n Official Publication of United University Professions The Nation’s Largest Higher Education Union Working For You THET
Winter/Spring 2019
Taking on the
TAP gap— Page 7
ALSO INSIDE:
8—Union helps members 10—UUP members give back 12—Delegates vote with their student debt at home and abroad to eliminate one DA THE Voice Volume 46, Number 2 The VOICE is the official publication of United HATthisS issue INSIDE University Professions (UUP), bargaining agent for W ’ the more than 35,000 academic and professional employees of the State University of New York. Contact UUP at P.O. Box 15143, Albany, New 8 UUP responds to members’ York 12212-5143. Telephone (518) 640-6600 or COvER PhOtO BY toll-free at (800) 342-4206. UUP’s Internet site KAREN L. MAttisON call for help with student debt is www.uupinfo.org. UUP is Local 2190 of UUP held its first student Debt Clinic for about the American Federation of Teachers (AFL-CIO) and is affiliated with NYSUT and the National a dozen Albany-area UUPers and their families, Education Association. and trained leaders to hold clinics at chapters Close the gap around the state. 7—UUP goes all out to encourage UUP STATEWIDE OFFICERS state lawmakers to close the tAP FREDERICK E. KOWAL gap, which has reached $65 mil- 10 Making a difference President lion at sUNY. UUP members are integral parts of their campus, neighborhood and global communities.
THOMAS J. TUCKER FolloW UUP 12 Delegates make tough decisions Vice President for Professionals on FAcebook, Delegates agree to eliminate one Delegate Assembly, which was one of the 13 constitutional TWiTTer AnD amendments they debated in early February. JAMIE F. DANGLER inSTAgrAm! Vice President for Academics Go to www.UUPinfo.org ALSO: to sign up today. 3 to the point JERI O’BRYAN-LOSEE Secretary-Treasurer 15 spotlight shines on UUPers 16 Member spotlight LETTERS POLICY 17 snapshots from the chapters THOMAS C. HOEY The Voice welcomes timely letters 18 Fourteen members earn distinguished ranks Membership Development Officer about university and union issues, 20 Labor notes politics and other events relevant to 22 Members-only benefits UUP’s concerns. All letters are sub- 23 two new benefits offered to union members ject to editing for length, accuracy UUP MEDIA RELATIONS and clarity. Please type or email AND PUBLICATIONS your letters, limit them to 300 words, MICHAEL LISI and include your name and daytime Director of Media Relations and Publications
phone number for verification. KAREN L. MATTISON Unsigned letters will not be Associate Dir. of Media Relations and Publications
published. DARRYL MCGRATH Email letters to UUP Director of Communications Specialist Media Relations and Publications ANGELL M. VILLAFAÑE Communications/Research Assistant Mike Lisi at [email protected] or send them to his attention at: The VOICE is a member of the American Federation The Voice, United University of Teachers Communicators Network and the Professions, P.O. Box 15143, International Labor Communications Association. Albany, New York 12212-5143.
THE VOICE WINTER/SPRING 2019 2 To the Point
Moret’s tough to getthan time just a union Their stories are similar; most with Assembly Speaker wouldn’t be in college without Carl Heastie. the EOP. All will quickly tell you If you’re lucky, you that these programs have changed might be able to buttonhole their lives. him for a minute or two while The Speaker knows this. He’s Ihe’s walking between meetings seen it, firsthand. in the halls of the Capitol. He’s And that’s why he told EOP the Speaker and his time is in students that the Legislature demand, especially in early would do all it could to restore March when legislators are $12.3 million in cuts to EOP, hard at work putting together EOC and the ATTAIN Labs made the new state budget. by the governor in his 2019-20 But the Speaker made time Executive Budget. In their one- March 6 for more than 150 stu- house bills, the Assembly funded dents enrolled in SUNY’s Edu- and increased dollars to the pro- cational Opportunity Program, grams, while the newly Demo- who came to Albany March 6 cratic-led Senate restored the as part of UUP’s annual governor’s cuts. EOP/EOC advocacy day. The 2019-20 state budget had
A former EOP counselor at KAREN L. MATTISON not been finalized at the time this Stony Brook University, the issue of The Voice went to print. Speaker spent about 20 min- PRESIDENT FRED KOWAL SHARES HIS THOUGHTS WITH DELEGATES However, I am hopeful that the AT THE 2019 WINTER DELEGATE ASSEMBLY IN ALBANY. utes talking to the students, governor and the Legislature will stressing the importance agree to restore and boost funding SUNY’s opportunity pro- to these important programs. grams—the EOP, SUNY’s Educational is higher than the national average. Of the But the Speaker was confident, and he Opportunity Centers and the ATTAIN students who graduate, 72 percent are shared that confidence with students. Labs (a network of technology laborato- still employed in New York. “I look at all these faces and the intelli- ries across the state set in rural and low- Sonny Hostin, co-host of ABC’s talk gence that I see, and I just can’t imagine income areas) and telling them that show “The View,” and MSNBC anchor where all of you will be 10 years from lawmakers want to see these programs Kendis Gibson are EOP grads. So are As- now because of the opportunity you were succeed. sembly members Latoya Joyner, Latrice given,” he said. “We’re doing this for a “It’s going to be a tough budget,” the Walker, and Victor Pichardo. reason, because we want you all to go on Speaker said, “but this is always at the Yet, despite its many successes, the and be successful.” top of our list.” EOP only has enough funding each year The Speaker has been an incredible Why? Because SUNY’s opportunity to accept 20 percent of the 15,000 quali- ally for EOP, a man whose word is his programs have a history of successes. fied applicants who sign up for the pro- bond. He means what he says. And when SUNY’s EOP is one of the nation’s old- gram. That’s why UUP has made it he says that SUNY’s opportunity pro- est and largest opportunity programs, a priority, year after year, to strongly grams are a priority for the Legislature, which serves some of the highest-need advocate for EOP, the EOCs and the believe him. students—a majority of whom come from ATTAIN Labs. I do, and so do the students who lis- households with an annual income of And that’s why so many EOP students tened to him speak from the heart at the $25,000 or less. Many EOP students are were at the Capitol March 6. Each year, Capitol that March day. the first in their families to attend college. UUP invites students and faculty from And most graduate. Since its inception SUNY’s opportunity programs—offered 52 years ago, the program has graduated at 48 of SUNY’s 64 campuses—to more than 75,000 students. The EOP six- Albany to meet with lawmakers and tell year graduation rate is 73 percent, which them how necessary these programs are.
WINTER/SPRING 2019 THE VOICE 3 Cover story
CarpeMembers seize every diem opportunity to advocate BY DARRYL MCGRATH
UP members threw every- thing they had this budget season into an all-out effort to secure funds for SUNY’s campuses and hospitals that were not just adequate, but sustainable. UTheir efforts included strong turnouts at three Albany advocacy events; produc- tive Albany meetings with lawmakers who recognize the value of a SUNY education; and in-district meetings with legislators, including many who are newly elected and passionate about public education. MICHAEL LISI “Our members have really responded in UUP EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER KIM HARTSHORN OF PLATTSBURGH, LEFT, TALKS WITH QUEENS this very challenging academic year,” DEMOCRATIC ASSEMBLYMEMBER MICHAEL DENDEKKER DURING A FEB. 12 ADVOCACY DAY IN ALBANY. UUP President Fred Kowal said. “At UUP ADVOCATES DISCUSSED THE UNION’S LEGISLATIVE AGENDA IN SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH LAWMAKERS. many campuses, they have taken the ini- tiative, by acting as political coordinators, chapter leaders and committee members, the Excelsior Scholarship Program, a UUP Stony Brook Chapter member as a or simply as activist members concerned where tuition is frozen at the level it was contingent academic, and a Long Island about the future of SUNY and willing to when the student entered college. Again, Democrat whose district includes Stony give of their time and effort to their campuses must make up the difference. Brook, didn’t mince words in a meeting union.” The so-called “TAP Gap” is expected to with UUP members at the statewide SUNY faces $700 million in flat fund- be at least $65 million in the coming year. Feb. 12 Advocacy Day. ing for its four-year campuses, and the A decade ago, it didn’t even exist. The “Both of my children are graduates loss of the $87 million state hospital sub- state’s new DREAM Act, which opens of Stony Brook, so I know from my sidy in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s original state financial aid programs to undocu- own family this institution is vital,” budget proposal. Several SUNY cam- mented immigrants who were brought to Englebright said. “We’re the largest of puses face multi-million-dollar budget the United States as minors, could in- the SUNY campuses, so this is worth shortfalls, the long-range result of fund- crease the unfunded costs. These un- fighting for.” ing cutbacks during the Great Recession funded access issues are especially a of 2008-2013, compounded by rising problem at the smaller SUNY campuses, HOSPITALS costs and an increasing number of un- many of which are seeing declining DESPERAT ELY funded mandates. enrollments. SEEK SUBSID Y SUNY campuses are required to fully Richard Veenstra, fund the gap between the amount of tu- VALUE OF FACE-TO-FACE TALKS the chapter vice ition that students pay from their own re- The in-district meetings drove home president for aca- sources and financial aid, and the actual the message about the SUNY funding demics at Upstate cost of their tuition. That gap occurs in crisis to elected leaders who know the Medical University, two major ways right now in the SUNY economic value of a SUNY campus in VEENSTRA and a member of the system: when students maximize the Tu- their region, and who seem far more statewide Executive ition Assistance Program aid, but still inclined to speak out now about the Board, found that in-district meetings cannot meet their tuition—thereby forc- governor’s underfunding of SUNY than with local lawmakers were especially ing their campus to make up the differ- in previous years. effective this year. He has met with ence; and when students are admitted to Assemblymember Steven Englebright, Assemblymembers William Magnarelli, a
THE VOICE WINTER/SPRING 2019 4 20-year Democratic incumbent; and with once, and these are hitting a lot of colleges, co-chair. The administration has listened newly elected Senator Robert Antonacci, whether they are private or public,” said to the committee’s requests, which “made a Republican and longtime former comp- Bruce Simon, the Fredonia chapter vice a huge change,” Chausovsky said. The troller of Onondaga County who now president for academics. “Number one is, committee also commissioned a budget serves on the Senate Finance Committee. the state has not restored funds that were analysis from Peter Reinelt, chair of the Both lawmakers include Upstate in their cut during the Great Recession. When you Fredonia economics department, which districts. become more tuition-dependent, as the gave the committee a clear understanding He said that Antonacci, who is known state has made us, it’s another hit.” of state support, tuition income, reserves to dislike unfunded mandates, “got it,” In the 2008-2009 academic year, and expenditures. as Veenstra explained that the hospitals Fredonia received $18 million in state “We are very involved with the campus must cover their own fringe benefits and funding. Now, it’s $11 million, and initiatives, with budgeting,” Chausovsky debt service, but barely have the money just about every expenditure on campus said. “It’s not an oversight committee; to do so. has increased. it’s a monitoring committee, which is “I feel like we got through to him,” To address a declining retention rate, essential if you’re going to have shared Veenstra said. “He listened to us, so I felt Fredonia is focusing more on nontradi- faculty governance.” good about it, given he’s a new member. tional students, including adults and inter- Buffalo State College has been running We got the $87 million hospital subsidy national students, and examining whether at a structural deficit for several years, on his radar, and he’s on the Finance different course schedules—weekends Chapter President Dean Reinhart said. Committee.” instead of weekdays, for example— The faculty, staff and administration are UUP chapter leaders at the three hospi- would better appeal to them. working well together to reduce costs tals say the subsidies are essential; with- The campus has a planning and budget without harming programs or personnel, out them, the hospitals may have to cut committee whose six members are drawn he added. programs and services. from faculty and staff, and that commit- “Our provost has cut several faculty “We are a tertiary-care hospital and we tee has asked the administration to pro- lines, but not current positions; open do things that community-care hospitals vide better information on cash balances positions, or retirements,” said Reinhart, can’t do,” said Carolyn Kube, UUP chap- and reserves, said Jonathan Chausovsky, who serves on a campus budget group. ter president at Stony Brook Hospital. a Fredonia UUP member and committee see ADVOCATE, page 6 “We’re always at maximum capacity.” SUNY Downstate Medical Center serves an especially high-need, diverse community with a large immigrant population in the hospital’s neighbor- hood. That drives up the hospital’s costs, said UUP Downstate Chapter President Rowena Blackman-Stroud. “It’s important that SUNY and the campus administrations join UUP in advocating for the SUNY hospitals, which provide such high-quality care to anyone who needs it,” Blackman- Stroud said. Downstate Medical Center’s College of Health Related Professions is so strapped that it is at risk of losing its accreditation.
TEAMING UP WITH ADMINISTRATIONS DARRYL MCGRATH At Fredonia and Buffalo State, UUP members have worked with their admin- UUP STATEWIDE VP FOR ACADEMICS JAMIE DANGLER, SECOND FROM LEFT, ADDRESSES SUNY’S BUDGET istrations to reduce budget deficits and NEEDS WITH A STAFFER FOR STATE ASSEMBLYMEMBER PATRICIA FAHY. FROM LEFT ARE ALANA BYAM, steer the colleges through a difficult time. LEONIE HARRIS AND SAMUEL MARQUEZ, ALL OF THE DOWNSTATE MEDICAL CENTER CHAPTER. “I think a lot of factors are hitting us at
WINTER/SPRING 2019 THE VOICE 5 Cover story
DVOCATE continuedA from page 5 ... “We feel that we’re going to be able to weather the storm. We’re willing to work with the administration in any way possible. All of SUNY is trying to get bigger—it just can’t work for everybody.”
AN URGENT PLEA Kowal testified Jan. 28 before the state Senate and Assembly committees for higher education and finance. He said the governor’s original budget proposal did little to address systemwide funding MICHAEL LISI PHOTOS gaps linked to the Tuition Assistance Program, the Excelsior Scholarship and years of flat funding that can’t keep up with rising costs throughout the SUNY system, espe- cially at the smaller four-year campuses. And the hospitals, which received a total state subsidy of $150 million within re- cent memory, received no subsidy at all in the governor’s first proposal. Among the problems that Kowal outlined: • The SUNY system has lost more than $1 billion in state funding since the Great Recession. • Access to SUNY has achieved national acclaim, but several of its paths to an affordable education are not fully funded by the state. • The lack of an enhanced maintenance TOP, UUP PRESIDENT FRED KOWAL, RIGHT, TESTIFIES BEFORE MEMBERS OF THE SENATE AND of effort provision means that campuses ASSEMBLY ON THE NEED FOR MORE SUNY FUNDING. ALSO TESTIFYING WERE NYSUT PRESIDENT ANDY PALLOTTA, CENTER, AND PSC/CUNY PRESIDENT BARBARA BOWEN. are dipping into student tuition payments to cover mandatory campus costs such as ABOVE, ASSEMBLYMEMBER DEBORAH GLICK ADDRESSES STUDENTS, FELLOW LAWMAKERS AND UNION building rentals, utilities and collectively MEMBERS GATHERED ON THE MILLION DOLLAR STAIRCASE AT THE CAPITOL TO PRESS FOR MORE bargained salary increases and fringe FUNDS FOR OPPORTUNITY PROGRAMS AT SUNY AND CUNY. benefits. As The Voice went to press, the budget was still far from decided. The initial they have sent that message, loud and that whatever else happens in the budget, unity among Cuomo and Democratic clear, to UUP and to SUNY students. their programs will be funded. leaders in the Senate and the Assembly Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie was the “In a $70 billion budget, this is one of fractured over differences in how the guest of honor at the gathering of EOP the smartest investments that we make,” state’s limited resources should be students and UUP members that kicked Heastie told the more than 200 students, apportioned, with lawmakers insisting, off a March 6 Advocacy Day in Albany most of whom are in EOP. “I do want you among other things, that education for opportunity programs at SUNY and to remember that this program is at the funding in general be increased. And CUNY. Heastie promised the students top of the list.”
THE VOICE WINTER/SPRING 2019 6 BYuup launchesMICHAEL LISI social media ad campaign to close tap gap
ecuring an additional $65 mil- lion in the 2019-2020 state budget to close the TAP gap was the focus of UUP’s new social media ad campaign. And the campaign was successful; SUUP’s ad was viewed—in part or whole—by more than 2.5 million people. The 30-second video ad, titled “Sixty Five,” ran March 6-19. The ad targeted legislators and their staffs and Albany political insiders. The ad was also directed at UUP members and union- friendly viewers, using Facebook and a media mix that included connected UUP PRODUCED A 30-SECOND VIDEO AD FOR A SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN TO PRESS STATE TV and digital internet ads. LAWMAKERS TO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL $65 MILLION TO THE TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. “We accomplished what we set out to do, and that was to make people—espe- cially members of the state Senate and Now the TAP gap has grown to $65 mil- could send an electronic letter to their Assembly—aware of the Tuition Assis- lion and it continues to widen each year. elected officials (https://bit.ly/2Hlbr2w) tance Program, which provides thousands “This unfunded mandate is another cost urging them to support full state funding of students who can’t afford college a SUNY campuses are forced to bear,” said of TAP. chance to attend a SUNY school,” said Kowal. “If the state covered the full cost The ad was produced by UUP Media UUP President Fred Kowal. of TAP, our campuses could use those Relations and Publications, and GPS TAP provides access to a public college lost TAP funds to increase course offer- Impact, a Philadelphia-based company education—which is still out of reach for ings and student services, and hire more that has produced campaign ads for many qualified students. Yet the state, full-time faculty.” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper and which covered the full cost of TAP until Viewers who watched the ad could Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, and has 2011, has reduced its TAP funding, forcing click on a link that took them to a landing created ads for Working Americans for SUNY campuses to make up the shortfall. page on UUP’s website. There, they Affordable Health Care.
Support the political action fund of UUP and NYSUT Give to VOTE-COPE VOTE-COPE is the nonpartisan political United University Professions, PO Box 15143, Albany, NY 12212 action fund of UUP and its affiliate NYSUT. UUP VOTE-COPE Voluntary Contribution It coordinates the voluntary contributions of members and makes contributions to Last Name First MI UUP/NYSUT-endorsed candidates and to Address (Include Street, City, State, Zip) UUP/NYSUT-supported general campaign committees. Campus Department Dues money is not used for political action. Contributions to VOTE-COPE are Non-SUNY Email not tax deductible. Effective no earlier than______(enter date), I hereby authorize regular payroll deductions from my earnings in the amount specified below as a voluntary contribution to be paid to VOTE/COPE,- to be used in accordance with applicable law for the purpose of making political contributions in connection Return this coupon to: with Federal, State, and local elections. My contribution is voluntary, and I understand that it is not required as a condition of employment, and that I may revoke this authorization at any time by giving written notice to the Treasurer of United University Professions. VOTE-COPE United University Professions Contribution Per Pay Period (Circle One) Introductory/$1 $5 $10 Other PO Box 15143 Signature Date Albany, NY 12212-5143
WINTER/SPRING 2019 THE VOICE 7 UUP front
theUUP offers student clinics to assist debt debacle members with their debt BY KAREN L. MATTISON
ystem Administration Chapter member Jennifer Redinger had no idea what it would cost her in the long run when she decided to follow the advice of her student loan servicer to defer repayment of her college tuition for six years. That fateful decision has left 44-year-old Redinger with a stag- Sgering $175,000 of debt. About 75 percent of that is interest— the result of misinformation from Great Lakes Educational Loan Services Inc. about available—and better—repayment options, she said. KAREN L. MATTISON PHOTOS “I fell into the interest trap,” admitted Redinger, who earned her SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION CHAPTER MEMBER JENNIFER REDINGER TAKES undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Rochester Institute NOTES DURING A RECENT STUDENT DEBT CLINIC SPONSORED BY UUP. of Technology in 1996 and 2009, respectively. “The problems REDINGER WAS AMONG A DOZEN UUP MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES started after I earned my master’s and became a full-time profes- TO GET HELP DEALING WITH THEIR STUDENT DEBT. sor at SUNY Delhi. I tried to consolidate my loans with Great Lakes. They ‘lost’ my paperwork seven times in four years.” “Many of our members have been telling us that they need Great Lakes finally got its act together, but never informed help dealing with their student loans, and we’ve listened,” said Redinger about other repayment options, such as the Public UUP President Fred Kowal. “When you combine on-the-job Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, which enables quali- issues—such as workload creep, bullying and low morale—with fying public workers to discharge their loans after 10 years. seemingly insurmountable debt, it can affect how you do your “I took their word for it,” said Redinger, program coordinator job and how you live your life. for the University Faculty Senate. “And I’ve doubled, almost “All of us together, as a union, must get involved and be part tripled, my debt.” of the solution,” he said. “That’s the power of organized labor.” Working with the AFT, UUP in January began training a core UUP RESPONDS group of member activists to conduct Student Debt Clinics at UUP has been closely monitoring the student debt debacle, and campuses around the state. The goal: to provide members with recognizes that it isn’t going to be solved anytime soon. More tools and information to help them lower their monthly pay- than 45 million people in the U.S. are carrying debt from student ments and put them on a path toward a debt-free future. loans worth $1.5 trillion, an average of more than $37,000 a bor- Five “live clinics” were held in March, during which the rower. One out of four loan borrowers is in default or behind on trainers were observed by a qualified AFT trainer. Now that the a payment, and hundreds of thousands of retirees are carrying first wave of training is complete, the union has begun schedul- student debt into retirement. ing additional clinics at the chapters. The weight of this debt is taking a toll on the national econ- Redinger was among a handful of UUPers and their family omy; people are putting off buying a home or starting a family, members who braved icy roads to attend UUP’s first clinic, and money that could be spent on goods and services that spur Jan. 24 at union headquarters in Latham. Chris Hicks, an associ- economic growth is being used to pay off loans that were neces- ate in AFT’s Higher Education Department, led the debt clinic. sary to find better-paying jobs. Earlier that day, he led the first of a two-day training workshop
bY THe nUmberS
of debtors5 are% over age 65 of call logs9 reviewed2% by OIG $in1 student.5 debt t inr thei lU.S.;li projectedon (combined total: $6 billion) showed student loan servicers to reach $2 trillion by 2022 failed to offer sufficient options
THE VOICE WINTER/SPRING 2019 8 interests—in violation of its government contract—by recom- mending forbearance and other less effective remedies to those seeking debt relief. The suit also alleges that Navient misled bor- rowers in public service professions from accessing PSLF— which is administered by rival servicer FedLoan—all in the name of profit. A half dozen similar lawsuits were filed by state attor- neys general and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. With its student debt clinics, UUP is taking a role in doing what the OIG has shown the student loan servicers are not: telling their members about the federal programs that can signifi- cantly lower monthly payments or completely forgive the debt. In fact, 92 percent of call logs reviewed by the OIG showed servicers did not provide sufficient options to borrowers. Albany Chapter member Penny Ng, who also attended UUP’s Jan. 24 student debt clinic, has paid off her UAlbany graduate ALBANY CHAPTER MEMBER PENNY NG ASKS A QUESTION DURING THE DEBT degree, which she earned in 2017. She took advantage of the CLINIC. LISTENING IN IS FELLOW CHAPTER MEMBER CAROL ROSENBERG. UUP-negotiated tuition-waiver program; that program allows union members to take SUNY courses tuition-free on a space- available basis. for UUP professional organizers and other leaders to hold clinics at the chapters; another 10 to 12 people will be trained in April, according to statewide UUP Secretary-Treasurer Jeri O’Bryan- “I was told there was no chance to move my Losee, who took part in the first training. consolidated loans into a consolidated direct-loan “The number of people dealing with student loan debt is stag- gering,” said O’Bryan-Losee, herself a victim of misinformation program. I now know that’s not true.” regarding her two student loans through Direct Loans. “It wasn’t — Albany Chapter member Penny Ng until I sat through a debt clinic that I realized I had been lied to on more than one occasion.” “These clinics give people the opportunity to change their But she’s still paying off about $42,000 in student loans that lives,” she added. financed her undergraduate degree. “Once the grace period ended, my student loan payment PREYING ON STUDENTS jumped to about $300 a month,” Ng said. “I was unemployed Redinger is a prime example of the disturbing trend of preda- and couldn’t afford to pay it.” tory lending, misinformation campaigns, and questionable prac- Unlike Redinger, Ng often rejected the advice of her loan serv- tices by U.S. Department of Education student loan servicers ice provider. like Great Lakes. A scathing Feb. 12 report by the department’s “They mentioned forbearance,” she said. “I asked about the in- independent watchdog, the Office of Inspector General (OIG), terest payments. We settled on a graduated payment plan.” exposed an alarming lack of oversight of nine student loan “I’ve been lucky, I’ve never missed a payment,” Ng added. giants responsible for handling $1.4 trillion in federal loans to “But I had to keep on them. I’d call whenever I couldn’t make a tens of millions of American student loan borrowers. Among the payment. I was negotiating along the way.” litany of disturbing findings, the report (https://bit.ly/2GpZfxR) For Redinger and Ng, UUP’s debt clinic provided answers to reveals how the system is often rigged to mislead borrowers to the questions that have nagged at them for years. boost the profits of student loan service companies. “This has been immensely helpful,” Ng said. “I was told there The report comes on the heels of an AFT lawsuit against student was no chance to move my consolidated loans into a consoli- loan servicer Navient, one of the student loan companies named in dated direct-loan program. I now know that’s not true. It’s like the OIG report for noncompliance and other widespread abuses. they’re trying to keep you from getting out of the hamster wheel The AFT’s class-action suit filed in federal court in October 2018 you’re caught in.” (https://bit.ly/2Tb8Xu9) claims Navient ignored borrowers’ best —The AFT contributed to this report.
Student3 t debtim increasee sas people3, 0default0 on0 their 2student.8 loan m borrowersill ini NYo staten percentage of household student loans each day Sources: AFT Higher Education Department; Sandy Baum, debt from 2003-2013 Urban Institute; and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
WINTER/SPRING 2019 T HE VOICE 9 Giving back
BYuupersDARRYL MCGRATH volunteer at home, aroundlesbian the in 1999; globeshe had been married to a man when she first came to very week, hundreds of UAlbany in 1985. Now married to UUP members take this one her longtime partner, Jewell knows step to make the world that campus and department social around them a better place: functions can still be painful for peo- They see a need, and they volunteer ple who are either not yet out at all, to fill it. or not out to their colleagues. In 2014, EUnion membership has always been she received the UAlbany Lavender associated with service, so it’s no sur- Unsung Hero Award, which recog- prise to hear about UUPers who take nizes faculty, staff, students and the time to do good in their communi- alumni for their contributions to the ties, and sometimes far beyond their LGBTQ community. local boundaries. But these acts of so- Looking back on that early effort to cial conscience, often done by mem- form the chapter committee, Jewell bers without acclaim and without being said, “I wanted to have a group where asked, really stand out now, when so UUP members who were LGBTQ many members already do much for would have a safe space to ask ques- their students, their campuses and their tions and get help.” chapters. KAREN L. MATTISON “This is the often-unheralded part ALBANY CHAPTER DELEGATE CAROL JEWELL DISCUSSES A WAY FORWA RD of the labor movement that union- A UUP RESOLUTION CALLING ON SUNY PRESIDENTS TO “A lot of people’s lives don’t go as busters pretend not to see,” said UUP TAKE A STAND AGAINST ANY FORM OF DISCRIMINATION planned; the challenge is to move on President Fred Kowal. “UUP members ON CAMPUSES. THE RESOLUTION WAS BROUGHT TO THE and not get stuck,” said Deb Mayes, a FLOOR DURING THE 2018 SPRING DELEGATE ASSEMBLY. do a lot for the world around them; professional at Alfred State College. it’s that simple. I am humbled, but not “It’s amazing, the resilience of people surprised, to hear how many of our to recover.” members quietly go above and beyond website, which it did, under the human Mayes knows all about resilience and what they do in their jobs and for their resources link on the website. recovery. Her husband, Steve Mayes, a chapters.” Now, Jewell chairs her chapter’s com- professor at Alfred University, was only The Voice recently spoke with four mittees on LGBTQ and disability rights 51 when he died of cancer in 2008. The members about their volunteer work, and concerns. couple had two and what it has taught them. “Even though we have the Americans children: a 10-year- with Disabilities Act, some people are old son and a 13- still afraid to go to their deans and their BUILDING A BRID GE year-old daughter. Carol H. Jewell has always noticed chairs,” said Jewell, a library professional As Mayes people whom society often doesn’t see, and delegate whose awareness of her col- learned, profound or doesn’t acknowledge. leagues with disabilities stems from deal- grief is a longer In 2008, Jewell started what is believed ing with a chronic physical condition that process than people to be UUP’s first chapterwide committee has caused her own disability. Her advo- realize until they to address the needs of LGBTQ employ- cacy has extended beyond her own cam- MAYES experience it. ees on the University of Albany campus. pus boundaries; from 2003 to 2010, Three years after A statewide committee was organized the Jewell was the list-owner and moderator her husband’s death, bereft and still following year, and Jewell was a found- for the Coalition for Accessible SUNY seeking a way to heal, Mayes responded ing member. Campuses. Although the list ended in to a colleague’s invitation to travel to As a student on the UAlbany campus in 2010, Jewell remembers it as a valuable North Dakota to help thousands of peo- the mid-1980s, she noticed there were no tool for connecting a SUNY community ple who had been displaced by the 2011 braille floor directories on the elevators, of colleagues concerned about greater flooding of the Souris River. The trip and she notified the campus administra- accessibility, either because of personal was organized by All Hands & Hearts, tion. Braille signs started appearing at the need, or as a rights issue. a U.S. nonprofit relief organization that elevators. Later, she asked that campus Her interest in helping LGBTQ col- responds to natural disasters nationally administrators put the SUNY reasonable leagues on campus and around the SUNY and internationally. In helping others accommodations policy on its campus system stems from her coming out as a who had lost everything, Mayes found
THE VOICE WINTER/SPRING 2019 10 a path to her own recovery. of New York in Jamaica, Queens. DEEP NEED Since then, Mayes has volunteered for Lorde and his wife, both UUP profes- A IN AP PALACHIA numerous All Hands projects, often with sionals at SUNY Downstate Medical Melissa “Missy” Alfred students. She traveled to New Center, are counselors in the church’s Ackerly, a nurse and York City in 2012 to help after Hurricane Marriage Enrichment Ministry, which an assistant professor Sandy; to Detroit in 2014 for flood relief; offers Bible study and marital and pre- of nursing at SUNY to Nepal in 2015, after a devastating marital counseling to couples. They have Delhi, loved teaching earthquake; and to Puerto Rico in 2017 been doing this for nearly 15 years. The her students who after Hurricane Irma. She is especially church was founded in 1834, and the ACKERLY planned to enter her proud of the fact that her son, Matt, asked congregation has more than 23,000 profession. But as an to accompany her to Nepal as his high members. Headed by the Rev. Floyd educator, she also realized that she school graduation present. Flake, a former member of Congress, missed the clinical experience of work- “I think students are just amazing when the church offers a range of programs ing with patients. you put them in an area like that; they that help members and, by extension, “I went into education in nursing, and I work hard and they really like to interact the surrounding community. realized it doesn’t stop here at the School with the community,” Mayes said. “The majority of the couples that we of Nursing,” Ackerly explained. “I counsel are still married,” Lorde said. wanted to get out there; I wanted to get COUNSELING COUPLES “It’s just great to see couples that you out of my comfort zone.” Friday night is date night for Donovan counseled and see that they are maintain- She had not done clinical work in Lorde and his wife, Deanne Kennedy- ing a successful marriage.” 15 years when a colleague, professor Lorde—the only twist is that they spend The couple has made outreach a part of Kirsty Digger at the Delhi School of it at their church, the Greater Allen their lives in other ways. Lorde is a mem- Nursing, encouraged her to join a trip in African Methodist Episcopal Cathedral ber of the Brooklyn chapter of Phi Beta the fall of 2017 to deliver dental care to a Sigma fraternity, founded at West Virginia community. The trip was Howard University in 1914, and organized by the Remote Area Medical which now has chapters around the Volunteer Corps, a major private, non- United States and in other coun- profit provider of free, mobile health tries as a service organization for care clinics in the United States and men. The chapter hosts a neighbor- internationally. hood Thanksgiving dinner and pro- Ackerly has since worked at two other vides suits to young men for their Remote Area medical clinics, and now high school prom, among its many she leads students on these trips. She projects. Kennedy-Lorde is fluent works as a triage nurse, checking blood in American Sign Language; her pressure and glucose levels in patients, husband is learning it. reviewing what medications the patients Married for 25 years, the couple take, and generally making sure someone has two daughters. They were still is healthy enough to undergo dental fairly new members of the church work. when they decided to undergo the The normal anxiety about dental church’s training program for lay work, combined with serious conditions counselors. It was not a task they such as untreated hypertension, can undertook lightly; Lorde says they put patients at risk for a stroke or heart both were initially very nervous. attack; at one clinic, a young man had to Although they have gained confi- be resuscitated with an automated exter- dence in their role, they do not take nal defibrillator. The clinics routinely personal credit for the help they treat people who have had little or no have provided; they feel that they dental care. PHOTO COURTESY OF DONOVAN LORDE have just steered couples in a help- “It’s a wonderful experience for our DEANNE KENNEDY-LORDE AND DONOVAN LORDE POSE ful direction. master’s students,” Ackerly said. It’s OUTSIDE THE A.M.E. CATHEDRAL, WHERE THEY SPEND “Our belief is that if your mar- also been a wonderful experience for her. FRIDAY NIGHTS COUNSELING COUPLES AS PART OF THE riage is centered around God, you Said Ackerly, “I just felt that I had CHURCH’S MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT MINISTRY. will have a successful marriage,” to give back somehow; I’ve been so Lorde said. fortunate.”
WINTER/SPRING 2019 T HE VOICE 11 2019 Winter DA
Delegates vote to eliminate one of three policymaking conventions gettingBY KAREN L. MATTISON down to business
elegates to the 2019 Winter Delegate Assembly voted to eliminate one of the union’s three DAs per year. But the union won’t be losing a DA so much as gaining an opportunity Dto hold regional meetings and other member-engagement events around the state, said UUP President Fred Kowal. “Our delegates acted wisely in voting to eliminate a DA,” he said. “We will use the resources generally set aside for the third DA to bring together more members in more meaningful ways. This will have a direct effect on the membership; it’s simply another way to better our union.” As part of the amendment to eliminate MICHAEL LISI a DA, delegates allowed for the reinstate- FREDONIA AND ALFRED DELEGATES, FRONT ROW, RAISE THEIR BADGES IN SUPPORT OF A CONSTITUTIONAL ment of a third DA at a future date by AMENDMENT TO ELIMINATE ONE DELEGATE ASSEMBLY A YEAR. UUP LEADERS DEBATED 13 RESOLUTIONS. adopting language that UUP will hold “at least two” DAs per year; that distinc- tion allows for the Executive Board to add a DA in any given year, if needed. The secretary-treasurer was authorized from two to three years. by resolution to correct article and sec- • Remove the requirement that mem- tion designations, punctuation and cross- bers be present at DAs to be elected as GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS Delegates spent two days in Albany in references, and to make other technical officers or board members, thereby February debating an additional 12 changes to the amendments, as necessary. accommodating candidates prevented amendments to the UUP Constitution and from attending a DA by an unexpected updating language in the union’s Policy AMENDMENTS ADOPTED personal or family emergency. Manual—all with the goal of streamlin- Delegates also adopted constitutional • Rename the statewide Affirmative ing the internal work of the union, and amendments to: Action Committee to the Diversity, freeing up time and money that is better • Change the required majority to adopt Equity and Inclusion Committee. Chapter spent on serving the membership. amendments to the UUP Constitution. affirmative action officers will now be Moving from three to two DAs meant Proposed amendments would now officers for diversity, equity and inclusion. sections of the UUP Constitution and require a two-thirds vote of the DA • Require that when there are no nomi- Policy Manual had to be amended. members who are present and voting. nees for a chapter position, write-in Delegates voted to: • Update language in the UUP Constitu- candidates must receive at least five votes • Amend the Policy Manual to remove tion’s nondiscrimination provision to to take office. A separate amendment reference to the Winter DA for presenting conform with current provisions of the provided that a member must receive a the Judith Wishnia Advocacy Award and New York State Human Rights Law. minimum of five votes to be ranked as the Friend of UUP Award. • Cycle the elections for the president, a delegate or alternate. • Change the UUP Constitution to give secretary-treasurer and membership • Give the statewide Executive Board the DA authority to take up matters development officer, and for the two the authority to establish election proce- decided by referendum from the third to vice presidents, between odd and even dures for chapter elections. Delegates the second subsequent DA. The amend- years. This amendment was necessary also agreed to remove election proce- ment maintains the union’s existing one- after delegates voted at the 2016 Fall dures from the UUP Constitution; the year waiting period after a referendum has DA to change the terms of statewide procedures will be part of the union’s passed before any modifications can occur. officers and Executive Board members Policy Manual.
THE VOICE WINTER/SPRING 2019 12 BELOW, UUP OUTREACH COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR PAULA WHITE, STANDING, HELPS ALBANY CHAPTER DELEGATE ZINA LAWRENCE DURING A POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT TRAINING SESSION.
MICHAEL LISI
ABOVE, DELEGATES—INCLUDING BROCK- PORT CHAPTER LEADERS SHARON BELLE- RENDER, LEFT, AND JOE TORRE, RIGHT— VOTE ON A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
RIGHT, UUP STATEWIDE SECRETARY-TREASURER JERI O’BRYAN-LOSEE REPORTS TO DELEGATES.
DARRYL MCGRATH MICHAEL LISI
• Revise proce- LEFT, FARMINGDALE CHAPTER DELEGATE HARRY dures for altering ESPAILLAT OFFERS AN OPINION ON A PROPOSED terms of affiliation AMENDMENT TO THE UUP CONSTITUTION. with NYSUT and other affiliated bodies.
AMEND MENTS ACTION REQUIRED REFERRED • Kowal was directed to send a letter Two amend- to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and SUNY ments were MICHAEL LISI Chancellor Kristina Johnson urging them referred to the to take a stand in support of campuswide UUP Constitution and Governance Glenn McNitt read a resolution recogniz- efforts to organize, educate and speak out Committee for clarification. One proposal ing Hain for more than 40 years of union against any form of discrimination and would authorize the Executive Board to service. Hain died Oct. 2, 2018, at age 90. injustice. investigate, hear and decide ethics com- “For his viewing, John requested that he The resolution also calls on UUP to plaints; the other would preclude retiree be buried wearing a UUP hat and T-shirt, urge the University Faculty Senate to members from serving as statewide offi- along with numerous other union para- pass a similar resolution. cers or on the statewide Executive Board. phernalia, highlighting his commitment • Delegates were also prepared to march to unionism,” McNitt read. The resolu- with striking faculty at Wright State in MEMBERS REMEMBERED, FETED tion was adopted by acclimation. Ohio. Unionized faculty there voted to Mac Nelson of Fredonia and John Hain A story on Nelson is on page 14. strike beginning Jan. 22, after two years of New Paltz were honored posthumously Delegates also feted former System of failed negotiations. for their service to the union. Administration Chapter president John The strike ended Feb. 11, when the two Former New Paltz Chapter president Schumacher on his retirement. sides reached a tentative agreement.
WINTER/SPRING 2019 THE VOICE 13 2019 Winter DA
BYdelegatesMICHAEL LISI pay tribute to longtime unionist
ac Nelson was a dedi- cated union man who wasn’t afraid to work to make UUP into a union that he could proudly call his own. But for all that Nelson did for UUP, Mhis greatest gift was his voice. “I think my best contribution to UUP,” Nelson wrote in a 2015 essay, “Sing Out!” published in UUP’s The Active Retiree newsletter, “is that, three times a year, when we meet to conduct our business, we open FILE PHOTO the meeting with me (usually) lead- ABOVE, NELSON LEADS DELEGATES IN THE SINGING OF “SOLIDARITY FOREVER” AT THE 2014 SPRING DELEGATE ASSEMBLY. ing 300 sisters and brothers in song.” Nelson passed LEFT, ED ALLEYNE, LEFT, OF STONY BROOK HSC, JO SCHAFFER away unexpectedly OF CORTLAND, AND CHARLIE MCATEER AND JUDY WISHNIA OF STONY BROOK—SOME OF THE “MAC-ETTES”—SING Dec. 25 at Brooks “SOLIDARITY FOREVER” AT THE DA. A CUBS HAT WAS PLACED Memorial Hospital ON THE MICROPHONE IN HONOR OF NELSON. in Fredonia. CGRATH “Mac was an elder, DARRYL M a good friend, and a dedicated unionist,” said UUP President Fred Kowal. “Mac turns reading the resolution with Judy 1993-95), and did great work as Fredonia served his union, his campus and his Wishnia of Stony Brook. Chapter president. He was a longtime students with distinction and devotion. Delegates laughed with recognition as statewide delegate and was honored with He will be missed, especially at Delegate Wishnia read of Nelson’s love of Amer- UUP’s pre-eminent award, the Nina Assemblies where he led the ‘Mac-ettes,’ ica’s favorite pastime. Mitchell Award for Distinguished those delegates who would stand with “Mac never missed an opportunity to Service, in 1995. and join him in a rousing rendition of share stories about his beloved Chicago Nelson was a founder of the State ‘Solidarity Forever.’” Cubs, including how deliriously happy University Federation of Teachers, which Nelson wrote about how he loved the he was to throw out the first pitch at a merged in 1969 with the Senate Profes- line “Solidarity forever, for the union Cubbies game at age 77, and how disap- sional Association and eventually became makes us strong!” and believed singing pointed he was to have fallen asleep on UUP. He was a member of a number of held the same power: “I know that, after the night his Cubs—finally!—won the UUP statewide and chapter committees, I am gone, they will still sing.” World Series in 2016.” including the Membership and Constitu- And they did. On a more personal note, Wishnia told tion Study committees. Delegates to the 2019 Winter Delegate The Voice that Nelson was one of the Nelson was committed to a strong, Assembly paid tribute to Nelson with the “original builders” of the union, but was vibrant union as a founding member of reading of a resolution honoring his life quick to point out that there “was more the former Reform Caucus, which bol- and legacy, followed by the singing of his to Mac than his union activity. He was a stered his election to the statewide board. cherished song of solidarity. great teacher, a great writer, a wonderful traveler, and all that with a great sense DEDICA TED TEA CHER PAYING TRIBUTE of humor.” He was a beloved professor who taught “There has only been one Mac for me, Shakespeare, Renaissance Literature, and for our history, for our professions, for UUP SERVICE World Poetry at SUNY Fredonia, where our union, and for all of us who were Nelson was a distinguished UUP mem- he worked from 1968 until his retirement touched by his presence,” said statewide ber who twice served on the union’s in 2007. He earned the rank of SUNY COARM Chair Jo Schaffer, who took statewide Executive Board (1979-84 and distinguished teaching professor and
THE VOICE WINTER/SPRING 2019 14 Spotlight shines on UUPers
ach year, hundreds of uup members publish books and articles, and are recognized for accomplishments E on campus and in their communities. The Voice is pleased to recognize three members in this issue. A book written by Samy Garas, an Laura Kaminsky, a Jacqueline Emery, an associate professor of composition professor- assistant professor of accounting at SUNY at-large in the School English at SUNY Old Plattsburgh, was recently of the Arts at SUNY Westbury, recently named an online teach- Purchase, recently earned the 2018 Out- ing ambassador for received the 2019 standing Academic Title 2019 by Open SUNY, a Composers Now award from the publish- compendium of online Festival Visionary ing unit of the Associa- EMERY classes offered at SUNY GARAS Award. The award KAMINSKY tion of College and Research Libraries. The campuses across the state. He was nomi- recognizes members of the arts community accolade is based on the book’s “excellence nated by his campus for being an exemplary who, through their own creative practice in presentation, significance in the field, online educator, and a positive and strong and advocacy for others, have made a originality of the material, value to students advocate for online teaching in our SUNY profound, positive and lasting impact in and the importance toward building under- community. our culture. graduate library collections.” Garas will receive a certificate of recogni- Kaminsky, an award-winning American Recovering Native American Writings in tion and be featured on the Open SUNY composer and a producer of musical and the Boarding School Press (University of Online Teaching Ambassadors website page. multidisciplinary cultural events, teaches in Nebraska Press, 2017) is the first compre- As an online teaching ambassador, Garas the arts management program and in the hensive collection of writings by students will have opportunities to be an advocate for classical composition program in the Conser- and well-known Native American authors online teaching and to share his thoughts vatory of Music. who published in boarding school newspa- and engage with the community in various From 1999 to 2004, she served as chair of pers during the late 19th and early 20th ways in the coming year. the music department at the Cornish College centuries. It was among only 10 percent of Garas has taught at universities in the of the Arts in Seattle and, from 2004 to the 6,000-plus titles reviewed over the last United States and the Middle East and has 2008, as dean of the Conservatory of Music year to be selected for this award. held several executive positions in auditing at SUNY Purchase. She has received national The book also received a Best Edited firms and accounting associations. Topics recognition for her innovative cultural pro- Collection award from the Popular Culture taught include several levels of accounting, gramming and has held posts at several Association and American Culture Associa- federal taxation, and corporate governance prestigious institutions, including New York tion in 2018. to undergraduate and graduate students. City’s 92nd Street Y, and Symphony Space.
received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award Cod (Epitaph and Icon: A Field Guide to power and passion of music, and of peo- for Excellence in Teaching in 1975. the Old Burial Grounds of Cape Cod, ple singing together. In his essay, “Sing His exuberance was felt by his students. Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket) and Out!” Nelson points out that people love “Mac Nelson changed my life,” Dave Route 20 (Twenty West: The Great Road to sing together, at ballparks, at sports Andrews, one of Nelson’s SUNY Fredo- Across America), the highway on which stadiums, and even in the classroom. nia students, said in a message on Nel- he lived in Brocton, Chautauqua County. His love for singing with people is what son’s online obituary page in the Dunkirk He also wrote extensively for The made him a fixture at Delegate Assem- Observer. “There’s no other way to sum- Active Retiree, so much so that a special blies, gleefully leading the Mac-ettes. marize his influence.” section, titled “Mac Musings,” was “Lift your voices at the Winter DA and “Mac was one of the best people I have created for him in the newsletter. There, sing, belting out ‘Solidarity Forever’ just ever known,” said Wendy Corsi Staub, in he shared stories about Yellowstone, his as he always did,” said Nelson’s partner a message on Nelson’s obituary in the beloved Cubs, the English language, his Joyce Haines, an Empire State College Observer. “I’m privileged to have had favorite authors and, of course, music. Chapter retiree, when sharing word of his him as a professor.” He organized and led a vocal group passing. “He was so supportive to so called The Catch Club, which met many in so many ways. What a privilege PROLIFIC WRITER monthly to sing catches, canons and and honor to have shared a few years Nelson wrote a number of books, which glees, mostly from the 17th century. with him.” dealt with Native American culture Nelson led that group for more than A video tribute to Nelson can be viewed (Telling the Stories: Essays on American 60 years. at https://bit.ly/2DiEPD1 Indian Literature and Cultures), Cape And he recognized and embraced the — Karen L. Mattison contributed to this report.
WINTER/SPRING 2019 THE VOICE 15 Member snapshot
Magdalena Rivera Oswego Magdalena Rivera grew up on a family farm in Puerto Rico, and she has never forgotten the lessons she learned from eating the produce that she helped her grandparents plant and harvest. Today, Rivera is coordinator of student involvement at SUNY Oswego, where many of the projects and responsi- bilities she has overseen have helped students dream big, plan for their futures and open doors to the rest of the world. Among her accomplishments: She’s been the project assistant for several study-abroad trips through the Oswego Office of International Education and
Programs. Her exposure to different cultures inspired PHOTO COURTESY OF MAGDALENA RIVERA her interest in learning other languages, and she has studied French and Italian. Rivera spent part of the semester break with a group of students and several Oswego colleagues in Puerto Rico, where they helped residents with the ongoing cleanup and repair from the record-setting 2017 hurricane season. During an afternoon break, she talked about her students, being a UUP member (she joined in 2009) and the advice she would give to a 12-year-old who wants to succeed.
How would you describe your Oswego students on this trip to Puerto Rico? Oh, my goodness … they are dedicated—that is one of the main things I see—focused on developing themselves. They’re not afraid to be part of this project. We’ve taken students to do a variety of jobs—cleaning, picking up garbage—it could be clean work, dirty work— they’re not afraid.
What’s the best way that your colleagues can relate to their students? One thing that’s very important is listening to them. We learn from them. We are mentors and guides, but we have to listen to them, as well. Understand that when you are working with students, you are the leader, but you also have to follow, as well.
How has UUP helped you in your work? It has provided empowerment for me, to represent the campus in different projects. I’ve been able to grow, and I’ve been empowered as a member of UUP. It has created a path, a lot of opportunity, for me, to be involved.
What would you tell an adolescent who aspires to college and a career? If you don’t speak a second language, start learning to speak a second language now. And start looking at opportunities for community service.
— DARRYL MCGRATH
THE VOICE WINTER/SPRING 2019 16 Snapshots from the chapters
Veterans Committee
RATH G
C THE UUP VETERANS COMMITTEE HAS RAISED M MORE THAN $1,000 IN THE PAST YEAR FOR
ARRYL FISHER HOUSE IN ALBANY, WHICH PROVIDES D HOUSING, CARE AND COMFORT FOR FAMILIES OF HOSPITALIZED VETERANS AND ACTIVE-DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS. COMMITTEE MEMBERS MARKING THIS MILESTONE AT THE WINTER DELEGATE ASSEMBLY ARE, FROM LEFT, CO-CHAIR JUSTIN CULKOWSKI OF ENVIRON- MENTAL SCIENCE AND FORESTRY, MIKE KNEE OF ALBANY, STU L’HOMMEDIEU OF BINGHAMTON, STONY BROOK CHAPTER PRESIDENT KEVIN MORIARTY, CLIFF DAVIS OF COBLESKILL AND STATEWIDE EXECUTIVE BOARD LIAISON RAY GLEASON OF ALFRED.
Buffalo State Chapter UDGE J ABOUT 20 UUP MEMBERS, FAMILY AND FRIENDS—INCLUDING DEBORAH JONES, PAT ANIELLE GHEE, MARIA BRICKHOUSE, CURTIS BRICKHOUSE, D CHAPTER PRESIDENT DEAN REINHART AND JUDE JAYATILLEKE—TAKE PART IN SPORTS NIGHT. THEY ENJOYED PIZZA AND WINGS BEFORE
WATCHING A BUFFALO STATE BASKETBALL GAME.
AHON
M
C M
HOMAS IM
T J AVID
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HOTO COURTESY OF P
Upstate Medical University Chapter Empire State College Chapter UPSTATE CHAPTER MEMBERS DON THEIR UUP T-SHIRTS AND JOIN OTHER SYRACUSE- ESC CHAPTER DELEGATE JIM MCMAHON WORKS ON A AREA UNIONISTS TO PACK FOOD THEY DONATED FOR TSA FAMILIES AFFECTED BY ROOFTOP IN PUERTO RICO. MCMAHON WAS AMONG SEVERAL THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IN DECEMBER 2018 AND JANUARY. THE EVENT WAS DOZEN UUP MEMBERS STATEWIDE TO MAKE VARIOUS TRIPS HELD IN JANUARY AT TEAMSTERS LOCAL 317. TO HELP REBUILD THE STORM-RAVAGED ISLAND.
WINTER/SPRING 2019 THE VOICE 17 Member news
fourteenhe SUNY Board uup members of Trustees rists in nuclear physics.awarded He is best known distinguishedappeared in top journals and ranks has received awarded nine UUPers with for his groundbreaking work on the Chiral support from the National Institute of distinguished professorships Magnetic Effect. Based on Kharzeev’s Mental Health, the National Science for national and international prediction, he and a team of condensed Foundation, and others. She is the recipi- achievements; two with distinguished matter scientists discovered a new way to ent of the prestigious FIRST Award from teaching professorships for mastery of generate very low-resistance electric cur- the National Institute of Mental Health. teaching; one with a distinguished service rent in a new class of materials. This dis- She was president of the Association for T Psychological Science, and chair of the professorship for extraordinary SUNY covery points to a range of potential and community service; and two with applications in energy, quantum comput- Psychonomic Society Governing Board. distinguished librarian professorships for ing, and medical imaging. He has authored She also co-founded an international fostering information literacy. nearly 200 scientific publications. group, Women in Cognitive Science, Errol Meidinger is the supported by NSF to promote gender DISTINGUISHED PROFESSORSHIPS Margaret W. Wong Pro- equity in cognitive sciences. Michel Bruneau, a fessor of Law in UB’s Nicole Sampson, a structural engineer in the School of Law. He is member of Stony Brook department of civil, struc- credited with conducting University’s department tural and environmental MEIDINGER research that helped of arts and sciences, is an engineering at the Univer- demonstrate the vast internationally known BRUNEAU sity at Buffalo, is a Fellow potential of non-governmental institu- SAMPSON scholar in chemical biol- of the American Society tions, and his scholarship has greatly ogy and organic chem- of Civil Engineers and the Canadian Acad- broadened national and international istry. Her research contributions include emy of Engineering. He has traveled the strategies to address critical environmen- drug and diagnostic discovery for treat- world to assess structural damage caused tal challenges. He has served the Law ment of tuberculosis. She has received by earthquakes and was sought out for a School as vice dean for research, director $16 million in research support from fed- reconnaissance visit to New York City in of the UB Environment and Society Insti- eral and private agencies. She has written the aftermath of the 9/11 attack on the tute from 1998-2001, and director of the more than 100 research papers and jour- World Trade Center. He has more than 500 Baldy Center for Law and Social Policy. nal reviews, and she holds five issued publications to his credit. Ute Martha Moll, a patents. Her honors and awards include Jessica Gurevitch, an member of Stony Brook the Camille and Henry Dreyfus New ecologist in Stony Brook University’s department Faculty Award, a National Science Foun- University’s department of pathology, is an inter- dation CAREER Award, and the Pfizer of ecology and evolution, nationally renowned Award in Enzyme Chemistry from the was elected as a Named MOLL research scientist with American Chemical Society, among oth- GUREVITCH Fellow of the Ecological many important discover- ers. She has provided major service to the Society of America and is ies in health and disease. She has authored National Institutes of Health and NSF, a Fellow of the American Association for more than 175 research manuscripts and and she currently co-directs an NIH- the Advancement of Science. She is a her work has been cited more than 19,000 funded Chemical Biology Graduate leader in research synthesis and meta- times. She has also maintained continuous Training Program. analysis, biological invasions, and plant grant support for more than 25 years from Lawrence Schell is a ecology. She co-edited the bestselling the National Institutes of Health, the member of the University book, The Design and Analysis of American Cancer Society, and others. She at Albany’s anthropology Ecological Experiments, and is the lead has received numerous honors, including a department, with a joint author of a major undergraduate textbook, SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence appointment in the epi- The Ecology of Plants, and co-authored in Scholarship and Creative Activities. She SCHELL demiology and biostatis- the Handbook of Meta-analysis in Ecol- is a member of the Association of Ameri- tics in UAlbany’s School ogy and Evolution. can Physicians. of Public Health. He also serves as Dmitri Kharzeev, a Suparna Rajaram, a director of the university’s Center for member of Stony Brook member of Stony Brook the Elimination of Minority Health Dis- University’s department of University’s psychology parities, and he holds the title of clinical physics and astronomy, is department, is a leading associate professor at Albany Medical nationally and internation- scholar in the experimen- College’s department of pediatrics. Schell ally recognized as one of tal study of human mem- is a biological anthropologist known KHARZEEV the world’s leading theo- RAJARAM ory. Her research has internationally for his research on human
THE VOICE WINTER/SPRING 2019 18 COMPILED BY KAREN L. MATTISON
growth and development. He has re- publication of the international Courtly DISTINGUISHED LIBRARIAN ceived more than $25 million in research Literature Society. PROFESSORSHIPS funding, and has generated nearly 200 Mark Hartman, a Michael Huang, serves publications across the fields of anthro- trombone professor at as director of Global Li- pology, biology and public health. He is The Crane School of brary Initiatives (GLI) at an elected Fellow of the American Asso- Music at SUNY Potsdam, Stony Brook University’s ciation for the Advancement of Science has had several students Health Sciences Center from his trombone studio and an honorary scientific advisor for the HARTMAN HUANG Library, developing rela- Institute for Anthropological Research perform with the Boston tions between U.S. and in Croatia. He was a Fulbright Senior Symphony and the New York Philhar- Chinese libraries. Through his teaching as Research Scholar in Italy. monic orchestras, among others. He a course instructor, library workshops and Leon Takhtajan is a maintains a rigorous professional per- consultations, he has contributed to the un- mathematical physicist forming schedule as a member of the derstanding of evidence-based practice and former chair of Stony Potsdam Brass Quintet and as principal and the acquisition of information literacy Brook University’s mathe- trombone with the Orchestra of Northern skills for the students and faculty in Stony matics department, who New York and the Northern Symphonic Brook’s health sciences programs. He has TAKHTAJAN has produced fundamental Winds. He has toured the state conduct- published four co-edited books, more than and pioneering work on ing the Crane Trombone Ensemble, and 25 articles, nine research guides, and more the theory of classical and quantum inte- has authored articles on trombone peda- than 85 presentations, among others. He grable systems and string theory. He gogy. He earned the SUNY Potsdam serves as editor of the International Jour- played an instrumental role in founding the President’s Award for Excellence in nal of Librarianship. He has received Simons Center for Geometry and Physics, Teaching and the SUNY Chancellor’s awards from the Library Society of China, and he has co-authored several highly in- Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the Guangzi Society for Library Sciences, fluential textbooks. Takhtajan received a received the New York State Band Direc- and the Chinese American Librarians As- Clay Math Institute Fellowship and was tors Association Award for his service to sociation. He has twice received the Stony elected to the inaugural class of Fellows of music education. He was awarded life- Brook President’s Award for Excellence in the American Mathematical Society. time membership to the International Team Achievement. Trombone Association. Edward Komara, DISTINGUISHED TEACHING director of the Julia E. PROFESSORSHIPS DISTINGUISHED SERVICE Crane Memorial Library Beverly Evans, a mem- PROFESSORSHIP in SUNY Potsdam’s ber of SUNY Geneseo’s Mary Kritzer, a mem- Crane School of Music, department of languages ber of Stony Brook Uni- KOMARA is internationally recog- and literatures for more versity’s department of nized as a librarian and than 33 years, has taught neurobiology and behav- musicologist. A two-time inductee of the EVANS a wide array of courses, ior, has volunteered to Blues Hall of Fame, he has published six including advance-level KRITZER serve on medical school books, more than 23 articles, and 121 courses; key general education courses in governance, the univer- reviews of sound recordings and books. the humanities; and special programs for sity’s athletics programs, services for He has thrice won the Association for study abroad, first-year seminar, and the underrepresented graduate students, and Recorded Sound Collections’ Award for honors program. Her dedication to men- services for commuter students. She is Excellence in Historical Sound Research: torship has led to numerous students pre- also reputed for participating in science in 2002 for his essay and discography senting their research at local and programs in local high schools, serving in Screamin’ and Hollerin’ the Blues: the regional conferences. She received the as an effective leader in numerous NIH Worlds of Charley Patton; in 2007 for the college’s President’s Award for Excel- study-section activities, and bringing two-volume Encyclopedia of the Blues; lence in Academic Advising, and has the Healthy Minds Across America and in 2014 for his co-authored book published a significant number of peer- Outreach program to Stony Brook 100 Books Every Blues Fan Should Own. reviewed articles and reviews. She has University. She has twice served as grad- He has served as a consultant on the served as executive director of Pi Delta uate program director for her department. blues for the Library of Congress and Phi National French Honor Society; as a She has received numerous awards, and for the American Folklore Society, the member of the board of directors of the her research program on cerebral cortex American Folklife Center. He is also an Association of College Honor Societies; function has been externally funded and adjunct instructor, and he leads biblio- and as editor of Encomia, an annual published in international journals. graphic instruction sessions.
WINTER/SPRING 2019 THE VOICE 19 Labor notes
stagnantBY DARRYL MCGRATH wages finally see somepower strugglelight that workers are losing. Even at a time of low unemployment, their f the economic expansion in the bargaining power is feeble, the weakest United States lasts a few more I’ve seen in decades. Hostile institutions— months, it will be the longest in the the Trump administration, the courts, country’s history. the corporate sector—are limiting their That’s good news for most people. avenues for demanding higher pay.” But economists have consistently Read “Why Real Wages Still Aren’t Imarked one perturbing off note in this Rising” at https://nyti.ms/2zSSfat otherwise rosy outlook: Wages for work- ers have not increased at a pace commen- SIG NS OF HOPE surate with the rest of the economy’s However, there are several positive growth. signs that this missing piece of the eco- At first, this trend doesn’t make sense. nomic expansion may be about to fall Job growth is steady, unemployment is into place, in favor of workers: low—why can’t workers just demand • The U.S. Labor Department wants to higher wages? Because the situation is expand overtime eligibility, and most more complex than just asking and re- salaried workers earning less than ceiving, as economists have noted. Fewer is difficult to upend, even in a period of $35,000 a year would qualify. The current workers are moving around from job to almost record-setting growth. threshold is $23,700. The proposal is in a job, for example, and a less mobile work As Jared Bernstein, a former economic 60-day public comment period and is force sees slower wage growth. adviser to Joe Biden, has noted, “... stag- likely to become effective in early 2020. nant wages for factory workers and non- The overtime threshold has not been ANTI-UNION, ANTI-WORKER managers in the service sector—together raised in 15 years. And a generation’s worth of anti- they represent 82 percent of the labor • The minimum wage is rising around worker, anti-union sentiment in the U.S. force—is mainly the outcome of a long the country. The federal minimum wage
UUP expands clerical staff union’s new communications and policy associate, Sheldon is UUP has hired two UUP Benefit Trust Fund clerks and made working to find ways to effectively reach the membership a couple of internal changes in the UUP Administrative Office. using social media and other methods. They are: • UUP Communications is now UUP Media Relations and • Dakota Billings and Haley Ennis joined the Benefit Trust Publications. Fund staff in early February. The BTF administers UUP’s vision, dental and life insurance, and the scholarship program The pros of minority-serving institutions for eligible dependent children. The two are responsible for assisting the A recent study showing that low-income students who Fund with filing, scanning, and assembling of attend minority-serving institutions—like Hispanic-serving and New Hire Kits. The two will also answer calls historically black institutions, and tribal colleges—are more from UUP members. likely to climb the economic ladder than their peers who opt Billings, who will work full time, and Ennis, to attend predominantly white institutions. part time, had been assisting the BTF on an The paper, called “Minority Serving Institutions as Engines interim basis since June 2018. of Upward Mobility,” published by the American Council on BILLINGS Prior to UUP, Billings was an activities assis- Education, looked at the income of students’ parents when tant at the Capital District YMCA, where she those students entered college and compared it to the stu- led group activities and an after-school pro- dents’ own income at age 30. They gram for 30 children. Before that, she was a found that income-mobility rates—or food service leader at Cumberland Farms and the rate at which institutions move a cashier at Virgilios Expresstop. their students from the lowest-income quintile to the top quintile—are two to Ennis was a sales associate at Marshalls ENNIS and a YMCA counselor. three times higher at minority-serving institutions. • Amy Sheldon has shifted to UUP Organizing. As the The full study can be read at https://bit.ly/2DE3AJW
THE VOICE WINTER/SPRING 2019 20 is $7.25 an hour, a figure that was set in July 2009. But around the country, states and even municipalities are increasing the mini- mum wage. Now, 29 states have a minimum wage higher than $7.25, with several of those states on track to gradually increase their minimum wage to $15 in a phased-in process. For a compelling look at what this means to real people, read The New York Times interactive feature “The $15 Minimum Wage Doesn’t Just Improve Lives. It Saves Them” at https://nyti.ms/2tvCmk8 DARRYL MCGRATH • Manufacturing is making a comeback, in Romain earns Albany Common Council award pockets around the country. As noted by the website FastCompany.com, which reports on Albany Chapter Assistant VP for Professionals Patrick Romain, business and economic trends, the Brooklyn center, earned an Albany Common Council award for his work as Navy Yard is now a manufacturing incubator an Educational Opportunity Program counselor at UAlbany. He that typifies the new type of manufactur- received his award at Albany City Hall Feb. 20. UUP Membership ing—cleaner, leaner and far more high-tech. Development Officer Tom Hoey, left, the Council’s 15th Ward The story also notes that manufacturing jobs representative, nominated Romain. Common Council President have been on the rise in the U.S. since 2010, Corey Ellis is at right. The annual celebration of African-American a reversal of a longtime decline. history recognizes a prominent individual or organization from “The manufacturing job of the future: each Common Council ward for significant contributions to the clean, urban and better paid” can be read at city or to society, through achievements in education, health https://bit.ly/2HxnnOT care, business or community service.
Educators join the AFT curb gun violence in schools The faculty at a folk music school in Chicago and a group of and support safe and healthy educators in a Pittsburgh charter school recently joined the learning environments. ranks of the American Federation of Teachers. The report, “Keeping Our More than 200 teaching artists at the Old Town School Schools Safe: A Plan to Stop of Folk Music in Chicago voted in January to join the Old Mass Shootings and End Gun Town Teachers Organization. Violence in American Schools,” focuses on proven measures, Old Town faculty began organizing in November 2017, such as addressing students’ health, improving schools’ phys- working with Arise Chicago and the Illinois Federation of ical security, and keeping guns out of the hands of people Teachers. Nearly 70 percent signed union cards indicating who shouldn’t have them. The report can be found at they wanted to call a vote. https://every.tw/2BymMc0 They’ve been disgruntled for several years, according to organizers, as school administrators failed to address their Electrical Workers go on strike concerns about their lack of agency at the same time they More than 1,700 members of the Electrical Workers (UE) at drifted away from the school’s original mission. a locomotive factory in Pennsylvania walked off the job in late At Pittsburgh’s Environmental Charter School—a February to fend off their new employer’s efforts to impose a tuition-free K-8 charter school in Pittsburgh—teachers, raft of concessions, including two-tier wages, a cut in wage nurses, counselors, social workers, academic coaches of up to 38 percent, and mandatory overtime. voted in December for a union voice on the job. The former GE Transportation plant formally became a part of Wabtec (Westinghouse Airbrake Technologies), which Report addresses gun safety in schools bought the $4 billion-a-year division from the industrial A report from the National Education Association, the AFT, conglomerate last year. Read about the strike at and Everytown For Gun Safety provides a policy blueprint to https://bit.ly/2Tha78e
WINTER/SPRING 2019 THE VOICE 21 Union benefits
MEMBERS ONLY BENEFITS UUP members are eligible to choose from a wide array of benefits and services. Join your union colleagues and sign up online at https://goo.gl/g4AQYX or scan the QR code at right to become a member today!
UUP Member Services Trust—Voluntary Programs
Aflac is supplemental insurance that offers coverage outside your medical insurance for short-term disability, accident, cancer and critical illness. Premiums offered through UUP are up to 40% less than market price.
Liberty Mutual offers a 10% discount off auto insurance and 5% off homeowners and rental insurance.
MetLaw (Hyatt Legal Plan) offers two options: A Family Plan ($15.75 a month); and Parent Plus, which covers parents and in-laws ($21.75). There are no deductibles, no copays, and unlimited use for covered legal expenses. MetLife Group Universal Life offers one policy with two benefits: A life insurance policy with a savings plan.
UUPI Member Services Trust Voluntary DentalI and Vision Plans include coverage for: I UUP retiree members I Part-time employees who are UUP members I Surviving spouses of UUP members Surviving domestic partners of UUP members Members’ aged-out dependents (until age 29)
Mid-Island Mortgage Corp. offers two programs: The Union Direct Program is open to all UUP members. The Physician’s Mortgage Program is custom-designed for doctors and other medical professionals; go to https://goo.gl/tiUtV1 for a complete list of eligible professions. Both programs offer significant savings and flexible finance options for home purchases or refinances.
Retiree members receive a $1,000 death benefit and the Travel Assistance Program through Unum Life Insurance at no cost. UUP Member Services Trust—Discount Programs Apple—Discounts vary AT&T—20% off your monthly bill BJ’s Wholesale Club—$15 off annual membership and one month free Brooklyn Nets—Up to 50% off ticket prices Enterprise Rental Car—Discounted vehicle rentals Goodyear—10% off all tires, maintenance and repairs hp Academy—Discounts vary Jos A. Bank—20% off all regularly priced merchandise Madison Square Garden—Discounts on seasonal tickets for Rangers and Knicks, and the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall Mirabito Fuel—Home heating and gasoline savings Sprint—5% off your monthly bill The Walking Company—15% off exclusive footwear brands; chapter-based wellness programs TicketsatWork—Discounts and special access to theme parks, shows, hotels, and more Verizon Wireless—19% off your monthly bill, plus 10% in-store/25% online off eligible accessories
UNITED UNIVERSITY PROFESSIONS PRESIDENT FREDERICK E. KOWAL, PH.D. BENEFIT TRUST FUND: 800.887.3863 FAX: 866.559.0516 WWW.UUPINFO.ORG [email protected]
THE VOICE WINTER/SPRING 2019 22 uup members can now save CONTACT INFORMATION on comforthe UUP Member Services shoes, attractions UUP Benefit Trust Fund ...... 800/887-3863 * Employees must be eligible for enrollment in NYS Health Insurance Prgm Trust has been working hard Delta Dental ...... 800/471-7093 to bring UUP members Davis Vision (Vision Care) ...... 800/999-5431 two new money-saving Laser Vision Correction benefits from The Walking Company (Client Code 7512) ...... 800/584-2866 and TicketsatWork. UUP Member Services ...... 800/342-4206 Doreen M. Bango, Director, T Member Benefits & Services THE WALKING COMPANY UUP Retiree Services . . . . .800/342-4206 x638 UUP has an exclusive agreement with The Walking Company, a premier Empire Plan (Select menu option) ..877/769-7447 Press 1. retailer of some of the best brands of offers not available to the general public. United HealthCare (Medical/Surgical) comfort footwear around the world. The Members can save money on hotels HCAP (Home Care Advocacy Prgm./Equip./Supplies) agreement also includes the company’s worldwide, tickets to the country’s top MultiPlan (Basic Medical Provider Discount Program) Wellness Partner Program to help mem- theme parks and attractions, movie MPN (Chiropractic/Physical Therapy Managed Prgm.) bers determine which footwear is best tickets, spas, ski resorts, sporting events, Benefits Mgmt. Prgm. (MRI Pre-certification) suited to them. concerts, car rentals, restaurants, hotels, Infertility Treatment (Centers of Excellence) UUP members will receive a 15 percent and others. Press 2. Empire BlueCross and BlueShield discount on all full-price purchases at The You can also purchase gift cards online (Hosp./Inpatient/Nursing/Transplant Pre-certification) Walking Company’s 200-plus retail stores at www.ticketsatwork.com Press 3. Mental Health and Substance Abuse nationwide. To receive the discount, UUP A few of the top attractions include Press 4. Prescription Program members will need to present their union Walt Disney World®, Universal Orlando Press 5. NurseLine (Info/Educ./24-hour Support) membership card at the time of purchase. Resort™, SeaWorld®, Cirque du Soleil®, UUP can also bring The Walking Cedar Fair® Parks, Universal Studios HMOs ...... Call your specific HMO Company to chapters by holding wellness Hollywood® and Six Flags®. Retirement Systems (Pensions) programs. Company representatives come To gain access to the program, you NYS Employees’ Retirement Sys. . .866/805-0990 equipped with a digital foot scanner and a must contact the Benefit Trust Fund to NYS Teachers’ Retirement Sys . . . .800/348-7298 selection of products to help UUP mem- register your email address with UUP Optional Retirement Programs bers select the most appropriate footwear. and to receive the access code. You must Fidelity ...... 800/343-0860 TIAA ...... 800/842-2776 I will be reaching out to UUP chapters also register your personal email at VALIC ...... 800/448-2542 for dates and locations for The Walking www.ticketsatwork.com VOYA ...... 800/584-6001 Company to hold wellness events. Remember, this is a members-only You can check out brand and store loca- benefit. To sign up to be a UUP member, Tax Deferred Retirement Savings NYS Deferred Comp Plan 457(P) . .800/422-8463 tions at thewalkingcompany.com go to https://bit.ly/1RYG65y To learn more about the other voluntary NYSUT ...... 800/342-9810 TICKETSATWORK benefits and services offered to UUP Member Benefits ...... 800/626-8101 UUPers and their families now have members, contact a Benefit Trust Fund AFT PLUS ...... 800/238-1133 x8643 access to exclusive savings and special representative at (800) 887-3863. Workers’ Compensation/SS Disability Fine, Olin & Anderman ...... 866/362-4887
Flex Spending Accounts Did you know? Dependent Care Advantage Account Ninety-four percent of union workers had access to Health Care Spending Account . . . .800/358-7202 UNION employer-sponsored retirement and medical care STRONG ALWAYS benefits in March 2017. For nonunion workers, NYS Dept. of Civil Service ...... 800/833-4344 66 percent had access to retirement benefits and 67 percent to medical care benefits. New York State/UUP Joint Labor/Management Office ...... 518/486-4666 Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 2017
WINTER/SPRING 2019 THE VOICE 23 THE NON-PROFIT ORG. Voice U.S. POSTAGE PAID United University Professions PERMIT NO. 103 P.O. Box 15143 ALBANY, N.Y. Albany, N.Y. 12212-5143