News and Events

7.22.08: Pay Bill Update

Dear All...

The "Message from the President" on the UUP [state] website (see the right-hand column) has been updated to contain the very latest pay dates information. The most recent addition is information on the $500 Service Award for Part-Time Employees.

Please share this update widely. The direct link is: http://uupinfo.org/payinfo.html

Please examine your Pay Check of July 23 carefully. If you find any discrepancies, please contact me directly via psmith@uupmail.org

Thank you...

Phil Smith

6.25.08: Pay Bill Details!

Just moments ago, I confirmed with SUNY and GOER that all aspects of the UUP pay increases are moving forward. SUNY has appraised their HR Directors of this information.

Here are the details:

1. The retroactive 3% increase (back to 7/2 or 9/1 of '07) will be paid in the Pay Period closest to July 1. For 26-pay period employees this will be paid on July 23rd. For 21-pay period employees this will be paid on Sept. 17th.

2. The 3% salary increase effective July 2, '08 will be paid on July 23rd (for 26-pay employees) or on Sept. 17th. (for 21-pay employees).

3. Employees eligible for the location stipend will see an increase in their check of July 23rd (for 26-pay employees) or on Sept. 17th. (for 21-pay employees).

4. Employees eligible for Inconvenience Pay will see an increase in their check of July 23rd (for 26-pay employees) or on Sept. 17th. (for 21-pay employees).

5. Employees who received Continuing or Permanent Appointment (or are in the second of a 5-year term appointment) since July 2, 2007 will receive a $500 increase. Payments will appear as above for 26- or 21-pay employees.

6. The $500 payment to Part-time employees eligible for the Contractual Service Award will be made on a date determined on a campus-by-campus basis.

The pay changes described above are valid for the majority of employees where Payroll changes can be effected at the Office of the State Comptroller. Some changes for certain employees may need to be done manually at the local campus.

To clarify and draw the distinction between the 26 and 21 pay-periods as well as the academic and calendar/college year terms of obligation, please see the following:

Members on an academic year term of obligation on a 26 payroll cycle will receive the retroactive payments in the check dated July 23, 2008.

Members on an academic year term of obligation on a 21 payroll cycle will receive the retroactive payments in the check dated September 4, 2008.

Members on a calendar year, or college year, term of obligation on a 26 payroll cycle will receive the retroactive payments in the check dated July 23, 2008.

Members on an academic year term of obligation on a 26 payroll cycle will begin to receive the prospective payments (effective September 1, 2008) in the check dated October 1, 2008.

Members on an academic year term of obligation on a 21 payroll cycle will begin to receive the prospective payments (effective September 1, 2008) in the check dated September 17, 2008.

Members on a calendar year, or college year, term of obligation on a 26 payroll cycle will begin to receive the prospective payments (effective July 2, 2008) in the check dated July 23, 2008.

Additional information will be provided as it becomes available. Please feel free to call (800-342-4206) or email me (psmith@uupmail.org) with any questions.

Phil

6.10.08: Pay Bill News

Colleagues....

I know that you've all been anxiously awaiting more news on the Pay Bill. As I informed you earlier, the Gov.'s Office has sent the bill to the Legislature, and it is now moving through the committee structure of both the Senate and Assembly. We've been monitoring it on a daily basis, and everything is "on track." Based on the legislative agenda, it seems doubtful that it will be passed this week. But...we fully expect it to pass sometime next week. The next step after passage by the legislature will be the release of a Pay Bulletin from the Comptroller's Office. We're assured that this bulletin will come approximately one week following passage of the Pay Bill.

Obviously, I can't give you a solid date when the retroactive and contractual increase will "arrive" in your Paycheck. However, given that a Pay Bulletin from the Comptroller's Office may not appear until the third week of June, it seems a "good guess" that both the retroactive and contractual increases may be paid at about the same time. Indeed, if both increases are paid in the same Pay Period, there may some impact on your Income Tax Withholdings. Therefore, I would recommend that you consult with a tax professional to seek advice on how to minimize any tax consequences.

Of course, when the Pay Bill is passed...and when the Comptroller issues the Pay Bulletin, I will alert you and give you much more solid information on pay dates, etc.

Thank you for your patience....

In union,

Phil

5.16.08: UUP Annual Membership Meeting Wednesday, June 18, 2008

UUP Upstate Medical University Chapter will hold its annual membership meeting on Wednesday, June 18, 2008 at 12:00 in Room 2231 Weiskotten Hall. Come to learn about what is happening in UUP, ask your questions to the officers, share your concerns and issues.

All members are invited. Lunch will be provided; we ask that you RSVP to the chapter office at 422.5028 or email syracuse@uupmail.org so that we can have an accurate count for lunch. Please let us know by Friday, June 13 if you plan to attend.

Hope to see you there!

4.30.08: Carl Pettengill named Chapter Vice President for Professionals!

I am pleased to announce that Carl Pettengill has been elected UUP Upstate Medical Chapter's Vice President for Professionals. Please join me in congratulating Carl in his new role in our chapter.

Carol V. Braund
President, UUP Upstate Medical Chapter

4.30.08: Send a fax NOW!!!

From UUP President Phil Smith:

Colleagues:

We need your help! Please take a few minutes to go to UUP's Website and send a fax to the Governor. We need to show him that UUP will not stand by while he withholds $110 million in SUNY revenue!

To fax the Governor, click here. If you need more detailed instructions, please see below.

We haven't added a "Fax to your Legislator" yet because we're working on "stimulating" Legislators in another way. You can send a fax a day (or more) to the Governor and I encourage you to do so and ask your colleagues to do the same!

In Solidarity,
Phil

Detailed Instructions:

Go to UUP's homepage www.uupinfo.org. Under Call to Action on the right-side of the page you will see two links to fax the Governor. One link is for UUP members and other link is for NYS residents who are not UUP members. Both links bring you to the NYSUT fax page. Once on the NYSUT Website, follow these steps:

1. Click "select this letter" on the middle of the page, this will bring you to a new page
2. Click "send faxes" on the right side of this page, this will bring you to a new page
3. Enter your zip code in the box provided on this page, click on the arrow next to "Look up Representatives"
4. On this page, fill out your information in the boxes provided, and click "Send Faxes" located in the middle of the page.

After you send your fax, you will see a page that says "Your faxes have been successfully sent" on the top. If you are using a public computer, click on "Click here to clear your personal information", at the bottom of the list that appears in the middle of page. Otherwise, the computer will remember your information and representative for next time.

4.24.08: Announcement from UUP Individual Development Awards Committee

A message regarding the Request for Individual Development Award Applications from the chairs of the Individual Development Awards Committee is available on the 'Benefits/Links' page of this site.

4.8.08: Vol. XIV, No. 1 of the Advisor published!

The latest issue of The Advisor should be hitting mailboxes as you read this. Please make sure and read the candidate statements for the upcoming election for our Chapter's Vice President for Professionals before submitting your ballot. Ballots will be arriving just a few days after The Advisor. Click on the link below to download a PDF copy (Adobe® Reader required)

Click here to download a PDF copy of the Advisor

3.30.08: SUNY Needs Your Help NOW!

The time has come for all of us to step up and help ensure that SUNY receives a decent budget for the upcoming year. We need EVERYBODY to contact their legislator and tell them that cutting SUNY is NOT ACCEPTABLE!

At the moment, Senate and Assembly leaders are trying to reach a so-called "table target" for the Higher Education Budget. The problem: There's only $90 million available for ALL of Higher Ed. That includes BOTH public and private institutions. As of late last evening, it appeared that the Higher Ed. Committee was at an impasse, which means that the decision might likely go to what they call "The Mother Ship." That means that the funding issue may be decided by the "three men in a room" concept. This could mean more money for Higher Ed....BUT...it could mean less!

With so few dollars available for Higher Ed., it's quite likely that this year's CUT to SUNY may exceed 5%! That's well below the originally projected cuts AND it eliminates any "adds" that the Legislature had proposed earlier.

Please ask everyone you know to contact their Legislator! It's not all that difficult or time-consuming.

You can "Fax Your Legislator" by clicking this link:

Fax Your Legislator NOW!

Please select the letters entitled: "Take Action on the SUNY, CUNY, and Community Colleges Higher Education Budget" and "Fully Fund SUNY Full-Time Faculty Now." After selecting the letters, click on the "Send Faxes" button on the right-hand side of the page. (If for some reason, the link above doesn't work for you, please go to www.uupinfo.org and follow the "Call to Action" link on the right-hand side.)

Or...you may call your Legislator by dialing: 1-877-255-9417.

Please know this is not just "Crying Wolf!" This is REAL and SUNY needs our help NOW!

I won't nag....I promise!

Phil Smith

3.26.08: UUP Places TV Ad in Several Markets

As we head toward the "final count-down" on the NYS Budget, UUP has placed a new TV ad in several markets. Plus, we've added "sponsorship spots" on various NPR stations, especially in the Albany market. Additionally, we're placing a full-page ad in the "Legislative Gazette," aimed at bringing our message to legislators.

Our message: SUNY needs more funding to support more academic and professional faculty...AND..funding for SUNY is "Spending Smart."

As listed below, you should be able to see the TV ad in your locale.

Please help in this effort by contacting your local legislator and insisting on his/her support to properly fund SUNY. Here's a direct link to the NYSUT Fax Your Legislator page: click here. (Please pass this link on to friends and colleagues, too!)

If we all pull together, we have a good chance of "pulling this off."

Thanks....

Phil

You can see a Windows Media file of the TV ad here

Here's the run down of network and cable TV stations showing our new advocacy ad. You'll be most likely to see the broadcast ads during the news segments in early morning (around Good Morning America, the Today show, etc.) and during the 5:00pm, 6:00pm, 10:00pm and 1:001pm newscasts. The ads run at various times during the day on the cable stations.

There are a total of 18 broadcast channels and 23 cable stations as follows:

WTEN-TV ABC 10 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
WRGB-TV CBS 6 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
WXXA-TV FOX 23 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY
WICZ-TV FOX 40 Binghamton, NY
WBNG-TV CBS 12 Binghamton, NY
WIVT-TV ABC 34 Binghamton, NY
WBGH-CA NBC 20 Binghamton, NY
WGRZ-TV NBC 2 Buffalo, NY
WIVB-TV CBS 4 Buffalo, NY
WNLO-TV The CW 23 Buffalo, NY
WHAM-TV ABC 13 Rochester, NY
WROC-TV CBS 8 Rochester, NY
WHEC-TV NBC 10 Rochester, NY
WSTM-TV NBC 3 Syracuse, NY
WSYT-TV FOX 68 Syracuse, NY
WTVH-TV CBS 5 Syracuse, NY
WSYR-TV ABC 9 Syracuse, NY
WSTQ-TX The CW 14 Syracuse, NY

Below are the Channel Lineup for the Cable Systems we purchased in Long Island and NYC:

Cablevision - Brookhaven
12 News 12 Long Island
23 MSNBC
25 CNN
27 Discovery Channel
28 The Learning Channel
37 TNT
38 USA
39 TBS
45 Lifetime
47 History Channel

Cablevision Brooklyn
1 NY1
12 News 12 Long Island
23 MSNBC
25 CNN
27 Discovery Channel
28 The Learning Channel
37 TNT
38 USA
39 TBS
45 Lifetime
47 History Channel

Time Warner Brooklyn/Queens
1 NY1
10 CNN

3.13.08: Results of UUP Contract Ratification Vote - 97.6% in Favor!

I'm pleased to report that the American Arbitration Association has conveyed to us the results of the ratification vote on the UUP Tentative Agreement.

The results are: 10,297 votes YES; 249 votes NO; 33 ballots INVALID. Of the 10,546 valid votes cast, the overall ratification percentage is 97.6% in favor of the new contract.

My sincere thanks to Fred Floss, VP for Academics and Chief Negotiator, and to the entire Negotiations Team and Negotiations Committee for a job WELL DONE! I also thank all of you who voted in this extremely important balloting process.

Please also know that we do not anticipate any unusual roadblocks to our implementation process, based on the recent changes of NYS leadership surrounding Governor Spitzer's resignation.

I'll advise you ASAP, as more details become available on implementation dates and programs.

Phillip H. Smith,
President UUP

Discretionary Raises are in!

The list of 2007 Discretionary Awards for chapter members has been made public. You can download a PDF copy (Adobe® Reader required) by clicking here.

Parking Agreement Reached

United University Professions (UUP) has reached an agreement with SUNY Upstate Medical University that sets new monthly parking rates for parking garages and surface lots. You can read all the details by clicking here.