Vol. 29, No.1                                                      February 19, 2006

AN OFFER SHE CAN'T REFUSE?

After charging with her militant minions into the fray of two unsuccessful strikes (sorry, "job actions") at NYU and in support of the TWU, Barbara Bowen now seems to recognize that the PSC's membership is employed by the City University of New York. The Dear Leader apparently glanced at her official "New Caucus 'Round the Clock Stop Negotiating Watch"---which appears to keep time at a rather glacial pace---and noticed that we've been without a contract since October 31st, 2002. Hence, on Thursday, February 16th, 2006 "Battlin'" Barb led her crack team back to the bargaining table for their first full-blown session with the university since November 2005.

What Barbara brought to the table was the "Draft Conceptual Framework" for an agreement between the PSC and CUNY, which, she insists, is neither a draft, nor conceptual, nor a framework, but a done deal in all but name. (*1) That notwithstanding, there are---or were---some aspects to the DCF worthy of note. The amount of released time available for untenured faculty would have been doubled. The time-to-tenure period would have been extended from five to seven years, bringing CUNY into line with other public research universities. Since PSC Executive Council member and UFS chair Susan "Queen of Released Time" O'Malley was adamant in her opposition to this extension when first proposed, we do wonder how long she held out against it, and what was the price for her compliance.

(*1 - In her November 21st "Contract Update," the Dear Leader referred to "tentative agreements," and cautioned that "everything remains tentative." By February 2nd, however, a "framework" was now being described as "agreed upon" by November 14th. Here caution gave way to certainty and to a more solid metaphor. Here at TPR we wonder if the Dear Leader's agit-prop is edited for continuity, let alone fact-checked.)

But there were a number of troubling 2x4s in this framework as well. The New Caucus' crack negotiating team continued to whittle away at our summer annual leave, and agreed to send us back to work up to three days earlier than August 30th. In 2006, this could mean starting the term in the next to last week of the month. Not a problem, of course, for Barbara, Steve and the rest of their merry crew, who are excused from all teaching!

New Caucus negotiators also supported a scheme whereby full-time faculty would be required to hold an additional office hour per week, per term. That doesn't seem so bad until you do the "Foggy" math. Over two fifteen-week terms, we would be required to put in an additional 30 hours---or the equivalent of two-thirds of an additional course for those who teach 3-credit, 3-hour courses. Rather than lowering our contact hours, the Dear Leader tried to increase them!

In return for what, you might ask? Here the math gets even foggier, as the numbers don't seem to add up. The salary increases were either "at least 10%" or "above 12%" depending, it seems, on part-time or full-time status. At least 10% over the "more than four years" of the DCF would be less than 2.5% a year. Given the New York City area cost of living increase for that period, this figure would represent an effective PAY CUT . Nor was their much mention of increasing the steps on the salary scales, done last in August 2001. We expect that many of our readers have not seen a pay increase in over FOUR AND ONE-HALF YEARS!

Readers of The Patriot Returns shouldn't fret too much about the DCF however, since in this instance, "all that is solid melts into air." The offer that the university and representatives from N.Y. City and State have just placed on the table is something else again. The New Caucus' proposal to add 30 additional office hours a year to faculty workloads was rejected. So, too, was greater funding for sabbaticals.

The new, lower "across the board" salary offer would be in the 9% range: according to Barbara, of course. In her February 16th "Contract Report" she suggested that this increase was comparable to that won by our SUNY colleagues. The Dear Leader should have checked the PSC's website first, where the UUP's salary increases of 15% were correctly noted. (*2) But what's 6% or so among friends? And the fate of the Welfare Fund? Under the new proposal---and "Foggy London's" masterful management---it would continue to teeter on the brink on insolvency.

(*2 - We expect, alas, that this inopportune reference will soon be flushed down the memory hole. But through the wonders of the Internet Archive, it will remain available for all who care to do the research.)

Our Dear Leader's response to what could be described as a "drop dead" offer from 80th Street: a mini-lesson in political science and labor (mis)management. "Collective bargaining for public employees is a political process---it's about power," she tells us. How true, Professor Bowen, how true. As we've reported in a previous number of The Patriot, your reckless support of "Jolly Roger" Toussaint and your idiosyncratic interpretation of the Taylor Law ("Right to Organize = Right to Strike") did not sit well with those powerful public officials who sign our checks. Your arrogance and political ineptitude will now cost us even more time, and lots more money.

Well, what is to be done? From The Patriot's vantage point, the Dear Leader has but a few choices. She could stall for time, and drag out these endless, fruitless negotiations. She could sign the contract and be done with it. We doubt that this would go down very well with the long-suffering membership, however, let alone the kool-aid gulping true believers among the New Caucus. She could rev-up last year's job action referendum, but as we've seen in the case of the TWU, there is quite a difference between threatening to, and going out on, strike. To talk is cheap; to walk is not. How strong or sustained support for the Dear Leader would be is open to question in the wake of the weak turnouts for last autumn's "informational pickets."

If the space were available, she could again preach to the converted at the Cooper Union, and wave PSC placards until the wee small hours, or perhaps hold another rally at Washington Square Park, weather and the pigeons permitting. Or the Dear Leader could rant and rave while hoping that the Green Party, or some other "progressive" coalition, comes to power in New York, and banishes Matthew Goldstein, Michael Bloomberg and George Pataki to Castle William on Governor's Island.

Now that she's emerged from the PSC's Neverland on West 43rd Street, it appears that the Dear Leader has been made an offer that she can't refuse. Our friendly advice to Barbara is either to sign, to strike, or to step aside! But our expectation is that she'll do none of the above, save for cranking up the krazy kontract kampaign once more. Well, at least her old comrade-in-arms, the Giant Inflatable Rat is back from a Florida vacation, and raring to go. Smile for those mug shots, Barbara: just say "cheese!"

Is There Help On The Way?

Of late, we've been receiving e-mails from a group called the CUNY Alliance. They are quite critical of the current union leadership, and they inform us that "it's time for a change." True enough. Looking forward to the Spring 2006 PSC Executive Council elections, our preference would be ABB: anyone but Bowen. But veteran readers of The Patriot Returns will recall our colossal blunder in the Spring of 2000. At that time, we supported Barbara and the New Caucus as the candidates with "new leadership, fresh ideas and renewed energies."

Sharad Karkhanis, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus

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