"Sign the Petition for a New Collective Bargaining Election"
Item
UNITED Federation of College Teachers
LOCAL 1460 - AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, AFL-CIO
Attillated with New York State AFL-CIO, New York City Central Labor Council
New York State Federation of Teachers
260 Park Avenue South
New York, N. Y. 10010
673-6310-11
SIGN THE PETITION FOR
A NEW COLLECTIVE BARGAINING ELECTION
WHY IS THE UFCT CALLING FOR A NEW COLLECTIVE BARGAINING ELECTION
NOW?
Under the provisions of the Taylor Law which grants collective
bargaining to public employees, the UFCT has from now until July to
submit petitions calling for a new collective bargaining agent.
THE PRESENT CRITICAL SITUATION
The rights of faculty are now under assault. The CUNY administra-
tion keeps fighting on the appointed chairmen issue.
The BHE has just adopted a new by-law giving the college president
power to remove department chairmen and to make original appointments.
The tenure quota system is now being used as a guideline. A national
campaign to abolish tenure is underway.
THE IMMEDIATE DANGER FOR CUNY
Chancellor Bowker has stated that it appears that CUNY may lose
$57 million for the senior colleges and $18 million for the community
colleges. He states that CUNY may be compelled to act as follows:
1. to impose tuition on day session undergraduates
2. to put a freeze on additional faculty appointments for
September
3. to forego the faculty salary increases mandated in the
agreements with the Legislative Conference and the UFCT
4. to reduce the permissible credit load below normal for all
students, thereby requiring them to extend their college
careers
5. to sharply reduce all graduate programs
6. to eliminate summer and evening sessions
WHY WE NEED ONE BARGAINING AGENT
There are now two different bargaining agents at CUNY; each repre-
senting about 50% of the instructional staff. The UFCT represents all
lecturers and adjuncts. The LC represents all other titles. This
division resulted because the LC requested it and the Public Employment
Relations Board agreed to it. It has been divisive and is especially
disastrous in the present situation when the existence of CUNY as an
effective, quality educational institution is threatened by the budget-
cutters.
The UFCT offered a proposal for organic unity to the LC on several
occasions. The offer is still open. The LC has declined to even dis-
cuss this proposal. The only way to achieve unity is through a new
election. Either the UFCT or the LC will represent the entire staff.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
Sign the enclosed petition card at once. This is the only way
that we can have a new election and a united staff.
Sincerely yours,
Aon Mish
Dr. Israel Kugler
President
Bhi
IK/mep
opeiu #153
LOCAL 1460 - AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, AFL-CIO
Attillated with New York State AFL-CIO, New York City Central Labor Council
New York State Federation of Teachers
260 Park Avenue South
New York, N. Y. 10010
673-6310-11
SIGN THE PETITION FOR
A NEW COLLECTIVE BARGAINING ELECTION
WHY IS THE UFCT CALLING FOR A NEW COLLECTIVE BARGAINING ELECTION
NOW?
Under the provisions of the Taylor Law which grants collective
bargaining to public employees, the UFCT has from now until July to
submit petitions calling for a new collective bargaining agent.
THE PRESENT CRITICAL SITUATION
The rights of faculty are now under assault. The CUNY administra-
tion keeps fighting on the appointed chairmen issue.
The BHE has just adopted a new by-law giving the college president
power to remove department chairmen and to make original appointments.
The tenure quota system is now being used as a guideline. A national
campaign to abolish tenure is underway.
THE IMMEDIATE DANGER FOR CUNY
Chancellor Bowker has stated that it appears that CUNY may lose
$57 million for the senior colleges and $18 million for the community
colleges. He states that CUNY may be compelled to act as follows:
1. to impose tuition on day session undergraduates
2. to put a freeze on additional faculty appointments for
September
3. to forego the faculty salary increases mandated in the
agreements with the Legislative Conference and the UFCT
4. to reduce the permissible credit load below normal for all
students, thereby requiring them to extend their college
careers
5. to sharply reduce all graduate programs
6. to eliminate summer and evening sessions
WHY WE NEED ONE BARGAINING AGENT
There are now two different bargaining agents at CUNY; each repre-
senting about 50% of the instructional staff. The UFCT represents all
lecturers and adjuncts. The LC represents all other titles. This
division resulted because the LC requested it and the Public Employment
Relations Board agreed to it. It has been divisive and is especially
disastrous in the present situation when the existence of CUNY as an
effective, quality educational institution is threatened by the budget-
cutters.
The UFCT offered a proposal for organic unity to the LC on several
occasions. The offer is still open. The LC has declined to even dis-
cuss this proposal. The only way to achieve unity is through a new
election. Either the UFCT or the LC will represent the entire staff.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
Sign the enclosed petition card at once. This is the only way
that we can have a new election and a united staff.
Sincerely yours,
Aon Mish
Dr. Israel Kugler
President
Bhi
IK/mep
opeiu #153
Title
"Sign the Petition for a New Collective Bargaining Election"
Description
In this open letter from April 1971, Israel Kugler, president of the United Federation of College Teachers (UFCT), first outlines some of the serious problems facing his union and CUNY. He then calls for a new collective bargaining election, with the goal of electing a single unit to represent all faculty and staff, full and part time. He argues that this single unit would unify the faculty and staff and would more effectively be able to face the disastrous prospects he describes.
At the time, the other bargaining agent and the UFCT's rival, the Legislative Conference, opposed such an election, preferring the status quo or a new single union as a result of negotiations. As the open letter notes though, talks regarding a possible merger had been fruitless to date. The rival groups would eventually recognize the mutual benefit of a merger, and the two unions negotiated terms in late March 1972. The members of both groups subsequently ratified the merger.
At the time, the other bargaining agent and the UFCT's rival, the Legislative Conference, opposed such an election, preferring the status quo or a new single union as a result of negotiations. As the open letter notes though, talks regarding a possible merger had been fruitless to date. The rival groups would eventually recognize the mutual benefit of a merger, and the two unions negotiated terms in late March 1972. The members of both groups subsequently ratified the merger.
Creator
Kugler, Israel
Date
April 6, 1971
Language
English
Rights
Obtained from Contributor - Copyright Unknown
Source
Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Original Format
Diary / Correspondence
Kugler, Israel. Letter. “‘Sign the Petition for a New Collective Bargaining Election’.”, CUNY DIGITAL HISTORY ARCHIVE, accessed March 10, 2026, https://stephenz.tailc22a4b.ts.net/s/cdha/item/444