PSC ADJUNCT REPORT

Committee For Part-Time Personnel

ADJUNCT FACULTY THREATENED AT B. M. C. C.

ADJUNCT FACULTY THREATENED AT BMCC

Adjunct and full-time staff marched at Borough
of Manhattan Community College on December 6,
1973 to protest a proposed massive layoff of
adjuncts. Responding to a memo from the admin-
istration to all departments that part-time staff be
cut by 80% for the Spring semester, the BMCC
Chapter of the PSC under the leadership of Dr. Bill
Friedheim and Chapter Chairperson, Prof. Howard
Jones organized an informational picket line.

The purpose of the picket line was to inform the
students, faculty, and public about the cutbacks,
to warn them that class size could increase by
almost half and that the number of course offer-
ings could be drastically reduced. in the intensive
writing program of the English Department alone,
the number of classes for the Spring is being low-
ered from 45 to 35, and those sections already
averaging 20 students are five students over the
maximum agreed to in the contract.

Teachers picketed two of the college’s buildings
and leafleted others. Student signatures were
gathered on petitions supporting the adjuncts and
calling for their re-hiring. In several hours 1500
signatures were obtained and delivered to the
President's office.

Representatives of the PSC who appeared for the
‘march were: Pres. Belle Zeller, V. Pres. Irwin
Polishook, V. Pres. for Part Time Personnel Bill
Leicht, Exec. Dir. Arnold Cantor and other staff
personnel.

A meeting was held very recently as a follow-up
to the protest at which Dr. Edgar Draper and the
“union representatives agreed on the

union representatives agreed on the principles for
resolving the conflict. The core of the under-
standing is that department chairmen can request
additional courses to meet registration needs and
that these sections will be funded. The implication
is apparently that the previously “‘non-reappointed”’
adjuncts will be rehired after registration. If this
proves true, it deserves a victory party!

The committee meeting with President Draper
included Howard Jones, Chapter Chairman: Bill
Friedheim, PSC Delegate; Sandy Schmitt, adjunct,
and two others.

ELECTION OF CONVENTION DELEGATES

Individuals and slates of candidates have been nom-
inated as delegates to the AFT, NEA, and NYSUT
conventions later in the year. You will shortly be
able to vote for members of a sixty person dele-
gation plus ten alternates.

At these conventions such issues as the utilization

of adjunct and part time personnel in the univer-
sity will be aired or avoided. They set national
policies and priorities.

Novis of INO. ee
EdTCOn: Bal Perene

If you wish to make your voice heard in the union,
read the statements and vote.

Dr. Newton was admirably forthright in declaring
his total unconcern about the fact that some of his
policies were extremely hard on his part time fac-
ulty, expecially those largely dependent on their
income from C. U. N. Y. He declared that the
adjunct position was not meant to be anybody’s

sole means of support and that if they found it.
difficult to live on their salary, he for one would

suggest they take another job. He also maintained

that his actions were completely in accord with the

_ New contract to which the union had agreed...

PART TIME MAXIMUM WORK LOAD

We have had innumerable calls from adjunct per-
sonnel and department chairpersons complaining
or seeking information about the contractual
workload restrictions for adjuncts. Article 15.2

and a “stipulation” state that the maximum load
will be nine contact hours or two courses, which-
ever is less. This was recently modified by a
further stipulation that low credit courses could

be combined in any way up to a maximum of six
contact hours.

The stipulations were reached by Dr. David Newton
(for the BHE) and Dr. Belle Zeller (for PSC). They
reflect the interest of both parties in restricting the
number of part-time personnel, in general. But it
is important to note that both stipulz tions initia-
ted by the union and negotiated with the BHE
had the effect of permitting adjuncts to teach |

more hours than originally allowed Ly the con-
tract.

NATIONAL INTEREST IN “PARTTIMERS”

A report has reached us that the Modern Language
Association has before it resolutions favoring part-
time personnel. Particularly, they apparently will ©
recommend substantial salary increases and prior-
ity for part-time personnel for job openings.

A second report indicates that the National Labor
Relations Board will re-examine its policies on
Part-time pay and representation. We will inform
you as we learn the details.

MEETING WITH VICE CHANCELLOR NEWTON
Your Committee on Part-Time Personnel met dur-
ing December with the Vice Chancellor for Labor
Relations, Dr; David Newton. Present were Bill
Leicht, Chairperson, Irwin Polishook, Lester Gar-
rett and Arnold Cantor from the Union. We
wanted to clarify the intentions of the BHE on the
pay base for adjunct personnel and to obtain data
on ourselves as a beginning of research preparation
for the next contract.


The Vice Chancellor assured us that he did not
intend to pay adjunct faculty on a “fifty-minute
actual contact hour,” as was rumored. However,
he was just as clear that we would not be paid for
holidays or office hours during the course of a
semester. (‘Conference hours” which are a bona
fide part of the official course offerings will be
paid.

On the matter of research data we found him more
helpful. He assured us that he would provide us
with the data we wished. He had already set in
motion his own research work and let us know that
he expected to confront us with embarassing fact
at the next negotiations.

In any case, our committee has a subcommittee on
research headed by Lester Garrett. He expects to
begin receiving the promised data this month and
needs people to help with collation and analysis.
Please give him a call at 765 - 7948.

PART TIME COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

Members of the Committee on Part Time Personnel
are: Bill Leicht, BCC - Chair; Irwin Polishook, L -
Vice President, PSC; Claude Campbell, SI - Secre-
tary, PSC; David Allen, B; Lester Garrett, H;
Sidney Cohen, L; Martha Zebrowski, CCNY; Ale-
jandro Ramirez de Arellano, Q;;Arlene Louis, SI;
Christine DeMers, SI; and Sumner
Rosen, B - atl pending confirma-
tion.

Part-time Committee Meets 2nd Thursday at 3:00 p.m. at PSC office

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