The Last Word

30 years and growing: Longtime unionist shares early recollections of UUP

Imagine that. UUP is 30 years old and still going strong. There are so many things that can be cited to recall the glory and accomplishments that were acquired in those 30 years. The list is very long and we should be proud of each and every one of those accomplishments.

But what about the people who worked behind the scenes? Those who, with a careful push here and a nudge there, kept things moving? I’m talking about a field representative named William Fineman, though most of you are probably wondering, “Who the heck is he?”

Bill was not a tall individual. He only came up to mid-chest on me. But when the chips were down, he was always 10 feet tall.

In the early days of UUP, Bill Fineman was a NYSUT field rep assigned to SUNY Cobleskill, SUNY Albany and Central Administration. He always had a smile on his face. I used to call him “my Jewish Leprechaun” because, with him, anything was possible. With him, you always had the feeling that he could take a barrel of management/confidential fertilizer (read between the lines) and turn it into a pot of gold.

In the early days of UUP, professional workers were being abused by the phrase “professional obligation” which, when spelled by management/confidentials, came out as “s-l-a-v-e-r-y.” People in admissions offices were expected to work a 40-hour week and also cover the college’s night programs, which could add an additional 20 hours to the work week. The state insisted this was not so, and covered itself by a whole series of directives granting professionals compensatory time. The problem was, Cobleskill managers insisted that the directives applied to other colleges, but not mine.

After complaining to Bill about the problem, he asked me, “Henry, are you willing to fight for this?” I said, “Yes!” He then told me the price I would probably pay: I would be labeled by the college as a “troublemaker” and I would find career advancement difficult and discretionary money almost nonexistent. I looked Bill in the eye and asked, “Can we win?” He said, “Let’s try.”

I filed a class-action grievance on behalf of my brothers and sisters in admissions offices statewide. It was a very difficult experience. I was told — in “side conversations” with management/confidential people — that I was doing a terrible thing. Instead of helping my brothers and sisters, I would lose whatever rights had been earned to date. I was torn by doubts and fears.

Through it all, Bill Fineman stood by me, and even allowed me to lean on him when I felt I couldn’t stand by myself. (Leaning on Bill consisted of putting my elbow on the top of his head.)

On the day we were going to meet with the arbitrator, Bill and I were called into a private meeting and were told by state representatives, “It had all been a misunderstanding.” I then learned that everything I had requested in my grievance would be granted.

Misunderstanding? Horse manure. The state waited to see if we were going to waffle. We didn’t. And the guy who made the difference was Bill Fineman, a man who was a giant of a person. I always said that if I had to walk down a dark alley at midnight, I would want Bill at my side. He was that good.

Somewhere up in heaven there is a special place for the union’s field reps, and Bill is there smiling, ever optimistic, ever faithful, ever strong.

I tip my hat to Bill because, without him and the other UUP/NYSUT field reps, it would have been a dull 30 years.

Happy birthday, UUP!

(Henry Geerken is a retired member of UUP. He is actively involved with the union’s Committee on Active Retired Membership and serves as a UUP professional delegate. He writes often for the union’s retiree newsletter, The Active Retiree.)