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].