PSC urges more state investment in CUNY
The Professional Staff Congress, at a mid-January rally in midtown Manhattan, continued its press for full funding for the City University of New York, calling CUNY a lifeline of opportunity for working class New Yorkers, immigrants and people of color. Since the Great Recession of 2008, the four-year CUNY colleges have lost 14 percent of their state funding.
"CUNY should be at the center of any plan for a progressive future for New York," said PSC President Barbara Bowen. "CUNY represents many New Yorkers' best chance to overcome the deep racialized gaps in opportunity and income that divide our city." The state must also recognize the value and contributions of CUNY faculty, who haven't had a raise in five years, Bowen said.
"NYSUT's officers and every one of NYSUT's more than 600,000 members stand in solidarity with the PSC in its fight to end years of hardship with a contract that recognizes the exceptional work they do on behalf of CUNY students," said NYSUT President Karen E. Magee.
UUP campaign: Adjuncts deserve better wages
United University Professions called attention to the poverty-level salaries of adjunct faculty at the State University of New York in a statewide ad campaign that ran in January. The ad emphasizes SUNY's overreliance on adjuncts, who struggle to earn a living wage.
"The ongoing fight to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour would not be complete without addressing the economic injustice adjuncts have been suffering for years," said UUP President Fred Kowal. The 30-second TV spot features three SUNY adjunct faculty members proudly declaring their academic qualifications and experiences on camera. In case you missed it, the ad can be viewed at http://goo.gl/DvTLkF.