Nina Mitchell: Two earn UUP’s award of distinction

This year’s recipients of UUP’s Nina Mitchell Award for Distinguished Service epitomize academic unionism. Characterized by their colleagues as “fighters” for the cause, they share a deep commitment to their union and to their University.

The 2002 recipients are Judith Bird of SUNY Farmingdale and former statewide Vice President for Academics Henry Steck of SUNY Cortland.

The Mitchell award was established to recognize UUPers who have served the union with distinction. It is named after the late Nina Mitchell, a veteran unionist from Brooklyn HSC.

Judith Bird

Loyal. Courageous. Dedicated. Invaluable. These are just a few of the words used to describe Judith Bird, a librarian at Farmingdale.

Bird is one of the “most dedicated and courageous members of UUP,” said Robert Reganse, a longtime friend and fellow Farmingdale unionist. “Judi is one of the famous ‘Farmingdale Five.’ She, along with four other members of the UUP Farming-dale leadership, received a notice of discipline for organizing a demonstration during contract negotiations. This is the only time, to my knowledge, that union leaders were disciplined for union activities.”

Bird’s union service extends from Long Island to Albany. She is an award-winning chapter newsletter editor and continues to serve as the chapter’s library representative. She has served as chapter vice president for academics, secretary and grievance chair, as well as a UUP liaison to nearly a dozen campus committees.

Statewide, Bird is an 11-year member of the Finance Committee and is a past member of the Negotiations, Constitutional Study, Membership, Elections and Creden-tials, and Librarian Leave committees.

A UUP, NYSUT and AFT delegate, Bird earned the New York state/UUP Excellence Award in 1991.

“The bedrock of all Judi’s work is her gracious manner,” said UUPer Vicki Janik of Farmingdale. She also has “integrity and a willing dependability. ... Members of the chapter know that Judi always helps, Judi always shows principled decency and Judi’s … agenda is always guided by a respect for union ideals and service to others.”

Henry Steck

In nominating Henry Steck for the award, the UUP Cortland executive board said the distinguished service professor of political science has “articulated a model of unionism that puts academic values — open and honest discourse, protection of the autonomy of academics and professionals, a willingness to be more academic and ‘intellectual’ in our style of work — at the core of UUP’s identity. … (He has) worked hard to establish the legitimacy of unionism as a vehicle for the advancement of University workers and bringing a scholarly culture to blend with union work.”

Steck has a long and distinguished career as a union activist and intellectual leader. In addition to serving as statewide vice president from 1996-2000, he was a member of the Executive Board for six years and was a NYSUT director for four. He was a member of the union’s statewide Negotia-tions, University Development, and Future of SUNY committees. He was officer liaison to the Part-time Concerns, Research, and Technology in Higher Education committees, and served on the Task Force on Teacher Education and the Joint Labor/Management Technology and Continuity of Employment committees.

Steck has been chapter vice president for academics since 1979, with the exception of 1983-1987 when he was chapter president.

He was an AFT delegate for 18 years and still serves as a UUP and NYSUT delegate. “Only a handful of UUPers have served the union in so many roles and so effectively for such a long time,” UUP President William Scheuerman said. “I can’t emphasize how rare it is to find an individual with such long-term and comprehensive service to our union.”

— Karen L. Mattison