August 26, 2025

Momentum toward the start of negotiations with the state for the next UUP contract continued to build Aug. 26 with the Negotiations Team’s only planned live members listening session, which drew strong attendance from Albany Chapter members.

“This is the most important thing we do as a union—to negotiate a contract, to get the best possible salary and benefits in the state of New York,” UUP President Fred Kowal told the gathering. “It’s important for us to be unified; it’s important for us to be together, to support our principles. The most important of these principles is to negotiate a contract.”

UUP hopes to begin negotiations with the state by October, Chief Negotiator Bret Benjamin said. The current contract expires July 1, 2026.

Some 75 Albany Chapter members attended the live UAlbany session, both in-person and virtually. Benjamin gave an overview of the steps toward a new contract with the state and said the union is highly motivated to move forward, given the many uncertainties facing higher education in an era of attacks from the federal administration.

“The first steps in that process involve hearing what matters to members. The Negotiations Team is compiling that information through its listening sessions and one-on-one exchanges with members who use the Contract@uupmail.org address to submit ideas and concerns (Benjamin mentioned that he reads and responds to every email).

The Team is also urging members to fill out and submit an online survey chapter help the Team better understand members’ priorities for the new contract. Click HERE for the Albany Chapter survey. Links to the other chapter surveys are below.

Attendees asked many questions on topics ranging from nuts-and-bolts issues of the contract to more esoteric inquiries about whether the contract addresses what members sometimes perceive as egregious practices and policies by management.

Benjamin listened closely. He acknowledged that while the latter concern is difficult to eradicate, a strong contract that protects academic freedom and creates as many job protections as possible are practical steps that the union can and should address in negotiations.

“We will try in every possible way,” he told Albany Chapter members.

The Team has scheduled three statewide virtual listening sessions for members who miss their chapter forum or just want to attend to find out more about the negotiations process. Those meetings are scheduled at noon on Sept. 16 and Sept. 22; and at 4 p.m. on Sept. 19.

Click HERE to register for those sessions.

Registration and survey links for upcoming chapter listening sessions are below:

Aug. 28: Canton, Plattsburgh and Potsdam, noon. Register HERE. Canton survey HERE. Plattsburgh survey HERE. Potsdam survey HERE.

Aug. 28: Cobleskill, Delhi and Morrisville, 4 p.m. Register HERE. Cobleskill survey HERE. Delhi survey HERE. Morrisville survey HERE.

Sept. 2: Buffalo State and Fredonia, noon. Register HERE. Buffalo State survey HERE. Fredonia survey HERE.

Sept. 8: Binghamton, noon. Register HERE. Survey HERE.

Sept. 9: Stony Brook, noon. Register HERE. Survey HERE.

Sept. 10: Alfred, Brockport and Geneseo, noon. Register HERE. Alfred survey HERE. Brockport survey HERE. Geneseo survey HERE.

Sept. 10: ESF, Oswego and SUNY Polytechnic, 4 p.m. Register HERE. ESF survey HERE. Oswego survey HERE. Polytechnic survey HERE.

Sept. 15: Farmingdale, Maritime and Old Westbury, noon. Register HERE. Farmingdale survey HERE. Maritime survey HERE. Old Westbury survey HERE.

Sept. 15: Empire State and System Administration, 4 p.m. Register HERE. Empire State survey HERE. System Administration survey HERE.