June 22, 2023

The UUP Negotiations Committee overwhelmingly approved UUP’s tentative agreement with the state for a new four-year contract June 21, an important step that sends the proposal to the UUP membership for a ratification vote.

That vote on the tentative agreement—which contains across-the-board raises, increased retention awards based on length of service, higher per-course minimum payment for contingents, job security gains, new parental leave benefits and $1 billion in new money for UUP members—will be held between Aug. 10 and Aug. 24.

“This took an amazing amount of work,” UUP President Fred Kowal told the Committee members at their meeting at the Crowne Plaza Albany—the Desmond Hotel in Albany County. “It’s a really good agreement. What we wanted to do in this round was lift up those who are economically disadvantaged, our members in the hospitals and contingents. We got Paid Parental Leave, a huge historic gain. We got longevity pay. These are some historic gains.”

“I think that we have bargained a principled contract and a contract that achieves substantial gains in a lot of areas,” said Chief Negotiator Bret Benjamin, who led the four-hour presentation.

Contract works for all, lifts those with less

Key points in the tentative agreement include:
• Across-the-board raises, with a 2% raise for 2022 and 3% raises for 2023 through 2025;
• Retention awards that will be on-base salary increases based on length of service for full-time employees who work seven years, and then 12 years;
• Increases in the per-course minimum payment for contingents, with contingents at University centers and health sciences centers reaching $6,000 per three credit course by 2026, and contingents at comprehensive and technical campuses reaching $5,500 a course by 2026;
• Living wage increases which raise minimum salaries for UUP’s lowest-paid academic ranks and professional grades;
• An increased location adjustment pay for members who live on Long Island, in New York City and much of the Hudson Valley;
• For members at the three SUNY hospitals, a choice between holiday pay or comp time for all state holidays, with the default being holiday pay; and an increase in on-call pay;
• Notable increases in Joint Labor Management Committee (JLMC) funding with a provision to continue the JLMC Committee programs after the contract expires instead of sunsetting with contract expiration as they have historically done;
• Paid Parental Leave, which will be added to the contract in addition to the existing Paid Family Leave. Paid Parental Leave provides 12 weeks of leave at full pay for birth, adoption or foster placement, taken anytime within the seven months; the new leave can be taken in addition to or instead of existing leave benefits.
• No increases in basic health insurance costs, including premiums and co-payments;
• Job security gains for contingent faculty with progressively longer-term appointments for part-time and full-time employees; commitment to ongoing discussion to create Lecturer ranks and to create conversion paths from part-time to full-time employment and from contingent to permanent employment;
• Expansion of the Productivity Enhancement Programs, which allows members to reduce their health insurance premium deduction;
• Improvements in the Sick Leave Cap, the medical documentation policy for absences and improvements in the Leave Donation Program and leave accrual rates for part-time academics;
• Agreements to review professional titles and SL salary grade; and
• Expansion of a program that allows members to take courses for free at SUNY if space is available; this benefit has allowed many members to earn additional degrees at no cost.

Benjamin said that the Negotiations Team fended off many harmful proposals by the state, including proposals for a post-tenure review and to establish mandatory drug and alcohol testing for members.

“It’s not just the gains you make; it’s what you keep out of the contract,” Benjamin said.

The Negotiations Team negotiates the contract. The Negotiations Committee, made up of one member from each UUP chapter and two at-large part-time members, must approve the agreement before it can go to members for ratification.

Members now vote on ratification

The ratification vote will be conducted electronically for the first time; MK Election Services will conduct the vote. Electronic voting will open at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 10 and close at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 24. More details can be found on UUP’s password-protected Members Only portal, HERE.

Before the vote, Kowal, Benjamin and Negotiations Team members will travel to each of UUP’s 32 chapters to explain the tentative contract to members in detail. Statewide virtual town hall sessions will also be held to allow all UUP members to review the agreement and ask questions.

Chapter visits begin June 26 at SUNY New Paltz for New Paltz Chapter members; check UUP’s website for a complete schedule.