To the Point:

It's up to us

By William E. Scheuerman
UUP President

Let’s cut to the chase. This is likely to be one tough year for SUNY and UUP, and we need your help. Here’s why:

This past fiscal year was pretty bad, but the state’s “rainy day fund” and a number of one-shot fixes by our elected officials prevented really terrible things from happening. Next year, the state won’t have a “rainy day” fund on which to rely. It’s gone. That’s too bad because economists claim that the next fiscal year may be the worst in New York’s history. Some are projecting a state budget shortfall of $10 billion or more! They base their forecasts on the economic impact of the terrorist acts of Sept. 11, which exaggerated the impact of the economic recession — a recession that shows no signs of letting up. Let’s also not forget that back-loaded tax cuts for the wealthy continue to kick in, further reducing state revenues.

If all this isn’t bad enough, the timing for a horrible fiscal year couldn’t be worse for SUNY. This last year was pretty bad, but SUNY managed to escape mostly intact largely because this is an election year. The sensitive side of politicians tends to surface during election years. They do what they can to reduce pain because pained constituents are angry constituents and we all know how angry constituents vote. But guess what? Next year is an off-election year. Those bad SUNY budgets of the past may start looking good to us if we don’t act soon.

Some of us may respond with personal solutions, such as taking a job at another university, denying a problem exists, getting depressed or any one of a range of reactions. But treating a public issue as a personal problem prevents us from addressing the causes of the problem. And the future of SUNY is indeed a serious public issue. UUP is SUNY’s primary advocate and it’s up to us to address the public issue of SUNY’s future. If we fail and SUNY takes major budget hits and students are denied access, the state of New York will long suffer the consequences, making economic recovery even more difficult.

Now, here’s what you can do to help:

• UUP is a non-partisan organization that supports elected officials who support SUNY. It’s an election year and we’re about to set up phone banks and other activities to help our political friends. Take an evening and give us a hand.
• During the winter and spring months, we’re always searching for volunteers to participate in pro-SUNY letter-writing campaigns. So write a letter.
• Throughout the year, we bring hundreds of UUPers to Albany to state SUNY’s case to legislators. Join us at the state Capitol.
• Get involved in chapter activities. UUP is SUNY’s best friend. We make a difference. Chapter elections are coming up in the spring. Run for a chapter position. Your involvement makes us stronger and more effective.
• UUP is always looking for bright new leaders. We hold workshops for new leaders throughout the year. Attend one of these sessions and you’ll learn a lot about your union, the issues we face and what we’re doing to make SUNY a better place.
• Are you a UUP member? About 90 percent of our full-timers are, but some folks aren’t and don’t even know it. Look at your next pay stub. If it says “UUP Member 21P or 26P,” you’re a card-carrying member. If it says “UUP Fee Payer 21P or 26P,” then you need to sign up.
• UUP members, talk to your colleagues who are non-members. The more informed all members of the SUNY community are, the stronger we are as we make our case in the Capitol and at the bargaining table.