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CUNY Adjunct Alert

Produced by CUNY Adjuncts Unite!
P.O. Box 1360, NYC 10163 212/780-2155 http://www.soc.qc.edu/adjunct

Vol. 3, No. 1 September 1999

ADJUNCTS USE UNION GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES

What do you do when you’re asked to teach a course for only 60% of your usual pay on the
grounds that it’s a summer workshop? This just happened to adjuncts teaching the summer immersion
program at BMCC. Though the course in question was the same one they teach during the academic year,
they were asked to take a cut. While some turned down the courses offered and others accepted them,
assuming they had to accept the pay offered, one called the grievance office at the PSC. A call from that
office to the college, reminding the labor designee about the contractual obligation to pay standard rates,
won full pay for the adjunct who had complained and all the other adjuncts working in the program.

The right to bring a grievance over pay, non-reappointment, observations and evaluations, or any
matter laid out in the contract, is one of the crucial rights the union offers. A problem may be resolved by
an informal discussion among a complainant, grievance counselor (each campus has one), and supervisor,
or by a formal three-step procedure. A grievance must be filed within 30 work days after the grievant
becomes aware of the problem, except in cases of non-reappointment, which require filing 30 days from the
date of notification. If the problem is not resolved it goes to the second step. The grievance officer presents
the matter to the Chancellor’s designee. If the matter is still not resolved it may go to arbitration. The
resolution may be quick or it may take years.

Another important grievance the union recently brought on behalf on adjuncts stemmed from a
problem at Baruch College three years ago. The administration decided to pay the teachers of entry level
ESL students through the School of Continuing Education, though the course they taught was supervised
by the English Department, as it had been in the past. This shift meant that teachers were paid at 80% of
their usual rate and lost their eligibility for health insurance. The union has pursued this grievance since then
and we await its resolution.

Although a powerful tool, every abuse is not redressed (see Mary Hudson’s letter to the editor).
If you have questions concerning a possible grievance, call the PSC at 354-1252.

REFERENDUM UPDATE

Last March CAU submitted over a thousand
signatures on a petition calling for the first formal
referendum since the inception of the PSC in
1972—that the union enforce automatic
deduction of the agency fee for all adjuncts in the
collective bargaining unit. This has always been
done for full-timers. The PSC has checked all
signatures and challenged some (signators had to
be members of the union). CAU! has validated
enough signatures to meet the required 10% of
membership. We are now awaiting the PSC
confirmation of our count.

This issue of Adjunct Alert was produced by the Newsletter
Committee. Back issues may be found at our website

ONLY UNION MEMBERS CAN VOTE

For the referendum, for union officers, for the new
contract YOU HAVE TO BE A MEMBER FOR
FOUR MONTHS BEFORE YOU CAN VOTE.
This April, the PSC membership will elect CUNY-
wide officers who will negotiate the contract for all
adjuncts and full-timers, whether or not members
of the union. SEND YOUR YELLOW CARD to
the union by November 15" (keep a xerox) to make
the December | deadline. Get a card from your
PSC Chapter Chair. If you have any difficulties, call
CAU! contacts (see reverse page) or our hot line
(212) 642-2143. If you think you are a member
already and no Prof-U deduction appears on the
bottom left of your paycheck, call the PSC 354-
1252 right away.


HEALTH INSURANCE UPDATE

Last spring CAU! led the fight to protest the PSC
Welfare Fund’s decision to reduce adjunct health
care options from three choices to no choice.
Blue Cross/Blue Shield HMO was declared the
only option, thus cutting out HIP, SIGNA and

U.S. Healthcare and the reimbursement plan for
adjuncts who used a health plan of their choice.
Eric Marshall, an adjunct delegate from Queens
College introduced a motion at the May Delegate
Assembly Meeting to maintain the status quo. A
majority of the delegates from both caucuses
voted in support but the Welfare Fund did not
change its basic position, claiming financial
responsibility. What adjuncts and sympathizers’
agitation did accomplish was to extend the
deadline for switching from June | to June 30,
and provide a PPO option (where the PSC pays
$100 per month and the adjunct pays $60 per
month until June 2000, after which the cost to the
adjunct is $160 per month). The cash option
reimbursement for those who wanted to choose
their own health plan and receive a $2000 per
year reimbursement from the PSC was extended
to August 31 and open to all. Until the next
contract is negotiated (when adjuncts’ insurance
could be renegotiated ) adjuncts who become
eligible for health benefits (those teaching six
credits in their third semester) will be with the
Blue Cross/Blue Shield HMO or PPO. The PSC

Welfare fund director Norma Frey says she wants
to know how the provider is functioning. Please

COME TO CAU! MEETINGS
Sept. 24 Fri. 4 p.m. Rm. 5417
Oct. 7th Thur. 6 p.m. Rm 5417
CUNY GRAD CENTER
34" Street & Fifth Ave.

Letters to the editor may cover any subject germane to CUNY
adjuncts. All letters must be typewritten, signed, and between
100-250 words; they may be edited to fit space.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
On March 30, 1999, Professor Giuseppe Di Scipio
of Hunter College Romance Languages informed
me that my contract will not be renewed next
semester because I now have my PhD. This excuse
is flimsy (not to mention absurd in an institution of
higher education) but the only one available given
the fact that in my four years at Hunter College I
have had a perfect attendance record and an
exceptionally good performance record. In my
opinion the real reason is my activism in CUNY
Adjuncts Unite! I also believe that this will only be
the beginning of draconian measures taken against
adjuncts who try to fight for our rights unless we
act now against this egregious injustice. I would
ask all colleagues and fellow union members to do
whatever they can to join us in our struggle to
protect ourselves and improve our notoriously
poor and unfair working conditions.
-Mary Hudson
[ Ed. note: The first step of Hudson’s grievance went

against her, and the union has decided not to appeal to the
next level.]

call her with any questions, compliments and/or CUNY Adjuncts Unite! Contacts

complaints 354-1252. Baruch Jum Feast 718-449-0677
Join the union by December | so YOU CAN ah . ae nie

= >

INFLUENCE THE UNION LEADERSHIP on Eroskivya Viany Tivelli 718-850-055]
insurance coverage and other issues that affect CCNY Rob Wallace 212-650-8179
your life and well-being! Send in your yellow CSI Harry Cason 212-838-1374
card by November 15 and keep a xerox copy!! Hostos Anna Lopez 212-427-3874
Hunter Mark Halling 718-596-0654
Hunter Soc. Susanna Jones 718-243-0660
John Jay Holly Clarke 212-237-8096
CONNECT Kingsborough CC _Jerry Karol 718-330-0916
; ! La Guardia Costas Panayotakis 718-852-2069
ADJ-L (adjunct issues listserv for the latest news and Lehman Kyle Cuordileone 212-491-2653
discussions of issues pertinent to adjuncts at CUNY and) = Medgar Evers David Hatchett —- 718 862-9735
nation-wide.) Send message to vtirelli@email.gc.cuny.edu NYC Tech. Wendy Scribner 212-982-0097
asking to include you on the list. Queens Eric Marshall 212-661-3586
Queensborough Howard Pflanzer 212-496-7452
York MikeVozick 212-874-7650

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