POISEDtO PrESSOur PrIOrItIES

• Fully fund SUNY• Fully fund SUNY

• Protect our campuses, hospitals• Protect our campuses, hospitals

• Ensure SUNY accountability, transparency• Ensure SUNY accountability, transparency

TTHE

Official Publication of United University Professions n The Nation’s Largest Higher Education Union Working For You

January/February 2013

THE

VoiceVolume 40, Number 4

The Voice is the official publication of United

University Professions (UUP), bargaining agent for

the more than 35,000 academic and professional

employees of the State University of New York.

contact UUP at P.o. Box 15143, Albany, New

York 12212-5143. Telephone (518) 640-6600 or

toll-free at (800) 342-4206. UUP’s internet site

is www.uupinfo.org. UUP is Local 2190 of

the American Federation of Teachers (AFL-cio)

and is affiliated with NYSUT and the National

education Association.

UUP STATEWIDE OFFICERS

PhIllIP h. SmITh

President

J. PhIlIPPE AbRAhAm

Vice Presidentfor Professionals

JAmIE F. DANglER

Vice Presidentfor Academics

EIlEEN lANDy

Secretary

ROWENA J.

blACkmAN-STROUD

Treasurer

EDISON bOND JR.

MembershipDevelopment officer

UUP coMMUNicATioNS DePT.

DENyCE DUNCAN lACy

Director of communications

kAREN l. mATTISON

Publications Specialist

DONAlD FElDSTEIN

Media Relations Specialist

mIChAEl lISI

communications Specialist

lUkE WIllIAmS

Webmaster/Technology Associate

ANgEll m. lAW

communications Assistant

The Voice is a member of the American Federation

of Teachers communicators Network and the

international Labor communications Association.

2 n The Voice January/February 2013

leTTerS�pOliCy

The Voice welcomes timely letters

about university and union issues,

politics and other events relevant to

UUP’s concerns. All letters are

subject to editing for length, accuracy

and clarity. Please type or email your

letters, limit them to 300 words, and

include your name and daytime

phone number for verification.

Email letters to UUP Director of

Communications Denyce Duncan

Lacy at ddlacy@uupmail.org or

send them to her attention at: The

Voice, United University Professions,

P.O. Box 15143, Albany, New York

12212-5143.

What’S InSIDEt h i s i s s u e

4 Fight�continues�at�Downstate�A central Brooklyn community member shares

her story of how SUNY Downstate Medical Center

saved her daughter’s life, and continues to play a

vital role in keeping her child healthy.

7 Give,�get�help�after�‘Sandy’�

Thousands of union members are still reeling from

the effects of Superstorm Sandy—but there are

ways you can help.

10 Celebrating�40�years:�The�2000s

UUP emerges in the millennium as the University’s

staunchest advocate.

AlSO:3 To the point: The challenges ahead

4 UUP advocacy kicks off in Albany

5 VOTE/COPE successful at the polls

5 Retirees win first challenge in lawsuit

6 Negotiations Team presses on

6 Your voices were heard

8 Spotlight on UUPers

8 UUPers receive innovative technology grants

12 Candidate statements due by March 1

12 Proposed UUP constitutional amendment

13 VP for Professionals: Step up your advocacy

14 NYSUT Benefit: It’s good to review policies

15 UUP Benefit: Update your benefits information

On�the�cover:

Pressing UUP priorities

4—The union is ready for

another legislative session

to push for full funding

for SUNY, viable campuses

and medical centers,

and SUNY accountability

and transparency.

TTHE

Official Publication of United University Professions n The Nation’s Largest Higher Education Union Working For You

January/February 2013

POISEDTO PRESSOURPRIORITIES

• Fully fund SUNY• Fully fund SUNY

• Protect our campuses, hospitals• Protect our campuses, hospitals

• Ensure SUNY accountability, transparency• Ensure SUNY accountability, transparency

Follow UUP on

Facebook and TwiTTer!

Go to UUPinfo.orgto sign up today.

January/February 2013 The Voice n 3

To the Point

Get on the bus. Take

part in a rally. Come to

Albany and tell your

legislators to support SUNY.

Those actions are at the

heart of UUP’s political

action campaign, which kicks

off in the new year, and we

need you to get involved.

Why? Because we’re facing

the fight of our lives.

As a union, we’ll see plenty

of hard reality in 2013. For

example, at SUNY Downstate

Medical Center, there’s a

move to privatize services at

its state-operated public

hospital. And it’s where the

jobs of nearly 400 UUP

members already have been cut as part

of a cost-cutting plan. Moreover,

hundreds more union jobs are in

jeopardy at Downstate, which is why

we must unite to defeat this unwelcome

challenge.

Wake up

If you don’t think that this can happen

to you, think again. Unionism is under

attack across the country. In December,

Michigan (yes, Michigan!), a traditional

labor stronghold and home to the mighty

United Auto Workers, became the 24th

state to pass a right-to-work law, which

no longer requires workers to join unions

or pay union dues.

If it can happen in Michigan and

Indiana, it can happen in Ohio,

Pennsylvania and New York.

And if you think that right-to-work

legislation won’t make a difference one

way or another, think again. The Wall

Street Journal (http://on.wsj.com/VGw

D0h) reported in December that private-

sector workers in right-to-work states make

less—9.8 percent less—than workers in

states without right-to-work laws.

RiSe up

So yes, we need you. We need all of

you to stand up and speak up for SUNY,

for unionism and our embattled UUP

sisters and brothers at SUNY Downstate

and across the state.

Hundreds of unionists and community

leaders from across the state will do just

that at a massive Jan. 8 rally at the state

Capitol for state-operated hospitals,

medical education and health science

centers. Final preparations for the rally

were being made as this issue goes to press.

You can read about the rally online at

www.uupinfo.org, and on our Facebook

page at http://on.fb.me/TsiPb3.

We’ll also spend January assessing Gov.

Andrew Cuomo’s 2013-14 Executive

Budget, which he’s set to issue after his

Jan. 9 State of the State Address.

LiSten up

Our issues are familiar ones: SUNY

must be properly funded for the

University to continue to carry out its

mission to provide an affordable,

accessible education to qualified students.

Funding needs to be increased for the

state’s Educational Opportunity Program

and its Educational

Opportunity Centers.

Our state-operated

hospitals, medical schools

and health science centers

must also receive enough

state dollars to provide

their necessary services

to New Yorkers.

And they must be

preserved as public

institutions, with union

jobs to provide quality care

to hundreds of thousands

of patients, many who are

have little or no insurance

and or are unable to pay

for service.

If we don’t, the situation

that we’re fighting at

Downstate could soon

become the situation we’re fighting

at Stony Brook, or Upstate Medical

University, or any of the SUNY campuses.

Make a diffeRence

I started this column with a call to

action, and that’s how I’ll end it: We

need you to step up and fight. We need

you to fight for unionism, and for union

jobs. We need you to speak up for

SUNY and the many opportunities the

University affords to all New Yorkers.

If you’ve been thinking about getting

involved with the union, it’s time to stop

thinking and start doing. It’s not too

late to join UUP’s advocacy campaign.

Sign up or find out more by going to

UUP’s website at www.uupinfo.org.

Once there, click on a box that says

“Sign up for UUP’s 2013 Advocacy

Days” to the right.

The time is now to be loud and bold.

The time is now to stand up for unionism

and stand up for SUNY.

UUP President Phil Smith addresses members attending a recent

Delegate Assembly in Buffalo, urging them to advocate for their

students, their union and their University.

De

nn

iss

tie

re

r

Stand up, be counted

4 n The Voice January/February 2013

Capitol corner

Dianne Brown looked

up, wiped the tears from her

eyes and steadied herself.

Her voice cracking, she

began to tell how doctors,

nurses and medical staff at

SUNY Downstate Medical

Center saved the life of her

child, Jewel Sulker. Sulker,

who is 15 but has the height

and features of a young child,

was born without several

internal organs and has

undergone multiple

operations at Downstate.

The more than 200 people

who came to a Dec. 6 Brooklyn

community forum to save jobs and

health services at Downstate sat

riveted, listening to Brown as she

pleaded to keep the medical center

open and operating.

“I’m here because I have nowhere

else to go with Jewel,” said Brown,

as Sulker sat silently on a small multi-

colored stool next to the podium,

watching her mother. “There’s a

saying that it takes a village

to raise a child. Well, I say,

it takes a hospital to save

a child.”

RaiS ing aWaReneSS

Brooklyn community

members, faith-based

leaders, labor leaders and

politicians at the forum

echoed Brown’s call to

save Downstate and halt a

cost-cutting plan that’s

threatening thousands

of jobs and slated to cut

vital health care services.

Already, more than 400 jobs

have been nonrenewed.

The coalition also opposes

any plan that does not keep Downstate

as a state-operated public hospital,

open to all patients even if they cannot

afford to pay for service.

see Downstate, page 14

uup pressing itslegislative agenda

Mic

ha

el

lis

i

Dianne Brown spoke passionately about the critical role

SUNY Downstate has played in saving her 15-year-old

daughter, Jewel Sulker, right.

taking a stand for SunY downstate

UUP didn’t waste any time kicking

off its Albany-based advocacy.

As The Voice went to press, the union

was slated to participate in an Albany rally

coordinated by a coalition of faith, labor

and community organizations. The Jan. 8

rally was scheduled for shortly before the

Legislature began its 2013 session and

prior to the release of the governor’s

Executive Budget proposal.

The goal of the rally was to convince

elected officials to protect the public

mission of SUNY’s hospitals in Brooklyn,

Stony Brook and Syracuse, and its medical

school in Buffalo. Members from across

the state were expected to join the rally

and to call for increased state financial

support for all SUNY hospitals and

medical schools. The state AFL-CIO,

NYSUT, PEF, CSEA and area labor

federations planned to join the rally.

UUPers were also slated to meet with

legislators to generate support for SUNY’s

hospitals and academic campuses.

A series of additional advocacy days are

planned. They include:

• EOP/EOC Advocacy Day, Feb. 5.

• NYSUT Committee of 100 Days,

March 4-5 and May 3-4.

• NYSUT Higher Education Lobby

Day/Higher Education Action Day,

March 11-12. UUP advocates will join

their union sisters and brothers from

NYSUT, the SUNY community colleges,

and Professional Staff Congress/CUNY

for a joint advocacy day. Dozens of

students organized by NYPIRG are also

scheduled to attend.

For more on upcoming political action

and advocacy events, go to the UUP

website at www.uupinfo.org.

— Donald Feldstein

Do

na

lD

Fe

lD

st

ein

cobleskill chapter President Fred Kowal, right, tells Sen. James Seward, left, that SUNY’s

proposed reallocation plan would increase state money to the University centers and cut

funds to the hospitals and other campuses. From left are UUP chapter presidents Bill

Simons of oneonta and John Taylor of Delhi, statewide VP for Academics Jamie Dangler,

and oneonta chapter VP for Academics Rob compton.

January/February 2013 The Voice n 5

Vote/cope was differenceon election day 2012

VOTE/COPE, NYSUT’s non-

partisan political action fund, played a key

role in the outcome of the 2012 elections

for state Legislature, according to leaders

of NYSUT and UUP.

NYSUT, UUP’s statewide affiliate,

spent about $4.5 million in last year’s

election, an investment that paid off—

about 90 percent of the candidates

NYSUT endorsed won election.

“NYSUT has emerged as a force

to be reckoned with,” said NYSUT

Executive Vice President Andy Pallotta.

John Costello, NYSUT

assistant to the executive

vice president, said

NYSUT’s campaign was

about respect.

“We had to respond to

what’s been happening to our members,

including UUP,” he said. “The whole

idea is to make lawmakers much more

respectful toward us and to work toward

restoring the cuts made to public higher

ed and preK-12 over the last five years.”

SUNY has lost nearly $700 million in

state support since 2007 as a result of

budget cuts.

Pallotta said the election results sent a

strong message to lawmakers that the

interests of working families and

organized labor cannot be ignored.

“Winning as many races as we did

advances the cause of education,”

Pallotta said.

UUP President Phil Smith

commended the achievements of

VOTE/COPE and the UUP members

who gave to the political action fund.

More than $200,000 in contributions

was collected from UUPers during

2012, through payroll deduction,

retiree contributions, and expense

voucher donations.

“Our members knew this was a crucial

election,” Smith said. “We had to have

an impact to make sure our voices are

heard at the Capitol when pressing for

additional funds for the University. ur

members responded with their wallets,

helping to achieve a positive outcome

at the polls.”

State Senate in fLux

As The Voice went to press, the

winners of two state Senate races had

yet to be named, and Republicans and a

group of independent Democrats were

set to assume leadership of the chamber.

Smith said the unions’ goal was not to

flip the Senate majority from Republican

to Democrat, but to ensure that what-

ever majority emerges is pro-education

and pro-labor.

He also noted that the

political situation in the

upper house is going to be

more tentative, where any

special elections before

2014 have the potential to alter the

balance of power.

no tiMe to ReSt

Pallotta said the collective strength of

participating members is what makes

VOTE/COPE tick.

“The power of an organization that’s

able to spend $4.5 million on behalf of

its 600,000 members is something you

don’t get on your own,” he said. “Each

dollar adds up to a great, big war chest

to fight for our members, our students

and public education.”

Smith hopes the unions’ political and

legislative successes in 2012 will

encourage more UUP members to

donate to VOTE/COPE.

“We can’t afford to rest on our

laurels,” he said. “We have to keep

supporting candidates who support us,

and keep the political momentum going

in future elections.”

Members wishing to make a donation

to VOTE/COPE can contact their

chapter for information or fill out the

coupon on the back page of this issue.

— Donald Feldstein

uup gets preliminarywin in retiree lawsuit

UUP and the state’s major public-

sector unions won a preliminary victory in

their lawsuits against the state’s action to

increase the contribution percentage

retirees pay toward the cost of their

health insurance.

In its decision dated Dec. 3, 2012,

a federal district court declared that the

lawsuit can move forward.

In December 2011, UUP and six

other employee unions, including the

Civil Service Employees Association

and the Public Employees Federation,

filed lawsuits against the state for

unilaterally imposing a health insurance

contribution increase that took effect

Oct. 1, 2011. Because of the change,

the retirees’ contribution rate for

individual health coverage plans

increased to 12 percent from 10 percent;

for family coverage, the rate increased to

27 percent from 25 percent.

The state subsequently filed a motion

to dismiss the lawsuits.

But in the recent 42-page decision, the

court denied most of the state’s motion to

dismiss. The decision allows the unions’

lawsuits to proceed, paving the way for

the merits of the case to be argued.

“We contended that the state’s action

to unilaterally raise the level of

contributions retirees pay for their health

insurance was unconstitutional, and

amounted to a breach of our contracts

under which the retirees retired,” UUP

President Phil Smith said. “The fact that

we prevailed in many of our arguments

is cause for optimism that our retirees

will get justice.”

UUP’s lawsuit charges, among other

things, that the higher health insurance

rates are unconstitutional under federal

law that bars states from impairing

contracts.

The state had until Jan. 13 to respond

to the decision.— Donald Feldstein

Negotiations update

UUP and the state began the

New Year without reaching a tentative

agreement, but UUP continues to work

toward resolution.

In November and December, members

of the union’s Negotiations Team met to

prepare for future deliberations with the

state, and to reaffirm their commitment

to remain tight-lipped about specific

details of the contract talks.

“No one outside of the Negotiations

Team knows what is transpiring in the

actual negotiations process,” said UUP

Chief Negotiator Jamie Dangler, the

union’s statewide vice president for

academics. “President Phil Smith and

I are the only two individuals who can

provide accurate information to UUP

members about negotiations, and all

Team members are committed to

maintaining strict confidentiality.”

Meanwhile, UUP negotiators continue

to work toward a fair and equitable

agreement for all UUP members.

“UUP has made it quite clear that we

won’t agree to a deal unless we believe

our members will ratify it,” Dangler said.

“Team members continue to put

extensive time and effort into their work

on behalf of the members, and they

appreciate the encouragement and

support offered by their colleagues.”

UUPers have been working without a

new contract since July 1, 2011, although

nonmonetary provisions of the expired

contract remain in force.

Recognizing the difficulty of contract

talks in tough political and economic

times, the UUP Potsdam Chapter in

early December adopted a resolution in

support of the Team’s efforts.

“The Potsdam Chapter of UUP fully

supports the efforts of the Negotiations

Team, greatly appreciates all its efforts

and entrusts the Team to negotiate the

best contract possible that will be brought

forth to the membership at the appropriate

time,” the resolution states.

Other chapters have echoed that

sentiment, Dangler said.

“The support from the membership

has been overwhelming,” she said.

“Their endorsement helps to strengthen

our resolve at the bargaining table.”

— Karen L. Mattison

team remainsresolute inthe new Year

6 n The Voice January/February 2013

In the November/

December 2012 issue,

The Voice asked readers to

weigh in on the question,

“Do college rankings

adequately gauge the

quality of an institution?”

As The Voice went to press,

85 percent said college

rankings are poor indicators

of the overall value of an

institution of higher

learning; 15 percent of

respondents believe rankings

are an adequate gauge.

Don’t forget to answer

the latest Question of the

Month, “Are you concerned

that higher ed is becoming

unaffordable for working

families?” at right or online

at www.uupinfo.org.

Member comments are

greatly appreciated. To

share your thoughts online,

click on “Comments (x)”

under the poll results after

you’ve voted.

— Karen L. Mattison

& clip and send to:UUP communications DepartmentPo Box 15143albany, nY 12212

Why?

Your voices were heardQuestion of the Month

are you concerned that

higher ed is becoming

unaffordable for working families?

1

Yes

1

no

or go to:www.uupinfo.org

to submit your response

Ka

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From left, UUP Negotiations Team members Ray Dannenhoffer of Buffalo hSc, Bob Rees

of Alfred and Fran Goldman of Binghamton review materials during a recent Team meeting.

January/February 2013 The Voice n 7

Superstorm Sandy

two days after Hurricane Sandy

slammed into Long Island, UUPer

Cheryl Hamilton returned to her

two-story brick home next to a canal

in Massapequa to find it had been

extensively damaged.

“Three feet of water covered my first

floor,” Hamilton recalled. “The canal

was in my house instead of next to it.”

Hamilton, a delegate from Stony Brook

and the chapter’s affirmative action

officer, said the first floor furniture and

carpeting were ruined, along with her

boiler and hot water heater. Mold was

everywhere, left behind by the receding

floodwaters. She stayed with family and

friends for close to two weeks, but was

back home as The Voice went to press—

living upstairs while repairs were being

made downstairs.

Hamilton was among the tens of

thousands of NYSUT and UUP members

impacted by the storm. Nearly one-third

of the UUP membership lives in areas hit

by Sandy. Union members responded

with donations of money, food, clothing

and other essentials, and NYSUT set up a

Special 2012 Superstorm Sandy grant

through its Disaster Relief Fund (see

related story at right).

tiMe to giVe

UUP President Phil Smith said union

members have contributed more than

$100,000 to the relief fund, but more

money is needed.

“As a member of NYSUT’s Executive

Committee and Board of Directors,

I can tell you firsthand that the number

of applications received has far

outstripped the donations,” Smith said.

“Simply put, our members are in need,

and we need to help.”

WoRkpLace ReLief

Smith got relief for members affected

by Sandy in another way. He reached an

understanding with the state that allows

UUP members to donate vacation days

to UUPers or other state employees who

couldn’t return to work immediately after

Hurricane Sandy. The employees

must have used up all of their

personal and vacation days in

order to be eligible for the

donated time off.

“Donating some of your

vacation days is an easy way to

help our sisters and brothers,”

Smith said.

If you wish to donate or receive

time, contact your chapter office

or campus human resources

department.

HeLping HandS

UUPers continue to help their friends

and colleagues affected by the storm.

Old Westbury Chapter members, whose

campus was shut down for seven days

because of Sandy, contributed food,

school supplies and clothing for students

and families.

UUP’s Stony Brook Chapter mounted

a special relief effort in November

following its traditional October food

drive to help meet the needs of storm

victims. Chapter members contributed

food, clothing, blankets and other

household necessities.

The Stony Brook HSC Chapter raised

more than $500 through events run by

Marge Bryan, chair of the chapter’s

Community Service Committee. Bryan

chipped in $150 in prizes for those who

donated $5 or more.

— Donald Feldstein

Sandy takes toll on uupers

how to give, get help

Did Superstorm Sandy wreak havoc

on your home or other property and leave

you wondering where to turn for help?

or were you among the lucky ones to

escape the wind and water, but want to

help others who weren’t as fortunate?

either way, NYSUT is there for you.

The NYSUT Disaster Relief Fund, which

was established in 2005, provides grants

to NYSUT members in need following a

natural or manmade disaster.

gETTINg hElP

UUPers who have suffered property or

other personal damage as a result of the

storm should go to http://bit.ly/SQ9pWN

and download a PDF of the “Special Super-

storm Sandy Disaster Relief Application.”

if extenuating or emergency circum-

stances exist that require immediate

processing, contact NYSUT Social

Services at (800) 342-9810 x 6206

or at disasterrelief@nysutmail.org.

gIVINg hElP

UUP members are also encouraged

to donate online using PayPal at

www.nysut.org/disasterrelief or to send a

check payable to “NYSUT Disaster Relief

Fund” to NYSUT, Attn: Jeff Lockwood,

Accounting Department, 800 Troy-

Schenectady Road, Latham, NY 12110.

Donations are tax deductible.

— Karen L. Mattison

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More than five truckloads of relief items,

such as bottled water and diapers, were

collected at UUP/NYSUT headquarters.

8 n The Voice January/February 2013

thirty-eight UUPers are among the

48 recipients of SUNY’s first Innovative

Instruction Technology Grants.

Grant recipients will openly share

project outcomes, enabling their SUNY

colleagues to replicate and build on

an innovation.

These competitive, peer-reviewed

awards of up to $60,000 are allocated to

demonstrate, communicate and replicate

innovations developed at the campus

level throughout SUNY.

tier three awards (Projects up to $60,000;

33 percent Matching Funds Required)

Lori Bernard, associate professor, foreign languages,

Geneseo—SUNY Distance Mentored Undergraduate

Research: Leveraging System Expertise to Enhance Learning

trudi Jacobson, distinguished librarian, UAlbany—

Developing a SUNYwide Transliteracy Learning

Collaborative to Promote Information and Technology

Collaboration

Lori scarlatos, associate professor, technology and

society, Stony Brook—Enviropedia: A Serious Game about

Beverage Container Choices

Peter shea, associate professor, effective teaching,

UAlbany—SUNY Co-Laboratory on Immersive Virtual

Environments for STEM Learning

Pam Youngs-Maher, instructional support specialist,

education communications, Upstate Medical University—

Observations of Students in Clinical Settings via iPads

tier two awards (Projects up to $20,000;

25 percent Matching Funds Required)

Beth Burns, senior staff assistant, instruction resources,

Buffalo State—Learner eXperience Designers (LXD)

Exploring the Feasibility of Badging

James German, associate professor, history, Potsdam—

Enhancing Student Success in Potsdam’s Hybrid History

Courses

Gary Halada, associate professor, material science engin-

eering, Stony Brook—Electronic Portfolios to Enhance

Experiential Learning and Assessment in Internship Courses

Dean Hendrix, associate librarian, University at Buffalo

(UB)—The E-Textbook Opportunity: The Time is Now

for SUNY

Brian Lowe, associate professor, sociology, Oneonta—Big

Data on a Small(er) Campus: Use of Large-Scale Text

Analysis by a Comprehensive Primarily Undergraduate

Institution

Mark Ludwig, programmer/analyst, UB—SUNYport:

Portfolio site for SUNY students

Ulises Mejias, assistant professor, communications

studies, Oswego—Osw3go.net: Alternate Reality

Simulations as Learning Tools

Melissa Miszkiewicz, associate director, computer

services, Buffalo State—Development & Validation of

SUNY Prep: Learner Preparedness Survey

Lorette Pellettiere Calix, lecturer, international

programs, Empire State College—Virtual Study Abroad:

Student Engagement & International Interaction Using

Meeting & Mobile Tools

adam Rich, associate professor, biological science,

Brockport—Creation, Implementation, and Assessment of

Anatomy and Physiology Online Laboratory Modules

Paul schacht, professor, English, Geneseo—

Crowdsourcing Commentary

shufang shi, associate professor, early childhood,

Cortland—4C-CITI: Four-College Consortium for

Innovative Technology Integration

Christopher Urban, lecturer, computer science, SUNY

IT—Development of an Interactive Case Study Capability

tier one awards (Projects up to $10,000)

R. Hope adams, assistant professor, academic

computing, Empire State—Design Digital Concierge for

SUNY Learning Common: Pedagogical Rich Reusable

Learning Object

terence Bazzett, professor, psychology, Geneseo—

SUNY Geneseo Neuroscience Cyber Technology

Laboratory (CTL) Course

edward Bever, professor, comparative humanities, Old

Westbury—Eternal France: An Interactive Historical

Simulation for College History Classes

Francesca Cichello, senior staff assistant, international

programs, Empire State—Synergy & Systemness: Making

the Most of Innovative Technology & Collaboration

Juan De Urda anguita, assistant professor, modern

languages/literatures, Fredonia—Dreaming in Languages:

Politics, Pedagogy and Technology for Language Instruction

Katharina Dittmar, assistant professor, biological

sciences, UB—Development and Assessment of Mobile

Device Instruction in STEM Education at K-21 Level

Carol Germain, associate librarian, UAlbany—IL Fox–

The Virtual Toolbook for Information Literacy Initial

Research

Martha Growdon, assistant professor, earth science,

Oneonta—Evaluating Geologic Mapping Tools for the

Undergraduate Curriculum

Keith Landa, associate librarian, Purchase—Gestural

Melody: New Learning Tools for Musical Composition

Rosemary Mcewen, associate professor, foreign

languages, Geneseo—Hybridization: Transforming to a

Hybrid Foreign Language Instructional Model

Lisa Melohusky, staff associate, Fredonia—

Multimedia Recording Suite

alexander nazarenko, associate professor, chemistry,

Buffalo State—Design and Testing of Laboratory

Instruction Management System (LIMS)

Paula Russell, senior staff associate, contracts and

grants, Binghamton University—Presentations Unplugged:

Mobile Devices in the Classroom

Ronald sarner, distinguished service professor,

computer science, SUNYIT—Student Mediated Video

Lecture Capture

steven schneider, professor, social science, SUNYIT—

DCrit: Digital Critiquing Platform

Roberta sullivan, instructional support specialist,

UB—Tools of Engagement Project: Discovery Learning

On-Demand Professional Development

stephen weiter, librarian, ESF—Engaging Students in

Information Literacy and Digital Literacy Through

Emerging Technologies

nathan whitley-Grassi, instructional support

associate, Empire State—Supporting the Needs of 21st

Century Learners: Faculty Development with Tools of

Engagement

Harrison Yang, professor, curriculum and instruction,

Oswego—Using Visual Communication Tools to Enhance

Teaching and Learning

sen Zhang, associate professor, math/computer

science/statistics, Oneonta—Automating Production of

PowerPoint-Based Algorithm Visualization Teaching

Materials

innovative technology grants awarded to 38 union members

Joanne Cloughly, an associate professor

and chair of the agriculture and food

science department at SUNY Cobleskill,

was recently inducted into the New York

Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier.

Les Dames members are women who are

leaders in the food, fine beverage, and

hospitality industries. The New York chapter

is the largest of Les Dames’ 28 chapters.

Cloughly was selected based on her career

accomplishments and contributions to the field.

In November 2011, Cloughly was named Educator of the Year

by Women Chefs and Restauranteers; the award recognizes

excellence in culinary education.

each year, hundreds of UUP mem-bers publish books and journal articles,

and are recognized for accomplishmentson campuses and in their communities.

The Voice is pleased to recognize two mem-bers in this issue.

ClOUghly

Spotlight shines on UUPers

Cynthia Falk, a SUNY Oneonta associate

professor of material culture at Cooperstown

Graduate Program, recently published Barns

of New York: Rural Agriculture of the Empire

State (Cornell University Press, 2012), which

celebrates the agricultural and architectural

diversity of New York state.

Falk is currently chair of the Henry Allen

Moe Prize for Catalogs of Distinction in the

Arts Selection Committee of the New York

State Historical Association. She also serves as treasurer for the

Committee on Museum Professional Training of the American

Association of Museums.— Karen L. Mattison

FAlk

January/February 2013 The Voice n 9

Professional issues

It took only days for the new boss to

generate a healthy dislike for the UUP

professional with permanent appointment.

But the bullying didn’t stop until “Bob”

transferred out of the SUNY Bingham-

ton department some 18 months later.

Bob, who asked that his real name not

be used, quickly found himself the

recipient of dismissive eye rolls and nasty

stares. His office was moved not once but

three times, and he was ordered to do

menial jobs like shredding papers.

“On the day I left, she said to me,

‘I still control your life,’” said Bob,

adding that the bullying happened years

ago. “Anyone can be a bully and anyone

can be bullied.”

Surprisingly, bullying in the workplace

is quite common. In a 2010 nationwide

survey, 35 percent of workers—an

estimated 53.5 million Americans—said

they have experienced bullying on the

job. The report, issued by Zogby

International and commissioned by the

Washington-based Workplace Bullying

Institute (www.workplacebullying.org),

said 15 percent of workers have

witnessed workplace bullying.

Gender plays a role as well; 62 percent

of bullies are men, while more than half

of all women (58 percent) are targets.

Much of the bullying comes from above;

bosses (72 percent) do the bulk of the

bullying, according to the study.

HigHeR ed buLL ieS

In higher education, bullying can just

as easily happen to a professional in a

traditional office setting as it can to an

academic in or out of class, or to a nurse

or medical staffer in a hospital.

“Workplace bullying is an equal

opportunity offender in university

settings,” said UUPer Joel Neuman,

director of the Center for Applied

Management in the School of Business

at SUNY New Paltz and a workplace

bullying expert. “Even with tenure, you

can foreclose opportunities if you get on

the wrong side of the dean or provost.

And you can find yourself in a much

smaller office, next to the boiler room.”

“People don’t want to say anything

because they’re scared to death (of

retribution),” said Gina Doty, Plattsburgh

Chapter secretary and statewide

delegate. “I’ve been (bullied) at a job and

I know it makes you feel like you don’t

have a voice. It’s horrible.”

no LegaL

RecouRSe

While there are

laws that protect

employees from

workplace violence

and sexual harass-

ment, there is

nothing on the

books that makes it

a crime to bully someone on the job.

New York is one of 21 states nationwide

that has introduced The Healthy Work-

place Bill, legislation to combat workplace

bullying, according to the Washington-

based Healthy Workplace Campaign.

New York’s version of the bill was

introduced in 2010 and 2011.

A 2010 version of the bill was approved

by the state Senate; it died in the state

Assembly’s Labor Committee. The 2011

version is now under review by the state

Senate and Assembly labor committees.

If passed, the 2011 bill would allow

bullied workers to bring civil suits against

bullies and hold employers liable for

maintaining an “abusive work

environment.” A copy of the bill can be

found at http://bit.ly/UMPVkY.

“Workplace bullying is an important

issue and it falls through the cracks,” said

Farmingdale

Chapter President

Yolanda Pauzé.

She worked with

state Assemblyman

Steve Englebright

(D-Setauket), who

co-sponsored the

2011 bill. “It’s a

downward spiral and

it does have a negative effect on morale.”

There isn’t a specific SUNYwide anti-

bullying policy in place; campuses are left

to deal with those situations. Most don’t,

at least not directly; bullying is often briefly

addressed in workplace violence policies.

a fRiendLY eaR

The union is also hampered; several

UUP chapter leaders said workplace

bullying isn’t grieveable under UUP’s

expired contract with the state. Still, the

union is the first place a UUPer should

go for help when being bullied at work.

Fellow UUPers will listen and help the

bullied employee sort out the situation—

and hopefully find some recourse.

“Don’t suffer in silence,” said UUP

statewide Vice President for Professionals

Philippe Abraham. “The best thing for

you to do is get others involved, and that

can be the union. We can provide

guidance and inform you of your rights.”

“We always look for a way that

(bullying) might come under terms and

conditions of employment, which would

make it grieveable,” said Pauzé. “It’s a

difficult situation, often made worse

because, sometimes, the bullies

themselves are UUP members.”

At Plattsburgh, UUPers used a

see BULLYInG, page 15

DOTy

PAUzé

Workplace bullies take a toll coPinGwith Bullying

Build your self-esteem

refuse to be a victim

Do not isolate yourself

seek support from friends,family

Keep a sense of perspective

Keep your sense of humor

Focus on outside pursuitsthat provide pleasure

Get a pet

evaluate your skills

consider employment options

conTacT YoUr Union

Source: UUP/NYSUT Labor Relations Specialists

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

Celebrating 40 years

the 2000s:

uup takes its place as theonly ‘true’ SunY advocate

UUP emerged in the new

millennium as the University’s

staunchest advocate.

The SUNY Board of Trustees in the

late 1990s appeared more focused on

stepping on the proverbial toes of

faculty—most notably by adopting new

general education requirements without

their input—than on serving as

caretakers for the 64-campus state

university system. In September 2000,

UUP joined the Faculty Senate and

community colleges to put SUNY

trustees on notice that their actions—and

inactions—were being closely monitored.

This partnership came on the heels of a

joint vote of “no confidence” and in

defense of continued attacks on

academic freedom.

SUNY was also overly focused on

reconfiguring the way dwindling state

funds would be allocated to the

campuses, and asking the state-ops

to do more with less. Its reallocation

formulas—which used enrollments and

program costs to shift money from the

two- and four-year campuses to the four

university centers—did little to preserve

SUNY as a premier university system.

UUP questioned the trustees’ failure to

request more than zero-increase budgets

for most of the decade, as well as their use

of SUNY’s teaching hospitals as “cash

cows” to fund academic programs at

the state-ops to the tune of at least

$116 million a year. This fiscal

maneuvering was condemned by then-

state comptroller H. Carl McCall, who

presented testimony

alongside UUP before a

state Assembly hearing on

SUNY financing.

uup ReSpondS

Recognizing its emerging

role as SUNY’s only

outspoken advocate, UUP

stepped up its advocacy

efforts in Albany.

Unionists took to the

streets in SUNY

communities in March

2003, handing out “SUNY

bucks” that symbolized the

dollars generated by SUNY

campuses. The action came in response to

the governor’s proposed $183.5 million

budget cut for SUNY that threatened

4,000 faculty jobs.

UUP kept up the pressure as key

participants in the May 3 March for

Public Education. The joint labor and

pro-education event brought 40,000

supporters to the Empire State Plaza to

protest the governor’s slash-and-burn

budget to cut $1.5 billion from K-12

spending and nearly $600 million from

public higher education.

The advocacy efforts paid off, as the

state Legislature restored the draconian

cuts proposed by the governor.

By 2004, the trustees felt the pressure

of UUP’s activism and reversed years of

flat budget requests. The result was an

additional $132.9 million for SUNY.

But in 2006, UUP was back to the

streets, calling on state legislators to

override then-governor George Pataki’s

vetoes of $60 million in budget funds for

SUNY. Success again belonged to UUP,

as lawmakers overrode the vetoes, giving

SUNY its best budget in 15 years.

On another front, UUP in late 2006

came out en masse to oppose a Berger

Commission plan to remove Upstate

Medical University from SUNY and

merge it with Crouse Hospital. UUP

held simultaneous rallies in Albany,

Stony Brook and Syracuse, and unveiled

a multimedia campaign opposing the

plan. UUP also sued the state and

the commission for their “illegal,

unconstitutional and irrational” plan.

Lawmakers responded: Upstate

remained within SUNY.

Speaking up foR tHe MaSSeS

UUP didn’t limit its activism to SUNY

faculty, staff and students. UUP and

NYSUT joined the Labor-Religion

Coalition’s Campaign for Sweatfree

Schools in New York. The coalition

2

1(Editor’s note: The Voice continues its observance of the union’s

40th anniversary with the last in a four-part series on UUP history

by the decade. This month: the 2000s.)

10 n The Voice January/February 2013

3

successfully opposed the sale of sweatshop

merchandise on all SUNY campuses.

And in October 2005, UUP President

William Scheuerman (1993-2007) joined

a New York University rally in support of

the graduate student union’s right to

bargain. The demonstration culminated

in the arrests of 76 union leaders and

protestors, including Scheuerman and

then-AFL-CIO president John Sweeney.

Two years later, Scheuerman resigned as

UUP president to become head of the

National Labor College in Silver Spring,

Md. UUP delegates elected Phil Smith

of Upstate (2008-present) as president.

With Smith at the helm, UUP focused

on proving that “SUNY is the $olution”

to the state’s fiscal woes. The union

stressed SUNY’s economic footprint

on communities around the state.

Small businesses jumped on board,

displaying signs in storefront windows in

support of the University. The union also

expanded its TV and print advertising

campaigns to include micro-websites

and social media, and placed a greater

emphasis on district advocacy.

MoRe MiLeStoneS

• A 2002 UUP poll of 602 likely voters

found that nearly 80 percent had a

positive view of the University, and an

overwhelming majority said state support

for SUNY should increase.

• In 2005, UUP won a class-action

grievance for 900 geographic full-timers at

Upstate, Downstate and Buffalo HSC.

The win meant the impacted UUPers

would receive minimum salaries for their

rank, as outlined in the contract.

• Then-governor Eliot Spitzer signed

Optional Retirement Plan (ORP)

legislation into law in 2007. As a result,

state employees participating in the ORP

with at least 10 years of state service were

no longer required to contribute 3 percent

of their salaries to the pension plan.

• Two four-year contracts were ratified

in the 2000s that tested UUP’s mettle

and commitment to the membership.

Smith served as chief negotiator for

the 2003-2007 pact between UUP

and the state. Fred Floss, who had served

as interim UUP president from November

2007 until Smith’s election in February

2008, was chief negotiator for the

2007-2011 agreement.

• UUP was the driving force behind the

creation of a new SUNY Office of

Diversity and Educational Equity.

• UUP delegates to the 2001 Fall

Delegate Assembly voted to remove term

limits of statewide officers and Executive

Board members.

• John “Tim” Reilly, UUP president

from 1987-1993, died unexpectedly at

his home in February 2004. He was 70.

• The Voice in 2005 began publishing

an “Annual Report to the Membership”

on the union’s successes over the previous

12 months.

• In 2007, UUP established a new

Member Services Trust Fund, offering

expanded discounts and services.

WHat LieS aHead

It is abundantly clear that UUP has

faced and met a series of major

challenges over its 40-year history. More

trials lie ahead—including the battle to

save jobs and health care services at

SUNY Downstate—which means UUP

will again need to tap its collective

strength to safeguard SUNY and the

interests of its members.

If UUP’s track record is any indication,

then the union is ready and able to tackle

whatever awaits.— Karen L. Mattison

UUP in the 2000s:1: UUP President Phil Smith holds up a newspaper article as proof of the

union’s successful advocacy in helping to save public-sector jobs, 2010.

2: members take to the streets in support of better funding for SUNy, 2003.

3: binghamton UUPers linda lisman, left, Stan Whittingham and DarrylWood explain the union’s legislative agenda to AssemblywomanDonna lupardo, 2006.

4: UUPers rally outside the Capitol to convince lawmakers to override thegovernor’s vetoes, 2006.

January/February 2013 The Voice n 11

4

constitutional amendment on 2013 Winter da agenda

12 n The Voice January/February 2013

UUP to date

Delegates to the 2013 Spring

Delegate Assembly will elect three

statewide officers and eight Executive

Board members. The Spring DA will be

held May 3-4 in Albany.

In addition to electing board members,

delegates will cast their ballots for

president, secretary and membership

development officer. If the membership

ratio of academics to professionals

remains the same as the present ratio, of

the 11 people to be elected, eight must

be academics and three must be

professionals. If the ratio changes,

elections will be adjusted accordingly.

In accordance with DA policy,

candidates running for statewide elective

positions may have statements printed in

The Voice, which is mailed to all bargaining

unit members.

The following provisions apply:

• Candidates may submit a statement of

up to 500 words and a photo for publication

in The Voice. If a candidate submits a

lengthier statement, it will be set in smaller

type to give all candidates equal space.

• Send statements and photos to the

attention of UUP Director of Communi-

cations Denyce Duncan Lacy. They must

be received at the UUP Administrative

Office, P.O. Box 15143, Albany, N.Y.

12212, by 5 p.m. Friday, March 1.

Email versions may be sent to Lacy at

ddlacy@uupmail.org.

• Candidate statements will be published

by order of election and in alphabetical

order in even-numbered years and reverse

alphabetical order in odd-numbered years.

• Candidate statements must be typed

and double-spaced. Candidates are urged

to submit statements and photos by email,

or on computer disk accompanied by a

printed copy.

Note: UUP policy prohibits the use of

UUP or state equipment or resources

(including email) to produce or distribute

campaign material for UUP elections.

Statements will be published in the

April 2013 issue of The Voice.

Copies of the union’s policy on the

distribution of campaign materials can be

found online at www.uupinfo.org, at

chapter offices, or by contacting UUP

Secretary Eileen Landy at (800) 342-4206

or at elandy@uupmail.org.

candidate statements due by March 1

In accordance with Article XIII of the UUP Constitution,

UUP bargaining unit members are hereby notified that the

following proposed constitutional amendment will be on the

agenda of the 2013 Winter Delegate Assembly.

Proposed Constitutional Amendment:

Chapter Representation to the Delegate Assembly

(Submitted by the Albany, Cobleskill, Cortland,

New Paltz, and Oswego Chapters)

Purpose: Although some part-time and full-time contingent

members are active, it’s not in proportion to their numbers, leaving

this constituency category collectively underrepresented, both in

chapter leadership and statewide. This amendment is intended to

address that collective underrepresentation at the level of the

Delegate Assembly.

Rationale: To integrate UUP and promote solidarity by giving

equal representation at the Delegate Assembly to the problems

and concerns of Contingent employees, at the same level that the

UUP Constitution grants Academic category and Professional

category employees who are tenure-eligible or tenured.

To Amend: Article VII, Section 3. c., d. and e.

Section 3. Chapter Representation to the Delegate

Assembly.

c. The third delegate shall be the Vice President elected by and

from the same category as the Chapter President, if the Chapter is

entitled to an additional representative from that category, [except

that where the Chapter is entitled to only three delegates, the

Chapter may devise its own method for designation of the third

delegate;]

d. The fourth delegate shall be the Officer for Contin-

gents. The Officer for Contingents shall be an additional

delegate regardless of category. The Officer for

Contingents shall not affect the Delegate allocation for

the chapter as specified in ARTICLE VIII. Section 2. c.

[e. Notwithstanding any other provision of this constitution to the

contrary, no Chapter shall have fewer than two delegates.]

e. Additional delegates and alternates shall be elected by and from

the chapter membership according to category;

ScholarShipS available

Deadline is Jan. 31

UUP members, their eligible spouses

and dependent children could get a

one-time scholarship of between $500

and $4,000 from the Union Plus

Education Foundation, simply because

UUP participates in the AFL-CIO’s

Union Plus member benefits program.

The scholarship is open to

undergraduate and graduate students

attending or planning to attend an

accredited degree-granting higher

education institution or certificate-

earning program. Awards are based on

academic achievement, character,

leadership, social awareness, career goals

and financial need. Scholarships must be

used beginning in fall 2013.

For more information on available

scholarships and an application, go to

www.unionplus.org.

January/February 2013 The Voice n 13

In other words

Best wishes for a prosperous and

healthy 2013!

I want to extend a very special greeting

and prayer for our members, their

relatives and friends, who were affected

by Superstorm Sandy. We will continue

to be there every step of the way for

those affected as they fight their way

back to recover from what, according to

some estimates, is the costliest natural

disaster to ever hit our state.

Still, I hope that everyone had a

peaceful and enjoyable holiday season.

Like many of you, I am excited and

hopeful about the many possibilities in

this season of renewal and hope.

Traditionally, the new year is a time to

reflect on the past year and make

resolutions to improve things in all

respects for the one just beginning—from

adopting a healthier diet, exercising

regularly and shedding a few pounds,

to spending more quality time with loved

ones. All noble and laudable goals.

Nonetheless, as you promise yourself to

begin anew, you also recognize that your

personal difficulties don’t go away with

the elapsed year. Similarly, your union

will be facing some major “hangovers”

from 2012, courtesy of the “new

normal” ushered in by the anti-labor

proponents in our state and nationally.

New challenges will surely arise, as the

assault on unions is unlikely to abate

anytime soon.

We all know that old habits die hard,

and that simply wishing for change does

not turn those thoughts into action and

results. Therefore, we should all be

resolute in our determination to effect

change in our personal and professional

lives and actively take steps toward

achieving those goals.

Lest we forget, January is a very

important month for another reason. It is

when details of the governor’s budget are

unveiled. The very first month of the new

year is when the ritual begins, with a

frenzy of political activities from all sectors

fighting for what each considers to be a

“fair budget.” As a member of UUP, you

too should be very interested and involved

in that process. Why? Because the stakes

have never been higher.

If you need proof that the labor

movement can make a difference and

that your voice and actions matter, the

November 2012 elections showed that we

can make a difference when we unite.

And that means YOU. Yes, you! We need

you engaged and involved at every level.

The simplest act, such as visiting the

local office of your legislator, can make a

huge impact on the actions taken by that

elected official. Answering our calls for

action—sending a letter or fax, going to

a rally, or visiting your elected officials in

their Albany office—does make a

difference. It lets our voices as UUP

members be heard.

I urge you to add a new resolution to

your list. And that is that you will join

with me and the other UUP officers in

taking action in 2013. Join us in our

fight for a fair budget for SUNY, so

that we can keep the excellence we’ve

been able to embed in educating New

York’s next generation of leaders and

productive citizens.

Let’s make this our resolution.

“We should all be resolute

in our determination to

effect change in our personal

and professional lives.”

— VP for Professionals Philippe Abraham

Vpp: answer your union’s call to action

a new report from the Center on

Budget and Policy Priorities shows the vital

role that Social Security benefits play in

reducing poverty in the U.S.

Without Social Security benefits,

21.4 million more Americans would be

poor, according to recent U.S. Census

data. Without Social Security,

the poverty rate for those aged

65 and over would meet or

exceed 40 percent in 41 states.

And it’s not just senior

citizens—nearly a third of the

people Social Security keeps out of

poverty are under age 65, including

1.1 million children.

The analysis also includes state-by-

state data on the number of Social

Security beneficiaries, and the

number of elderly poor. A

technical note also clarifies the

definition of poor used in determining

the figures.

Read the center’s report online at

http://bit.ly/TZ1zNp.

Report shows Social Security program reduces poverty

14 n The Voice January/February 2013

Union benefits

a September 2011

MetLife study shows that

28 percent of working men

and 45 percent of working

women with life insurance

haven’t evaluated their needs

since purchasing their first

policy—potentially leaving

their loved ones without

adequate coverage if

something should happen

to them.

MetLife’s 2011 Insurance

Literacy Study also found that approximately half of all working

men and women believe three years of annual salary is

adequate to cover expenses in the event of their death, yet only

1 in 4 considered outstanding debt when determining coverage.

Experts recommend a good starting place is outstanding debt

plus five years of annual salary. The study can be found online

at http://bit.ly/122tEoq.

Many people also fail to consider life changes when

determining their insurance needs. Marriage, child or elder

care, home ownership and college tuition are just a few of the

possible changes that should be considered when reviewing

existing policies or when purchasing coverage for the first time.

It is also necessary to consider what the life insurance money

will be used to pay for, such as daily living expenses, taxes,

tuition, and any final

medical or funeral expenses.

Double checking your

beneficiary is another vital

step in the review process.

If you’ve been divorced or

widowed, or your children

have completed college,

you may need to update who

will receive benefits upon

your death.

The bottom line: If you

want your family to be well

cared for after you die, it is

important to evaluate your

life insurance needs.

If you determine that you don’t have enough coverage, the

NYSUT Member Benefits Trust-endorsed Term Life Insurance

Plan is available for members and their spouses/domestic

partners under age 85.

For more details, contact the plan administrator—Marsh U.S.

Consumer, a service of Seabury & Smith Inc.—at (888) 386-9788.

You may also contact Member Benefits with any questions at

(800) 626-8101 or visit memberbenefits.nysut.org.

For information about this program or about contractual

endorsement arrangements with providers of endorsed programs,

please contact NYSUT Member Benefits.

Agency fee payers to NYSUT are eligible to participate in

NYSUT Member Benefits-endorsed programs.

Members urged to review life insurance policies

(continued from page 4)

The forum, organized by the Brooklyn-

based SUNY Downstate Coalition of

Faith, Labor and Community Leaders, is

the latest in a series of events designed to

draw attention to the situation at

Downstate—and what will happen if

the cuts continue.

In late December, Brooklyn

Bishop Orlando Findlayter and

other coalition members were

scheduled to deliver petitions to

save SUNY Downstate jobs and

services—signed at the forum—to

Gov. Andrew Cuomo at his New

York City office.

As The Voice went to press, hundreds of

Brooklyn community members and faith-

based leaders were set to travel to Albany

to take part in a Jan. 8 rally for

Downstate and other SUNY public

hospitals, medical schools and health

science centers.

Stepp ing up

“The Brooklyn community is

energized and prepared

to go the extra mile to

save health care services

and jobs at SUNY

Downstate,” said

Downstate Medical

Center Chapter

President Rowena

Blackman-Stroud.

“Community leaders are

determined that Gov. Cuomo will hear

their voices and listen to their message.”

Downstate’s ability to provide quality

care will be severely hampered if the

medical center continues with its cost-

cutting plan. Such massive reductions

would take a staggering economic

toll on Brooklyn; hundreds will lose

their homes to foreclosure, and the

unemployment rate will soar.

Funding cuts will also jeopardize the

future of SUNY Downstate’s medical

school, Brooklyn’s only state-operated

medical school and one of four statewide.

Life-saving health care services would

also be lost, impacting thousands of

Brooklynites who depend daily on

Downstate for health care. Downstate is

the hospital of last resort for many and

accepts all patients, even if they cannot

afford to pay.

— Michael Lisi

blACkmAN-STROUD

doWnState . . .

UUP Benefit Trust Fund (BTF)

benefits—dental, vision and life insur-

ance—are among the top priorities for

UUPers and their families.

So, let us help you update your

benefits information for 2013:

• The Benefit Trust Fund toll free

number is (800) 887-3863 and the fax

number is (866) 559-0516. The mailing

address is UUP, P.O. Box 15143, Albany,

NY 12212-5143.

• UUP retiree members with questions

or comments should contact Walter

Apple, UUP’s retiree member services

coordinator, at (800) 342-4206 or at

wapple@uupmail.org.

• BTF information can be accessed on

the UUP website at www.uupinfo.org.

Click on Benefits on the horizontal

toolbar for the various options.

• Delta Dental is your dental provider.

Delta’s toll free number for UUP

members is (800) 471-7093; the website

is www.deltadentalins.com.

• Davis Vision is your vision provider.

The toll free number is (800) 999-5431;

the website is www.davisvision.com.

• Please have your personal

identification number handy when you

call the Benefit Trust Fund. This number

can be found on your NYSUT

membership, Delta Dental or Davis

Vision cards. The number is the same

on all three.

• Eligible UUP members must be

enrolled in the Benefit Trust Fund in

order to receive benefits. This means that

the BTF must have an enrollment card

on file for you that also lists your eligible

dependents.

Enrollment forms can be found at

www.uupinfo.org. Click on Benefits,

Benefit Forms, BTF Enrollment Card.

• The Benefit Trust Fund needs to have

up-to-date Student Verification forms for

your unmarried dependent children, ages

19-25, who are eligible for dental and

vision benefits if they are full-time

students. Without the proper documen-

tation on file, your dependents will be

denied dental and vision coverage.

Additional information can be

found at www.uupinfo.org. Click on

Benefits, Benefits Forms, BTF Student

Verification Form.

• Please check with the Benefit Trust

Fund to make sure we have a current

beneficiary card on file for your UUP

Benefit Trust Fund Life Insurance

policy, which is offered to UUP active

and retiree members.

• Finally, please let us know if you have

moved, changed your marital status, or

have added or deleted any dependents.

Forms for these life changes are also

found at www.uupinfo.org. Click on

Benefits, Benefit Forms, and then use

either the BTF/UUP Member Change

of Address Card or the BTF Change of

Marital or Dependent Status Form.

As always, feel free to contact a Benefit

Trust Fund representative with any

questions and concerns related to your

benefits. We look forward to assisting

you in 2013 and beyond.

January/February 2013 The Voice n 15

Doreen M. Bango, Manager,Member Benefits & Services

Start the new Year rightby updating benefits info

buLLY in g . . .(continued from page 9)

New York State/UUP Joint Labor/

Management grant to create a

Civility in the Workplace Steering

Committee (a UUP initiative) that

set up workplace civility programs

in October 2011 and lasted about

a year, Doty said.

UUPers made

and distributed

workplace civility

lapel pins with

the school’s

Cardinal logo,

right. They also held

workplace bullying seminars, and

promoted the activities in the

chapter newsletter.

“This is about how to treat one

another as human beings and it’s at

the most basic courtesy level,” Doty

said. “It’s about making workers

aware of what workplace bullying

is, that it does exist, and stressing

the benefits of being civil.”

be ciViL

A handful of SUNY campuses—

including UAlbany, Buffalo State,

Oneonta and Stony Brook—have

sponsored on-campus workplace

civility programs and seminars,

including one offered by NYSUT

labor relations specialists assigned to

UUP, titled “Manners Please:

Conquering Bullying and Creating

Civility in the Workplace.”

Workplace bullying and civility

programs were offered to

professionals at recent regional

meetings on Long Island and in

Western New York; statewide

delegates had an opportunity to

attend the seminar during the 2012

Fall Delegate Assembly in Albany.

“Knowledge is power,” Abraham

said. “We want members to know

that UUP is there for them, and

that we will do whatever we can to

ensure civility in the workplace.”

— Michael Lisi

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Voice

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affiliate, NYSUT. It coordinates the

voluntary contributions of members

and makes contributions to

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and to UUP/NYSUT-supported

general campaign committees.

Dues money is not used for

political action.

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