Strategy Memo to Campaign Staff
Item
K
2/17/72 ‘ Sf
MEMO TO: CAMPAIGN STAFF ; met
“ FROM: BRUCE MAC DONALD
RE: STRATEGY
The strategy for this campaign is predicated on’ the following assump-
toons: ‘ :
1. The LC is the underdog no matter what unit PERB determines.
2. The LC is viewed by the voters as too conservative.
3. There is not enough’time to correct LC's image weaknesses.
4. The UFCT is viewed as militant and doing a better job for its
constituents than the LC.
5. This will be an issue-based campaign rather than a personality-
based campaign.
Based on the fact that LC is in trouble, the basic Serategy is to run
in terms of our strengths, i.e., to turiout "thos®$ersons who will vote
for us anyway. These targets are:
Full professors Re ao
. Associate Professors a
LC members
Women
Non-teaching professionals
. Tenured personnel
. All over age 50
Assistant professors
ONDMNARWNHE
These people must each be contacted personally by fellow faculty mem-
bers and urged to vote for LC. In addition, the general mass of the instruct-
ional staff must be urged to vote for LC through a massive media campaign.
LC's "line" in the election will be Something like this: 'In 1968
we said we'd get you higher salaries and" ‘better job security. * We did.
Now we're ready to tackle the next prob fem: -that is, improvement of
working conditions, getting more secretarial help, more space in which
to work, seeing that you are’not unbearably overloaded with impossibly
large classes -and a killing work load."
2 memo on strategy oh as
In order to achieve these goals we must develop an effective
Campaign apparatus on each campus: campus chairperson, departmental repre-
sentative and departmental activists. 2)
PO arte
In turn, we have to tzain our staff and the campaign workers from the
instructional staff.
Throughout we must keep constant pressure on the UFCT with a two-
level campaign. By keeping yp the pressure wé :,will force the UFCT
into a situation where they may be prone to serious. tactical errors
as a result of their inability to react senisbily to crisis.
: If we can activate 10 percent of the faculty in our behalf we
| will win this campaign.
a
3y
*‘exa) SOK
am
ray
iv
cr
oe
wf
®
~
2/17/72 ‘ Sf
MEMO TO: CAMPAIGN STAFF ; met
“ FROM: BRUCE MAC DONALD
RE: STRATEGY
The strategy for this campaign is predicated on’ the following assump-
toons: ‘ :
1. The LC is the underdog no matter what unit PERB determines.
2. The LC is viewed by the voters as too conservative.
3. There is not enough’time to correct LC's image weaknesses.
4. The UFCT is viewed as militant and doing a better job for its
constituents than the LC.
5. This will be an issue-based campaign rather than a personality-
based campaign.
Based on the fact that LC is in trouble, the basic Serategy is to run
in terms of our strengths, i.e., to turiout "thos®$ersons who will vote
for us anyway. These targets are:
Full professors Re ao
. Associate Professors a
LC members
Women
Non-teaching professionals
. Tenured personnel
. All over age 50
Assistant professors
ONDMNARWNHE
These people must each be contacted personally by fellow faculty mem-
bers and urged to vote for LC. In addition, the general mass of the instruct-
ional staff must be urged to vote for LC through a massive media campaign.
LC's "line" in the election will be Something like this: 'In 1968
we said we'd get you higher salaries and" ‘better job security. * We did.
Now we're ready to tackle the next prob fem: -that is, improvement of
working conditions, getting more secretarial help, more space in which
to work, seeing that you are’not unbearably overloaded with impossibly
large classes -and a killing work load."
2 memo on strategy oh as
In order to achieve these goals we must develop an effective
Campaign apparatus on each campus: campus chairperson, departmental repre-
sentative and departmental activists. 2)
PO arte
In turn, we have to tzain our staff and the campaign workers from the
instructional staff.
Throughout we must keep constant pressure on the UFCT with a two-
level campaign. By keeping yp the pressure wé :,will force the UFCT
into a situation where they may be prone to serious. tactical errors
as a result of their inability to react senisbily to crisis.
: If we can activate 10 percent of the faculty in our behalf we
| will win this campaign.
a
3y
*‘exa) SOK
am
ray
iv
cr
oe
wf
®
~
Title
Strategy Memo to Campaign Staff
Description
Bruce MacDonald lays out the strategy for what he believes will allow the Legislative Conference (LC) to triumph against the United Federation of College Teachers (UFCT) as the single bargaining unit for CUNY faculty and staff in the upcoming election.
Acknowledging that the LC was "in trouble" and "the underdog" and viewed by most members as the more conservative alternative, he states what he believes is the winning strategy: to run on their strengths and work to turn out those he believes will vote for the Legislative Conference.
The UFCT wanted a single unit to represent all of CUNY, and had called for a collective bargaining election for the faculty and staff. The LC had resisted such an election out of fears they could not win in a single unit election. Ultimately, this election was never held as the two unions merged to form the Professional Staff Congress on April 14, 1972.
Acknowledging that the LC was "in trouble" and "the underdog" and viewed by most members as the more conservative alternative, he states what he believes is the winning strategy: to run on their strengths and work to turn out those he believes will vote for the Legislative Conference.
The UFCT wanted a single unit to represent all of CUNY, and had called for a collective bargaining election for the faculty and staff. The LC had resisted such an election out of fears they could not win in a single unit election. Ultimately, this election was never held as the two unions merged to form the Professional Staff Congress on April 14, 1972.
Contributor
Professional Staff Congress
Creator
MacDonald, Bruce
Date
February 17, 1972
Language
English
Rights
Obtained from Contributor - Copyright Unknown
Source
Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Original Format
Memorandum
MacDonald, Bruce. Letter. “Strategy Memo to Campaign Staff.”, CUNY DIGITAL HISTORY ARCHIVE, accessed March 10, 2026, https://stephenz.tailc22a4b.ts.net/s/cdha/item/758