"Zeller, Polishook Win Top Posts"
Item
In City University union elections:
Zeller, Polishook win top PSC posts
NEW YORK CITY — Belle
Zeller has been re-elected president
of the Professional Staff Congress,
the union representing the 16,000
members of the City University in-
structional staff.
Dr. Zeller, professor of political
science at Brooklyn College, won a
three-year term with 1,519 votes to
1,395 for Israel Kugler, professor of
social science at New York City
Community College and currently
deputy president of the PSC,
Edgar Pauk, assistant professor of
romance languages at Queens Col
lege, received 321 of the 3,235 votes
cast for the presidency.
The 20 other top union offices
were won by both former Legisla-
tive Conference and former United
Federation of College Teachers
members.
Heading a coalition that swept 15
of these posts was Irwin Polishook,
professor of history at Lehman Col-
lege, elected first vice president.
The winning candidates take of-
fice Sept. 1.
Dr. Zeller, 70, has headed the
union since its formation in April
1972 by a merger of the Legislative
Conference and the United Federa-
tion of College Teachers.
She had been chairman of the
LC since 1944,
In September, Dr. Zeller will en-
ter her 30th year as a CUNY fac-
ulty leader, now head of the largest
university local in the country.
Her first priority, she said, is to
settle the contract dispute that has
wracked the university since June
1972.
Belle Zeller, re-elected president of
the Professional Staff Congress/
CUNY.
The union’s members voted by a
four-to-one margin carlier _ this
month to authorize a strike if no
settlement is reached with the Board
of Higher Education by Oct. 1.
“A strike,” Dr. Zeller said, “will
be our very last resort. We will ex-
haust every possible legal recourse
to achieve a decent contract.
“Our members are responsible
professional people. They do not
want to close down the university,
and they have been very patient.
But they have been working with-
out a contract for almost a year
now. They will not see their union
broken and their right to bargain
collectively destroyed.”
City University crisis continues
PSC members authorize strike
NEW YORK CITY — The City
University faculty union has voted
overwhelmingly to go out on strike
October 1 unless a contract settle-
ment is reached by then.
The strike, affecting approximate-
ly 250,000 students at 19 CUNY
campuses, would be the first major
university strike in the nation.
The vote tally announced July 7
by the NYSUT’s Professional Staff
Congress, the union representing the
teaching and nonclassroom staffs of
the university, was 3,904 to 1,023
in favor of the strike, a margin of
practically four to one.
The strike vote was recommend-
ed by the PSC leadership after a
year of negotiations and after the
Board of Higher Education refused
to accept the unanimous recommen-
dations of a three-member state fact-
finding panel.
Negotiations began June 19, 1972,
the New York Teacher / July, 1973
and existing contracts expired
August 31. The talks reached an im-
passe Sept. 8 and went into fact-
finding Nov. 24.
When the factfinders issued their
recommendations in May, the union
expressed reservations about some
of them but agreed to accept them
all in order to break the deadlock.
The board refused to reciprocate.
Instead, the board designated it+
self the “legislative body” authorized
by the Taylor Law to be the final
arbiter of a dispute after holding
hearings.
At hearings held June 18, the
PSC asked the board to abandon
its “charade” as an impartial body
and to accept the factfinders’ recom-
mendations as a reasonable com-
promise.
The board has not responded.
PSC President Belle Zeller and
Deputy President Israel Kugler said:
Irwin Polishook, elected first vice
president of the Professional Staff
Congress/CUNY.
The next negotiating session was
scheduled at presstime.
Other officers elected are:
Claude Campbell, assistant pro-
fessor of English at Staten Island
Community College, secretary;
Ada Agronin, lecturer in chem-
istry at Queens College, treasurer;
Irwin Yellowitz, associate profes-
sor of history at City College, vice
president for senior colleges;
Martin Berman, assistant profes-
sor of mathematics at Bronx Com-
munity College, vicé president for
community colleges;
Harold Wilson, college laboratory
technician at Baruch College, vice
“The major obstacle to a settle-
ment is the Board of Higher Edu-
cation’s determination to break the
union.”
They cited the board’s refusal to
recognize the union after it was
formed by a merger April 14, 1972;
the board’s cancellation of salary
increments 10 days later; its re-
jection of key recommendations of
the state fact-finding panel; its in-
sistence on retrogressive contract
provisions; its recent offer of a one-
year retroactive contract that would
expire in August, 1973; and_ its
stated intention to dictate its own
terms as the “legislative body.”
“If the board resigns itself to the
right of the instructional staff to
bargain collectively and accepts the
fact-finding report as the basis for a
settlement,” they said, “we will have
a decent contract and no strike in
October.”
president for cross-campus units,
representing nonclassroom staffs at
all CUNY campuses; and
William Leicht, lecturer in art at
Hunter College, vice president for
part-time personnel.
Elected as officers-at-large to the
union’s 21-member Executive Coun-
cil are: Norman Bindler, associate
professor of history at Bronx Com-
munity College; Pearl Gasarch, as-
sistant professor of communication
arts and skills at New York City
Community College; Mary Landers,
professor of mathematics at Hunter
College; and Thomas J. McNulty,
assistant professor-counselor in the
Student Personnel Department at
Queensborough Community Col-
lege.
Also, Lilia Melani, lecturer in
English at Brooklyn College; Alvin
Bachman, associate professor of
physics at City College; Percy Krich,
assistant professor of education at
Queens College; Gerd Muehsam,
associate professor in the library at
Queens College; and Caro] Bran-
don, assistant professor and chair-
person of the Data Processing De-
partment at Manhattan Communi-
ty College.
Also, Walter Gross, assistant pro-
fessor in the Division of Naturai
Environment at LaGuardia Com-
munity College; Evelyn Lerner, lec-
turer in economics at New York City
Community College; Peter Jonas.
associate registrar at City College;
and Samuel Vernoff, associate high-
er education officer at Bronx Com-
munity College.
Oct. 1
The PSC has begun strike prepa-
rations with the support of its af-
filiates, the National Education As-
sociation, the American Federation
of Teachers (AFL-CIO), the New
York State United Teachers, and
the New York City Central Labor
Council.
Staff members of all these or-
ganizations have already met in New
York with PSC officers to make
preliminary strike plans.
The PSC, which represents the
16,000 professors, instructors, lec-
turers, counselors, librarians, tech-
nicians and other nonclassroom staffs
at CUNY, is the largest faculty lo-
cal in the country.
The City University of New York
is the third largest in the country,
behind the State University of New
York and the California State Col-
lege system.
e
Zeller, Polishook win top PSC posts
NEW YORK CITY — Belle
Zeller has been re-elected president
of the Professional Staff Congress,
the union representing the 16,000
members of the City University in-
structional staff.
Dr. Zeller, professor of political
science at Brooklyn College, won a
three-year term with 1,519 votes to
1,395 for Israel Kugler, professor of
social science at New York City
Community College and currently
deputy president of the PSC,
Edgar Pauk, assistant professor of
romance languages at Queens Col
lege, received 321 of the 3,235 votes
cast for the presidency.
The 20 other top union offices
were won by both former Legisla-
tive Conference and former United
Federation of College Teachers
members.
Heading a coalition that swept 15
of these posts was Irwin Polishook,
professor of history at Lehman Col-
lege, elected first vice president.
The winning candidates take of-
fice Sept. 1.
Dr. Zeller, 70, has headed the
union since its formation in April
1972 by a merger of the Legislative
Conference and the United Federa-
tion of College Teachers.
She had been chairman of the
LC since 1944,
In September, Dr. Zeller will en-
ter her 30th year as a CUNY fac-
ulty leader, now head of the largest
university local in the country.
Her first priority, she said, is to
settle the contract dispute that has
wracked the university since June
1972.
Belle Zeller, re-elected president of
the Professional Staff Congress/
CUNY.
The union’s members voted by a
four-to-one margin carlier _ this
month to authorize a strike if no
settlement is reached with the Board
of Higher Education by Oct. 1.
“A strike,” Dr. Zeller said, “will
be our very last resort. We will ex-
haust every possible legal recourse
to achieve a decent contract.
“Our members are responsible
professional people. They do not
want to close down the university,
and they have been very patient.
But they have been working with-
out a contract for almost a year
now. They will not see their union
broken and their right to bargain
collectively destroyed.”
City University crisis continues
PSC members authorize strike
NEW YORK CITY — The City
University faculty union has voted
overwhelmingly to go out on strike
October 1 unless a contract settle-
ment is reached by then.
The strike, affecting approximate-
ly 250,000 students at 19 CUNY
campuses, would be the first major
university strike in the nation.
The vote tally announced July 7
by the NYSUT’s Professional Staff
Congress, the union representing the
teaching and nonclassroom staffs of
the university, was 3,904 to 1,023
in favor of the strike, a margin of
practically four to one.
The strike vote was recommend-
ed by the PSC leadership after a
year of negotiations and after the
Board of Higher Education refused
to accept the unanimous recommen-
dations of a three-member state fact-
finding panel.
Negotiations began June 19, 1972,
the New York Teacher / July, 1973
and existing contracts expired
August 31. The talks reached an im-
passe Sept. 8 and went into fact-
finding Nov. 24.
When the factfinders issued their
recommendations in May, the union
expressed reservations about some
of them but agreed to accept them
all in order to break the deadlock.
The board refused to reciprocate.
Instead, the board designated it+
self the “legislative body” authorized
by the Taylor Law to be the final
arbiter of a dispute after holding
hearings.
At hearings held June 18, the
PSC asked the board to abandon
its “charade” as an impartial body
and to accept the factfinders’ recom-
mendations as a reasonable com-
promise.
The board has not responded.
PSC President Belle Zeller and
Deputy President Israel Kugler said:
Irwin Polishook, elected first vice
president of the Professional Staff
Congress/CUNY.
The next negotiating session was
scheduled at presstime.
Other officers elected are:
Claude Campbell, assistant pro-
fessor of English at Staten Island
Community College, secretary;
Ada Agronin, lecturer in chem-
istry at Queens College, treasurer;
Irwin Yellowitz, associate profes-
sor of history at City College, vice
president for senior colleges;
Martin Berman, assistant profes-
sor of mathematics at Bronx Com-
munity College, vicé president for
community colleges;
Harold Wilson, college laboratory
technician at Baruch College, vice
“The major obstacle to a settle-
ment is the Board of Higher Edu-
cation’s determination to break the
union.”
They cited the board’s refusal to
recognize the union after it was
formed by a merger April 14, 1972;
the board’s cancellation of salary
increments 10 days later; its re-
jection of key recommendations of
the state fact-finding panel; its in-
sistence on retrogressive contract
provisions; its recent offer of a one-
year retroactive contract that would
expire in August, 1973; and_ its
stated intention to dictate its own
terms as the “legislative body.”
“If the board resigns itself to the
right of the instructional staff to
bargain collectively and accepts the
fact-finding report as the basis for a
settlement,” they said, “we will have
a decent contract and no strike in
October.”
president for cross-campus units,
representing nonclassroom staffs at
all CUNY campuses; and
William Leicht, lecturer in art at
Hunter College, vice president for
part-time personnel.
Elected as officers-at-large to the
union’s 21-member Executive Coun-
cil are: Norman Bindler, associate
professor of history at Bronx Com-
munity College; Pearl Gasarch, as-
sistant professor of communication
arts and skills at New York City
Community College; Mary Landers,
professor of mathematics at Hunter
College; and Thomas J. McNulty,
assistant professor-counselor in the
Student Personnel Department at
Queensborough Community Col-
lege.
Also, Lilia Melani, lecturer in
English at Brooklyn College; Alvin
Bachman, associate professor of
physics at City College; Percy Krich,
assistant professor of education at
Queens College; Gerd Muehsam,
associate professor in the library at
Queens College; and Caro] Bran-
don, assistant professor and chair-
person of the Data Processing De-
partment at Manhattan Communi-
ty College.
Also, Walter Gross, assistant pro-
fessor in the Division of Naturai
Environment at LaGuardia Com-
munity College; Evelyn Lerner, lec-
turer in economics at New York City
Community College; Peter Jonas.
associate registrar at City College;
and Samuel Vernoff, associate high-
er education officer at Bronx Com-
munity College.
Oct. 1
The PSC has begun strike prepa-
rations with the support of its af-
filiates, the National Education As-
sociation, the American Federation
of Teachers (AFL-CIO), the New
York State United Teachers, and
the New York City Central Labor
Council.
Staff members of all these or-
ganizations have already met in New
York with PSC officers to make
preliminary strike plans.
The PSC, which represents the
16,000 professors, instructors, lec-
turers, counselors, librarians, tech-
nicians and other nonclassroom staffs
at CUNY, is the largest faculty lo-
cal in the country.
The City University of New York
is the third largest in the country,
behind the State University of New
York and the California State Col-
lege system.
e
Title
"Zeller, Polishook Win Top Posts"
Description
The first article from this issue of The New York Teacher, the monthly newspaper of the New York State United Teachers federation, reports the results of the first Professional Staff Congress (PSC) election held in April 1973. Belle Zeller, from the former Legislative Conference (LC), won the presidency by small margin over Israel Kugler, from the former United Federation of College Teachers (UFCT). A third candidate, Edgar Pauk, had a decisive impact on the election as his total vote tally was larger than Zeller’s margin of victory. A caucus, led by Irwin Polishook, supported Zeller, and won 15 of the 20 remaining seats on the union’s Executive Council. The second article details a recently authorized strike vote from union members. Set for October 1st, the strike declaration was tactically used by the PSC in order to break their deadlock with CUNY administration over the terms of a new contract. Most problematic for the newly formed PSC was the administration's initial refusal to recognize the new union as the official bargaining agent for the more than 16,000 professors, instructors and other non-classrrom staff at CUNY. Ultimately, the two sides reached an agreement not long after this article was published, rendering the strike unnecessary.The PSC was formed in April 1972 following the merging of the LC and UFCT. Leaders from both former groups sought to control the direction of the union in its earliest years, a fact that led to particularly contentious early elections. In the following election in 1976, Israel Kugler and Irwin Polishook contended for the PSC presidency. Polishook won decisively, and Kugler dissolved his caucus.
Contributor
Professional Staff Congress
Creator
The New York Teacher
Date
July 1973
Language
English
Relation
4932
Rights
Obtained from Contributor - Copyright Unknown
Source
Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Original Format
Article / Essay
The New York Teacher. Letter. 1973. “‘Zeller, Polishook Win Top Posts’”. 4932, 1973, CUNY DIGITAL HISTORY ARCHIVE, accessed March 10, 2026, https://stephenz.tailc22a4b.ts.net/s/cdha/item/767