leadership team. Candidates’ statements and slate information are included in this issue of Clarion. Keep an eye on your mailbox as ballots will be mailed out to eligible members’ homes on April 1. Be sure to return your mail-in ballot early – the American Arbitration Association must receive completed ballots by 5:00 pm on April 29. If you believe that you are eligible to vote but have not received a ballot by April 8, contact Barbara Gabriel at the PSC office at (212) 354-1252.

20 news analysis Clarion | March/April 2009

lization funds are less restrictive, however. The pot of money desig- nated for “high priority” items is discretionary, and this year this “flex-fund” will provide New York Stimulus plan helps higher ed with $275 million to support any government service, including By CHARISSE WAUGH vor, Specter extracted a promise higher education. But facilities spending takes a hit from Democrats that in return A third source of funds, called While the $787 billion economic re- for his vote, the bill would include FMAP money, is most often de- covery bill approved in February long-dormant repair, renovation $10 billion in funding for the NIH, scribed as being for increased includes money for higher educa- and construction plans. The execu- three times the amount approved Medicaid reimbursements. In tion, universities will get far less tive director of New Jersey’s Com- by the House. fact, the Federal Medical Assis- than originally expected. Direct mission on Higher Education asked New York State’s portion of the tance Percentages (FMAP) are aid to institutions took a particu- each college in her state to submit federal recovery package is $24.6 the percentage rates that deter- lar hit after bruising negotiations a list of shovel-ready projects in or- billion over the next two years. mine matching funds to states for that led to a scaled-back stimulus der to have a head start on spend- That includes $476 million in high- various medical and social service package. ing the money. er Pell Grant funding, according expenditures. As one Albany ob- The legislation provides sub- Despite what was lost in the to the Department of Education, server told Clarion, “This money stantial new money for student compromise, the final legislation and hundreds of millions more is also discretionary – it can be aid and for scientific research, but still provides a large amount of used for anything.” A case in point billions of dollars for modernizing new money for student financial is Governor Paterson’s move to college and university facilities aid and for scientific research. use $1.3 billion of the $5 billion in were eliminated from the bill at Students and their families will re- FMAP funds provided to New York the behest of the trio of Senate Re- rnst ceive about $30 billion more in 2009 this year to replace his unpopular publicans whose support enabled and 2010. This includes roughly $16 proposals to tax soda, haircuts and passage of the bill. A “stabilization billion to increase the maximum music downloads. That leaves $3.7 fund” designed to help states plug Pell Grant from $4,850 to $5,350 billion in FMAP money that New holes in their budgets will aid pub- and $14 billion in expanded higher York can use for other budgetary euters /Jonathan e euters /Jonathan lic colleges – but the final amount is r education tax credits for low- and purposes. one-third smaller than the amount President Barack Obama: Backed more middle-income families. approved by the House. education spending For science and research spend- dISCRETIONARy fUNdS The fiscal stabilization fund will ing, the stimulus provides $16 bil- Although the intent of the fed- provide $53.6 billion to states over fight. This provision was both lion to several federal agencies eral stimulus bill was to encourage the next two years and $39.5 bil- “green” and an economic stimulus, that will channel most of these higher State spending, Paterson lion of that amount is to be used to producing jobs now to help save funds to academic institutions. insists that it would be a mistake to restore cuts in education. An addi- energy and educate the nation’s This includes $10 billion for the spend every available federal dol- tional $8.8 billion is for other “high workforce for the future. Yet National Institutes of lar. While wavering on the details, priority” items, which may include it ran afoul of three Repub- Money for Health (NIH) for research he remains reluctant to impose education; and the remaining $5 licans who, while willing to research, and infrastructure, $2 bil- higher tax rates for the wealthiest billion is essentially reserved for compromise, maintained lion for research at the reuters New Yorkers and insists that deep K-12. their party’s aversion to student aid Department of Energy, Senator Susan Collins: Blocked new cuts are still needed to balance New public spending and its traditional and $3 billion to the National Sci- federal school construction program York’s budget for future years. SMALLER BILL deference to states. As Sen. Collins ence Foundation (NSF). “The PSC, working together To get the 60 votes needed to told The Washington Post, “I do not Scientists monitoring the fight through the expanded tuition tax with NYSUT, has been relentless avoid a filibuster and win final support the establishment of a new over the legislation had been on credit. This is aid that is badly in trying to squeeze every possible passage, Democratic lawmakers federal school construction pro- an emotional roller coaster, and needed; New York has consistently dollar for public higher education sought to placate three Republi- gram, because school construction they generally applauded the final earned an “F” for affordability in out of New York’s federal stimulus can Senators, Susan Collins and traditionally has been a state and result. Collins, Snowe and Specter annual reports from the National funds,” said PSC President Bar- Olympia Snowe of Maine and Ar- local responsibility.” had supported a proposal to zero Center for Public Policy and Higher bara Bowen. “Higher education is len Specter of Pennsylvania, who After the Senate agreed to a out the additional funds for the Education. much more than a jobs program, worked together to shrink the size smaller stimulus bill, economist NSF – and while this idea lost out, of course, but it’s the best jobs pro- of the spending package. As part of Dean Baker calculated that the the Senate version of the recovery BAdLy NEEdEd AId gram we have – there is no better a program of school construction, changes would create 500,000 package provided less than half as The State of New York will get investment to revitalize the econo- the original Senate legislation in- fewer jobs. “Trying to save money much as the House for the science $1.25 billion this year from fiscal my. The only lasting way to fix the cluded $3.5 billion for universities on [the] stimulus is like finding a funding agency. It was only at the stabilization funds targeted for State budget is to end New York ’s to modernize their facilities. But shortcut for your jogging route,” eleventh hour that the full $3 bil- avoiding cuts to education bud- Bush-style tax cuts for the rich, but at the GOP troika’s insistence, the Baker remarked. “We can do it, lion for the NSF was restored to the gets. But this money must be spent much could be done right away by entire school construction pro- but it undermines the whole point spending package. according to a fixed formula – and the best use of the stimulus funds. gram was compromised right out of the effort.” Biomedical research was one due to the way New York counts its It would be a crime to waste those of the bill. Back in January, when the area in which Specter sought a spending for public higher educa- funds on measures that do nothing The facilities fund and its subse- House approved $6 billion for significant increase, even as he tion, only $38 million of this amount to stimulate the economy, while quent deletion encapsulated many higher education facilities, college worked to shrink the package will go to CUNY and SUNY. continuing to starve public higher things about the whole stimulus administrators began dusting off overall. A two-time cancer survi- Other parts of the federal stabi- education.”