Collaboration and Crisis: Building New Alliances
By Bill Simons, Chapter President
Weareinthemidstofadevelopingscalcrisis,perhapstheworstsincetheGreatDepression.Challengesbeckon,butsotoodoopportunitiestobuildanew.Inthemonthsahead,themembersofUUPmustcomeforwardasneverbeforetoadvocateforanembattledSUNY.Muchwillbeaskedofus.Nonewillbeexemptfromtheresponsibilitiesofgeneratingfaxes,letters,phonecalls,rallies,articles,advocacymeetings—andmore.Wemuststrengthen partnershipswithCollegePresidentNancyKleniewski,ourbrothersandsistersinCSEAandotherunions,studentleadersandthosewhowillbecomeso,andourfriendsandneighborsinthelargercommunity.SUCOhasa$218millionperannumeconomicimpactonourregion.AsgoesSUCO,sogoesMainStreet.UndertheleadershipofPresidentPhilCookandVicePresidentVeronicaDiver,ourcampusCSEAhas provedaneffectivevoiceforSUNY.BuildinguponjointCSEA-UUPmeetingswithnalistsintheCampusPresidentialSearch,LaborDaycelebration,HabitatforHumanityandSaturday’sBreadvolunteerism,invitationstoeachother’sparties,andleavedonationcanvasses—UUPandCSEA,alongwithotherunions,havethe potentialforcollaborationonbehalfofSUNY.AsreectedunderSUNYOneontaAdvocatesontheCollegeWebsite,theCollegeAdministrationisalsoreachingout:“AsPresidentKleniewskireportedinherDecember17
Budget Update
,thisisacriticaltimeforSUNYasthestatebudgetdeliberationsofciallybeganonDecember16,2008,whenGovernorPatersonputforthhisexecutivebudgetproposal.WeneedyoutosupportSUNYOneontabycontactingourlegislators,
SenatorJames Seward
and
Assemblyman William Magee
,assoonaspossibletofocustheirattentiononSUNY’sissuesandconcerns.Pleaseseethe
SUNY Advocacy
site for more details.”
LastyearstudentactivistsparticipatedwithUUPOneontainSUNYadvocacythroughmeetingswithNewYorkStateLegislatorsandAlbanyrallies.IgorTavuzhnyanskiy,SUCOPoliticalScienceMajor,saidoflastyear’sUUPLegislativeLuncheon:
I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to attend a UUP Legislative Luncheon
in Albany. This was my rst time in Albany, and it was nice to see the State Capitol and
the historic legislative chambers. The Legislative Luncheon itself was an interesting experience. I got to see multiple speakers, including [the] Senate Majority Leader…who addressed the SUNY budget issue… During the luncheon, it was a pleasure to meet Senator James Seward and Assemblyman Peter Lopez.To be able to get inside an look at how this kind of stuff works has been a rewarding experience. I always had an idea and brief understanding of the process, but that doesn’t compare to actually seeing it in person as I did at this event. Being a student at SUNY Oneonta, I got a unique perspective while I was there…being there was like having a
backstage pass. It was nice to see people, the UUP members, ghting in Albany for
someone like me. My college experience depends on events such as these and witnessing it made me appreciate the behind-the-scenes work and effort that goes into it.
ThevoicesofstudentactivistswillcontinuetobevitaltothecampaignforSUNY.OnDecember18th,thefollowingLettertotheEditor,signedbyStatewideUUPPresidentPhilSmithandmyself,appearedin
The Daily Star
:
Give SUNY the funding it needs.
The
Sentinel
Volume 9, No. 05 UUP - Oneonta January 2009
“Wonder is the beginning of Wisdom.”
- Greek proverb
continued
Since its founding in 1948, the State University of New York has produced tens of thousands of graduates whose knowledge has helped to generate years of economic growth. But now that generator is losing power because of devastating state budget cuts. After three rounds of budget cuts this year this year, SUNY has lost $148 million,making it one of the hardest-hit state agencies. That’s why United University Professions,the union that represents SUNY’s faculty and professional staff, is calling on elected
ofcials to give the University the funding it needs to keep SUNY’s economic engine
humming.
New York is trying to cut its way out of this mounting budget decit, but it ought
to look for ways to raise revenues instead. It is unwise to cut funds from a system that produces more revenue than the amount the state invests. According to SUNY, for everydollar in state support it receives, its campuses return between six and eight dollars totheir respective communities. Imagine that for every dollar cut from SUNY that economic return evaporates. Think of how the ripple effect would hurt all sorts of businesses in the Oneonta area.A 2003 study by SUNY Oneonta says its economic impact on the surrounding community is more than $218 million annually, and that the college generates nearly1,100 jobs.Clearly, investing in SUNY is the solution for what ails the state’s economy.We urge concerned New Yorkers, parents, students and business owners to join UUP inasking the governor to reverse these cuts, and prevent future ones. You can do so easily by going to our Web site at www.uupinfo.org and sending a fax to the governor.New York needs a strong public university system now, more than ever.
The (Mis)use of the Tripartite Process on the SUNY Oneonta Campus
By: Rob Compton, VP Academics
Setting the Stage for the (Mis)use of Tripartite
September11,2006,seemedlikedanotherordinarydayforourritualizedLabor-ManagementMeetings.WehadjustcomeoffofthehighoftheannualLaborDayeventwithStatewideUUPinattendanceandtheStateTimeshaddoneawrite-upoftheevent.Althoughthearticle’sauthorfocusedonthepro-LaborDaymegaphonesoundbites,weassumedthatManagementwouldtakeitin“goodpoliticalhumor.”Wewerewrong.Infactdeadwrong--asitunleashedatorrentofeventsthatcametodeneUUPOneontaandourrelationshipwithManagement.ThatLabor-ManagementmeetingwasreportedintheNovember2006
Sentinel
asfollows:“Themeetingopenedat3:03PMandwentimmediatelyoffrecord.”Afewdaysbeforethemeeting,wewereinformedbyourLaborRelationsSpecialistthathewouldnotbeabletoattendthemeetingduetoacommitmentthatcameup.WhathappenedatthatmeetingsetthestageforLabor-Managementmeetingsforthenexttwoyears.WiththeformerCollegePresidentinattendanceandledbyourcurrentProvostandVicePresidentforAcademicAffairs,UUPwassubjectedtoglaring,hostility,andaverbalfrontalassault.Afterthissustainedattackhadgoneonforforty-sevenminutes,oneofourseniorofcersasked,“couldyouputinonesentence,whattheproblemis?”Theterseresponsewas“inasentence?”Tensionandnon-responsivenessdenedLabor-ManagementrelationsuntilthearrivalofthenewPresident.Forexample,theDecember2006Labor-ManagementMeetingendedintears.ThenintheSpringof2007,acourageousUUPmemberwhohadworkedinconcertwiththeunionandobtainedsignicantvictoriesforhis/hercomradesbecamesubjecttotwoseriousandunexpectedinvestigations.Althoughexoneratedofallcharges,theunrelentingpressureultimatelyledtotheperson’sdeparturefromcampus.TheeventsabovesetthestageforthemisuseoftheTripartiteProcessontheOneontacampusagainstBillSimonsandKathleen(K.O.)O’Mara.AstowhySimonswasincludedinthechargesalongwithher,O’Marastatedthat“theadministrativemisuseoftheTripartiteProcesswasspecicallydirectedatBillsothatUUPwouldnolongerbeabletodefenditsmembers.”Indeednootherissueonthiscampus,withtheexceptionofthe“OneontaBlackListissue”denesthemisuseofexecutivepowerundertheformerpresidentonthiscampus.AlthoughIamdulyawareoftheriskofpersonalretaliationbyholdoversfromthepreviousadministration,Iamcompelledtowritethisarticlesothatthis processwillneveragainbesoblatantlymisused.
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continued
What is Tripartite and What Does the Contract Have to Say About It?
In1977,aChancellor’sOfcememoranduminitiatedaprocesstoaddressDiscriminationintheworkplace.SUNYPolicystates“theStateUniversityofNewYorkisrequiredbyfederallawtohaveaninternalgrievanceprocedureforreviewofallegationsofdiscrimination.State-operatedcampusesoftheUniversitymustadopttheUniversity-wideinternalcomplaintprocedureforusebyanyUniversitystudentoremployeeunlesstheyhaveappliedforanexception basedonacampus-specicdiscriminationcomplaintprocedureapprovedbytheofceofUniversitycounsel.”See:DiscriminationComplaint,DocumentNumber:6500
http://www.suny.edu/sunypp/documents.cfm?doc_id=532
.
Furthermore,ifthe“thecomplaintwassubstantiated”thefollowingcoursesofactionsareavailableaccordingtoofcialSUNYPolicy(SUNYPolicy:DiscriminationComplaintProcedure,Document#6501):
i. For employees (including student employees) not in a collective bargaining unit: The presidentmay take such administrative action as he/she deems appropriate under his/her authority as
the chief administrative ofcer of the college, including but not limited to termination, demotion,reassignment, suspension, reprimand, or training.ii. For students: The president may determine that sufcient information exists to refer the matter
to the student judiciary or other appropriate disciplinary panel for review and appropriate actionunder the appropriate student conduct code.
iii. For employees in collective bargaining units: The president may determine that sufcientinformation exists to refer the matter to his/her designee for investigation and disciplinary action or
other action as may be appropriate under the applicable collective bargaining agreement.
TheCommitteethatinvestigatesthecomplaintandprovidestherecommendationsandreporttotheCollegePresidentisknownastheTripartiteHearingCommittee.Uponlengthy,continuous,andsubstantivediscussionswithcounsel,UUPOneontaunderstandsthattheTripartiteFormalProcessbasedonArticle19ofthecontractbetweentheGovernor’sOfceofEmployeeRelations(GOER)andUnitedUniversityProfessions(UUP)doesnotrecognizethelegitimacyofanydisciplinaryactionagainstitsmembers basedonthisprocess.Article19providesthebasisfordisciplinaryactionagainstaUUPmember.Specically,inthismechanism,dueprocessandrepresentationisassuredthroughUUPrepresentationthroughouttheentireprocess.Suchguarantees,ofcourse,donotexistundertheTripartiteProcess.
Background to the Tripartite Filing
ItshouldbenotedthatinthestatewideUUPandUniversitySenatecircles,thepreviousadministrationandsomeofitsagentsarenotviewedveryfavorably.AtaUniversitySenatemeetinginStonyBrook,aSenatorfromanothercampusnotedthat“Oneontaiswellknownforitsshortcomingsonsharedgovernance.”AUUPprofessionaltoldme,“OneontaisviewedastheWildWildWestofLabor-ManagementRelations.”ItwasunderthoseconditionsthatBillandImovedtobuildupUUPtoprotectourmembers.Astimewenton,itbecameincreasinglyclearertome,thatmanyoftheproblemsonthiscampuscouldnotbeaddressedsolelythroughUUPbutrequiredactiononthepartofthethenmoribundCollegeSenate.ThispromptedmetorunforPresidingOfceroftheSenateforthe2006-07year.Inmymind,UUPandtheSenatesharedsomecommongoals,butweretwoseparatewheelsinanacademicpulleysystem.Ifonepulleyseizedupandfailedtoprovidetheappropriatecheckonadministrativepower,thenIfeltthatcampusdemocracywouldsuffer.Obviously,thepreviousadministrationdidnotseeitthatwayandstronglyencouragedafriendofmine,AdamRyburn,torunagainstme.Inretrospect,IhavetothankDr.Larkinforencouraginghimtorun,asitwasclearthatmydualresponsibilitiesinvolvingtheUnionandSenatewerenotsustainable.Withwhatitwrongly perceivedasaweakerSenateinplace,theadministrationcouldthenproceedtorectify,whatitsawasadangerouslyandincreasinglybalancedrelationshipbetweentheEmployeesandManagement.UUPwasapproachedin2007bymembersofacoupleofacademicdepartmentsandnon-academicdepartmentsseekingrepresentationovertheirtreatment.Specically,thecaseshadonecommonthread:“theuseofinappropriatelygatheredrumorsandinnuendo”inthereappointmentandtenureandpromotionprocesses.”Partoftheprobleminvolvedsomedepartments’lackofcurrent—orany—bylaws.Inaddition,therewerealsosomecasesthatappearedtobepoliticallymotivatedattemptstoderailreappointments.UUPbecamealarmedatthecompromisingofthe“renewalprocess”andfeltithadaduciaryresponsibilitytoprotectourmembers.MeanwhiletheSenatepassedtwocriticalresolutions:onefortheneedofbylawsindepartmentsandtheotherpertainingtothepreventionof“sendingrenewalandtenureles”outoftheCollegeforexternalevaluation.UUPpointedoutthatinseveralcases,thereweresystematicattemptswithindepartmentsandwithintheDean’sAdvisoryCommittees–andhigher—tocorruptthe processthroughinternalinvestigations,emailstopreviousemployers,andothersuchprocesses.AfterraisingthisissueatseveralLabor-Managementmeetings,UUPultimatelyreceivedreassurancesthatanyrumorsorinnuendowouldnot
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