Vol. 26, No.2                                                      October 24, 2005

PSC MEMBERS DESERVE A BETTER CONTRACT!
IF SHE CAN'T DELIVER,

BOWEN MUST RESIGN ON NOV. 4

Randy Weingarten of the UFT got from $81,000 to $93,000 maximum for the teachers on the top of the scale; from $39,000 to $41,000 for a new teacher; and from $27,000 to $32,000 with Bachelor's degree for paraprofessionals. In the New York Metro of October 6, Barbara Bowen claimed that, "If salaries kept up with inflation, the top salary for a full professor would be $147,000, not $93,501, and an assistant professor's starting salary would be $78,000, not 48,000."

This is an increase of approximately 57% for professors, and 62% for assistant professors. Now, we hate to admit but we here at the Patriot agree with Barbara that our wages at CUNY should at least be keeping up with the inflation rate. We, therefore, demand that you, Barbara, get an across the board cost of living increase of at least a 60% cost in the compensation part of the package (to see what OUR SALARIES should be, please CLICK HERE), along with improvements in other areas listed below including monies for the Welfare fund. We deserve this package for the sacrifices that we have made for you, as well as for following the dubious directions you have provided in the current contract campaign.

In response to your repeated calls, requests and appeals for support we marched with you, Ms. Bowen, in front of the Chancellor's house and Chairman Schmidt's office in Manhattan; we yelled, screamed, shouted slogans and carried the heavy protest signs demonstrating in front of the Board of Trustees and demanding a fair contract; we listened patiently to your impassioned speech at the "Mass Rally"; and year after year, on your recommendations but against our wishes, we voted for the losing candidates in elections here in New York. We did all of this in the hope that you could and would get us a fair contract.

NOW IF YOU CAN NOT AND WILL NOT GET THESE IMPROVEMENTS, WE RESPECTFULLY ASK YOU TO BE GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO STEP ASIDE AND RESIGN FROM THE PRESIDENCY OF THE PSC. YOUR STEPPING ASIDE WILL ALLOW SOMEONE ELSE--HOPEFULLY MORE COMPETENT--TO NEGOTIATE A CONTRACT.

OTHER IMPROVEMENTS:

1. DURATION: No more than a 3-year Contract.

2. WELFARE FUND: A contribution of $150 million dollar each year

3. FULL TIME TEACHING FACULTY: A) Six contact hours per semester, B) Two days a week schedule, C) Summer vacation from May 15 to Sept 14, D) All legal holidays, Xmas and Thanksgiving recess, E) All CUNY units on 12/6 12/6 schedule. F) 30 days sick leave, unrestricted accumulation, and unused sick pay to be paid at retirement.

4. HEOs, CLTs, COUNSELORS, LIBRARIANS and all others in unit. A) Four-days-a- week, six hours a day flexible schedule. B) Vacation for Counselors and librarians from May 15 to Sept. 14; C) For all others, including HEO's, forty days vacation a year with unrestricted accumulation, and unused vacation paid at retirement. D) Sick leave: (3O) THIRTY days a year with unrestricted accumulation, and unused sick leave paid at retirement.

5. CONVERSION OF HEO's: In Library and Counseling Depts., all HEO's to be converted to tenure bearing professorial titles.

6. ADJUNCTS: A) Allow them to teach a maximum of three courses or nine credit hours each semester at one or more units of CUNY, B) Sick leave of 5 days per course a semester with unrestricted accumulation. Unused days be paid at the termination. C) Welfare benefits including prescription drugs, dental, eye glasses etc., same as fulltime employees D) Availability of travel funds for conferences, meetings, etc.

7. TRAVEL FUNDS: Allotment of $50,000 per Department, per year for each unit in CUNY.

8. SABBATICALS: 25% of the members of the Department at each college be permitted to receive full-pay sabbaticals.

9. RETIREMENTS AND PENSIONS: A) CUNY must participate in all future early retirement buy outs B) Members of the unit hired after 1973 be allowed to retire with no penalty at age 55 with 25 years of service instead of current practice requiring them to wait until they turn 62 to retire with full pension.

10. DISTINGUISHED PROFESSORSHIPS: Allotment of minimum of five each year at each unit of CUNY.

11. PARKING AND COPYING: free parking and library photocopying privileges to all members of the unit.
    

THE RUMOR COLUMN

"Big Barbara Is Watching You"

As we have noted in recent numbers of The Patriot Returns, Battlin' Barb and her militant minions have heated up their Krazy Kontract Kampaign to a fever pitch. Non-negotiable demands have been made [sure beats the heck out of hard collective bargaining], mass rallies have been staged, petitions have been circulated, and now "informational pickets" will be going up around the university. We hear, and fear, that Barbara and her bellowing posse will be making personal appearances across the campuses of CUNY in the last days of October. Trick or treat, anyone?

Yet in addition to these seemingly harmless, and to date useless theatrics, the Krazy Kontract Kampaign has an insidious side as well. Barbara's campus strike commissars---appointed to by-pass chapter chairs and executive committees---are talking up the "job action" and tallying up friends and foes. They are compiling dossiers on the PSC's long suffering membership, and putting pressure on CUNY's most vulnerable: the adjuncts and the untenured. This is bad, and sad, enough. [Where is Bill Crain when we need him?]

But now we've heard rumors that on those campuses where support for the threatened strike is wavering or weak, the commissars will be recruiting picketers from outside of the ranks of CUNY faculty and staff. Just imagine---bringing in pickets for pay! Finks for a fee!! And should some fool hearty few have the temerity to disagree with Battlin' Barb, Rantin' Nancy and "Foggy" London, we hear that they will be sending in the goons.

"There once was a Union Maid,
who made us all afraid,
of goons and ginks,
and work-for-fee finks,
and a PSC committee who are overpaid."

Remember, dear readers, BIG BARBARA IS WATCHING YOU!

Salary Schedules in accordance With Pres. Bowen's Bragging of 60% raise. 2002-05

(Click here to see your salary based on Barbara's Proposal)

THIS IS WHAT BARBARA MUST GET, OR ELSE, SHE MUST RESIGN.

Sharad Karkhanis, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus

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