Vol. 30, No.1                                                      March 15, 2006

WELFARE FUND WOES

The Patriot Returns has followed with interest the debate between the New Caucus and the CUNY Alliance over the apparent mismanagement of the Welfare Fund in the past six years. There are three questions we'd like to see answered, so as to give the membership a better way of determining the true state of affairs regarding CUNY's health care.

The questions:

1.) In the previous round of contract negotiations, why did New Caucus negotiators fail even to ASK for more dollars for the Welfare Fund, and how much of the decline in current Welfare Fund reserves from more than $15 million to $2 million in the last six years can be attributed to that mistake?

2.) Why did Welfare Fund guru Steve "Foggy" London recently tell a PSC member that in its six years of rule, the New Caucus has "never put out misleading information nor lied to the membership"--- when he knew that statement was untrue?

The untruth: On page 11 of the May 2004 Clarion, "Foggy" stated that "the adjunct account [is] in balance . . . [it has] enough income to cover expenses." In fact, the adjunct fund was running an annual deficit of more than $1.285 million. Covering this deficit required dipping into the Welfare Fund reserves, accelerating the Fund's path toward bankruptcy.

3.) Welfare Fund administrator Larry Morgan's salary bonus (an 8% raise even after the Welfare Fund reserves diminished on his watch) has become an issue of contention between the CUNY Alliance and the New Caucus. In a letter on official WF letterhead dated Feb. 23, Morgan defended the New Caucus position against CUNY Alliance allegations. Given that the dues of all members pay Morgan's (suddenly more generous) salary, is it proper for him to intervene in the campaign to defend the slate whose members voted him a raise?

STOP THE PRESSES

Paul Oppenheimer, a professor of English at City College, recently wrote us:

Several weeks ago I sent Barbara Bowen an e-mail asking why our negotiations with the powers that be have, to my knowledge, received not one word of coverage in the local media: the press, radio and television. This blank on coverage seems bizarre in the light of the ample reporting on contract negotiations recently granted other public service employees (the transport workers, the police and, of course, instructors at SUNY). To date, Professor Bowen has not replied, and so has likewise not answered my other queries: Has media-coverage, which might put some pressure on the Mayor, the Governor, and state legislators to bargain with us in good faith, been sought by our union leadership? And if not, why not?

Some excellent questions. The Dear Leader was probably too busy manning the picket lines at NYU or with the TWU to respond (since dues from CUNY faculty pay her salary, it would be nice if Battlin' Barb occasionally did something for CUNY profs). So we'll take a crack at answering Professor Oppenheimer's questions.

When a union leadership consistently makes absurd statements (Matt Goldstein and Selma Botman are part of a "neo-liberal" conspiracy!) or delivers empty threats (CUNY faculty will be easily "mobilized" for an illegal strike!), the press either ignores the union (Times, Post, Daily News) or mocks it (Sun). Professor Oppenheimer's absolutely right: if the PSC had been able to get press coverage for its contract campaign, its bargaining leverage would have improved. But when politicians, the media, and even other union leaders consider our union a laughingstock, it simply gets ignored. Thanks, Barbara!

TPR COAT DRIVE UNDERWAY

The Patriot Returns is launching its first-ever coat drive. Since PSC leaders and staff continue to take time from their so-called "'round-the-clock" contract negotiations to (wo)man the picket lines at NYU, we all should do our part to help them out. In the aftermath of the city's recent Arctic cold blast, we couldn't help but notice that many of the picketers were decked out in nothing more than their ideologically colored T-shirts. We presume that since many of them haven't had a raise since 2001, they can't afford adequate clothing. So that they don't catch cold, we urge all PSC members---and especially those 2,103 "lost" members---to donate coats, sweatshirts, or sweaters. ("PSC red" only, please.) All donations can be left at union headquarters on West 43rd Street, or, if no one is there, at the union's out-of-door offices in Washington Square Park.

We would like to offer some liquid support to the picketers, but don't want to offend their sensibilities. Will they accept tap water, or do they consider fluoridated water a capitalist plot? We know that PSC leaders have broken away from those "'round-the-clock" contract negotiations to picket the Colombian UN consulate and to urge colleges to remove all Coke vending machines. (As part of its foreign policy, the PSC supports sanctions against Colombia.) Alas, soda and coffee apparently are off-limits for our brave picketers! There will be plenty of hot air available for making herbal tea, tho'. So do stuff a few bags in those coats before dropping them off. We're sure that Barbara, Susan, Lorraine, Tibbi and the Big MAC will appreciate the thought. After all, they've always relied on the kindness of strangers.

THE RUMOR COLUMN:
LET'S REFURNISH

Foggy seems to really enjoy the trappings of office. If only he paid as much attention to the Welfare Fund's woes as he did to his office furnishings!

Sharad Karkhanis, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus

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