eat

City U.’s Merged Union Set

To Act for 15,900 on Stat?

The New York Times
Sunday
April 16, 1972

By M. A. FARBER {
The two rival faculty unions|faculty members covered by!
at the City University merged|bargaining are employes of the
last week, increasing the pros-itwo New York public systems
pect for tough negotiations this|—the City University and the
summer on the university’s sec-'State University, where 14,006!
ond contract with more than|faculty and staff members are;
15,000 professors and staffjrepresented.
members. _.._ | The first major faculty con-|
If the new organization is'tract—actually two contracts)
certified as the bargaining|_was signed at the City Uni-|
agent for the 15,000 employes'yersity in 1969 and is to expire|
as expected, it will represent|/next Aug. 31.
more persons than any other! prior to that agreement, the
campus union in the country. |; esisiative Contscence i

: ri : was)
The organization, a still un-o¢eq the agent for the univer-|

mere amie lgaras Ot me 18S sity's full-time —_instructional|
United Federation of College Saif ue SUDPORY ee or
Teachers, said it would embark bs aN SES
4 The federation was designated|
the agent for the part-time ins) |

on “a new course of profes-

i ili y i | - e| a a9)

sional militancy” to gain salary’ ctructional staff and “support” |
employes, as weil as leciurers.|

EE ETAT OTE

and other benetits and to raise!
prs ay standards at | Last Friday, the merger of,
will be the elimination of “in-| embers by a margin of 10)
equities” in wages, tightening)t, |, gith more than half the’
of the faculty grievance Ppro-| unions’ combined membership!
cedure, limitations | on work’ oF 5.500 voting. Dr. Zeller, who §
loads and “mandatory stand-yas” chairman of the confer-|{
ards” for overcrowded offices|ance, was named president of’
and other physical facilities. |:ne new organization. Dr. Israel]
Officials of the new union|Kusier, president of the feder-|
said the conference and thelation, was chosen deputy presi-|
federation had been compet- ident, |
ing — “needlessly dissipating Fe |
Fae human and fiscal resour- 3 Units Sought |
es” — for too long. Merger,) Another impetus for the!
they said in interviews, willlmerger was the federation’s|
give the faculty greater/formal chalienge of the con-'
strength vis-a-vis the universi-|ference as the agent for the!
ty administration and “added /full-time instructional staff andl}
political clout” with the Leg-|“support” employes. Both or-
islature. 'ganizations eter seid to a
fet janxious to avoid legal appeals ¢
Rising) Problems on representation that could
“We were fighting each other|cause a delay in contract talks.|
while the total faculty was} The new union will now |
faced with budget cuts, en-|seek one bargaining unit of all)
larged enrollments that were|15,000 employes at the uni-|
far from adequately financed|versity, in place of the present|
and threats to tenure, sabbati-|two units. The university, which!
cals and reasonable work loads|says that it fears uniform salary)
and conditions,” said Dr. Belle/increases if there is only one)
Zeller, president of the newjunit, wants three units—con-)
union. sisting of full-time faculty!
Dr. David Newton, the uni-|members, part-time faculty!
versity’s vice chancellor forjmembers and “support” em?) «
faculty and staff relations, de-|ploves.
clined to comment on the mer-| A hearing on the unit deter-!
ger. “While we support the/mination has been scheduled
right of the faculty to bargain,|for tomorrow by the State Pub-
the merger is purely facuity|lic Employe Relations Board.
business,” he said. jThe board, which will deter-|
About 8,000 professors at the/mine the number of units, also
university are full-time; about|has the power to certify the,
4,500 part-time. Another group, |mew union as the exclusive bar-|
known as “professional support|gaining agent—as many units|
service people,” includes 2,500|represented in the negotiations, |
librarians, counselors, _regis-|probably after a faculty vote. |
trars, laboratory assistants} In the contract signed three
and other employes. The uni-|years ago, City University sala-| i
versity has an enrollment of|ries were raised to among the! §
218,000 students. highest for facuity members) =
As a result of a recent move-janywhere — for example, the) é
ment toward unionization ofjrange for a full professor isi ¢
professors, about 10 to 15 perjcurrently $22.500 to ver |

aC ARERR, TE NN EER TE

cent of the half-million teach-|Community college professors
ing faculty members in the|were placed on the same salary)
United States are subject to/scale as senior college profes-|
coHective agreements beyond|sors and the percentage of pro-|
their individual contracts, or|fessors in various ranks yee
will soon be. changed to raise the proportion

Approximately half the totallin the higher categories. |