UUP members out to ‘buck’ cuts to the state university

Dozens of UUP members last month pounded the pavement of Main streets in SUNY communities across the state, talking with shopkeepers and business owners about the economic impact their campuses have on the local economy.

As they paid their bills and made their everyday purchases, the union activists handed out “SUNY bucks,” a dollar-like reminder that “this transaction is made possible by the women and men of SUNY.”

The back of the currency noted the grim news about the potential effect the proposed cuts to SUNY could have on the local economy: “Cuts to SUNY in the Executive Budget could mean a 15 percent loss of business (4,000 faculty jobs) in SUNY communities.”

In some Upstate cities — such as Oswego and Oneonta — the individual SUNY campuses are the largest employers. In Western New York, the indirect economic impact of several campuses is nearly $1 billion.

Business owners also were asked to post, in their store windows, bright-red signs provided by UUP that read: “This Business Supports SUNY.”

The “SUNY bucks” campaign was part of a week of activities planned to draw attention to the potential effect of deep cuts proposed for the public University. UUPers across the state also staged rallies, conducted letter-writing campaigns and made phone calls to lawmakers calling for a better SUNY budget.