REYNOLDS JONES FOR PRESIDENT
United
University Professions
Empire
State College Chapter
A
UNION UNITED WITH ALL ITS MEMBERS
It is against the background of some of the most virulent anti-union and
anti-middle class activity that we have seen in over 50 years that I ask you to
support my bid for president of the Empire State College chapter of United
University Professions, a local of the New York State United Teachers, an
affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers, and a part of the AFL-CIO.
The state of Wisconsin, the first state in the US to allow collective
bargaining rights to public employees now seeks, under its new Republican
governor, an end to those rights -- supposedly as a method of helping to close
a multi-billion dollar budget gap, but given the almost non-existent effect the
end of those rights will have on the state budget, probably for the purpose of
punishing the unions for supporting the new governor's Democratic opponent
during the campaign.
Yes, the state of Wisconsin leads the way back toward the darkness from which
America thought it had escaped, but there are other states seeking to follow in
its wake. Both Indiana and Michigan have
similar bills pending. If Wisconsin
manages to overturn the collective bargaining rights of its public employees,
you can rest assured that those states will follow immediately, and at least
some others will be not that far behind.
Furthermore, it is not hyperbole when I link the unions and the middle
class. It is the labor movement that has
given American workers the weekend, the 8 hour day, the 40 hour week, paid holidays, sick time, and decent
wages. It is the labor movement that is
ultimately responsible for employer provided health insurance, some sense of
job security, and vested retirement plans.
The labor movement is responsible for these things existing in this
country at all, and thus is responsible not only for union members enjoying
these benefits, but for all of those who have them being able to enjoy the
security that they provide.
It is no accident that throughout the world, the countries with the highest
average standards of living also have the highest level of union
organization. It is also no accident
that as the American labor movement has declined; the American standard of
living has stagnated and then also began to decline. The two are linked. Unions make gains for their membership - but
those gains put upward pressure on wages and benefits throughout the
economy. When the union movement is
moribund, or worse yet, does not exist, the middle class is quickly the victim,
even those members of the middle class who have never been members of a union.
In New York State there is no danger that the anti-union tempest from Wisconsin
will blow strongly enough to overturn collective bargaining rights, at least not unless it blows far stronger than
we have any reason to expect. On the
other hand, what happens to our brothers and sisters in the Midwest not only effects them, but all of us - directly or indirectly. Taking unified action is not only an ethical obligation;
it is indeed in our own best interests.
There are many issues facing United University Professions, and this
chapter. On a statewide level, we are
negotiating a new contract under extremely onerous economic conditions; several
chapters around the University are facing what appear to be de facto
retrenchments; and there are continuing calls by the Chancellor for increasing autonomy
for SUNY - which brings the troubling specter of this respected public
university attempting to function
without the oversight that has helped to make it the highly regarded
entity that it now is. On a chapter
level we must be mindful of the continuing budget cuts that Empire State
College must face -- another three million dollars
the figure now being discussed -- will bring state support for ESC
to its lowest level in history. Only a few percent of our operating budget
will then be derived from public money.
We must therefore strongly protect our members, particularly our most
vulnerable members, while also working to assure continued progress for our
membership as a whole.
I pledge that if elected president I will focus first on the chapter, but also on the
larger forces and struggles that invariably end up effecting all of us.
I ask for your vote for president of this chapter, and I invite you to
join the larger struggle that is now being waged and that will determine the
shape of the society of the future. I
pledge to represent our members with all my heart - and to fight for a just
future for all people.
Thank you