2001 Fall DA:

Term limits lifted

Delegates to the 2001 Fall Delegate Assembly put their faith in the union’s leadership and the democratic process, taking the bold step of lifting term limits for statewide officers.

A record-setting 289 delegates gathered at the Huntington Hilton on Long Island voted 190-90 to amend the union’s constitution; officers will continue to serve two-year terms, but no longer will be required to step down after five terms.

Proponents of the measure argued that “democracy” rather than “policy” should guide the union.

“I am opposed to term limits because I have come to realize just how undemocratic they really are,” said Brooklyn HSC Chapter Vice President for Professionals Barbara Habenstreit, one of 19 delegates to debate the issue for nearly an hour. “In New York City, we’re discovering this right now. ... In a time of major catastrophe in the city, we’re going to lose all of our experienced elected leaders because they’ve been term limited. And we don’t have any choice in the matter. ... I feel that I’ve lost my right of free choice, and I want to see term limits repealed — both in my city and in my union.”

Other action

In other business, delegates:

• Remembered the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and honored unionists’ heroic relief and recovery efforts.
• Honored four longtime UUP activists with the Nina Mitchell Award for Distinguished Ser-vice. The 2001 recipients are: David Kreh, SUNY Cortland; Michael Smiles, SUNY Farmingdale; Ivan Steen, SUNY Albany; and Edward VanDuzer, SUNY Brockport.
• Awarded Link scholarships to three SUNY undergraduate students.
• Presented the Outstanding Retiree Award to Horace Ivey of the Upstate Medical University chapter in Syracuse.
• Were given the opportunity to see a special screening of “Bread and Roses,” a feature-length film on the 1999 struggle for union recognition of 50,000 immigrant workers in Los Angeles.
  The film was presented by the union’s statewide Solidarity Committee.
• OK’d a resolution submitted by the Potsdam chapter that would provide the opportunity for credit union deductions for retirees in all state retirement systems.
  The resolution asks UUP to seek legislative or other means to make these deductions possible and to urge its state and national affiliates to add this to their legislative programs.
  A similar resolution calling on UUP to seek legislation that would allow VOTE/COPE deductions to be withdrawn from state retirement systems was also approved.
• Referred to the Executive Board a resolution on extra-service, summer teaching and similar service.
  The resolution, submitted by the Potsdam chapter, seeks administrative or legislative action so that the system of administrative costs added to extra-service and summer teaching be changed to stop duplicative payments for health benefits; eliminate treatment of individual courses as free-standing accounts; and reflect actual pension contributions.
  The resolution also wants the state to reimburse employees for all past duplicative payments.
• Heard from eight UUPers on the use and abuse of Internet resources by students during the Academic Delegates Meeting.
  The discussion, titled “Online Learning: Context, Opportunity and Challenge,” was moderated by UUP VP for Academics Phil Smith. Also on the panel were: Vince Aceto, Albany; Ora James Bouey, Stony Brook HSC; Kelly Brennan, Brockport; Richard Butler, ESC; Tom Judd, Oswego; Richard Reeder, Stony Brook; and Ezra Zubrow, SUNY Buffalo.
  Check out future editions of The Voice for more on this topic.
• Heard from SUNY Cortland UUPer Jamie Dangler, who discussed the union’s ongoing efforts to develop a family-friendly family leave policy.
  Dangler, an associate professor of sociology, is working with UUP VP for Professionals John Marino and others to craft a survey on members’ family leave experiences.
  UUP will distribute the survey through chapter leaders later this semester.
• Threw their support behind a resolution urging UUP members and the NYSUT Political Action Committee to lobby school boards to “implement the intent of the sweat-free schools agenda.”
  The Legislation Committee, which submitted the resolution, is also lobbying for SUNY and CUNY to be added to the recently adopted sweat-free schools legislation, which permits — but does not mandate — school districts to include sweatshop criteria when seeking bids for the purchase of school clothing.
• Had an opportunity to try a few techniques on stress management, including a demonstration of Qigong breathing exercises. Delegates were able to have their blood pressure checked by SUNY Farmingdale UUPers Kathy Devine, Audrey Krapf and Liz Colgan, and visit with Reiki practitioner Dolores Ciaccio, also a UUP member.
• Raised nearly $400 through pink-ribbon pin sales to benefit SUNY’s Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund. UUPer Doris Weisman of Stony Brook HSC coordinated the pin sale.

— Karen L. Mattison