Much of our power comes from a mobilized membership and close alliances with our affiliates, students and their communities. Through the agency of an organized membership, the PSC has in the past won key contract provisions (e.g. winning the first paid parental leave benefit for public employees in NY state). Similar -- and sometimes even bigger membership mobilizations and key alliances -- have secured victories beyond the contract. Over the past year the PSC has:
Past Victories
Over the years, the PSC has activated thousands of members in campaigns ranging in focus from contract to budget to workload to equity for adjuncts to parental leave – and more. Below is a gallery of photos and videos showcasing the breadth of PSC's work and the level of participation in our campaigns.
RF WORKERS SAY "FIGHT BACK!" Joined by the Grinch, Research Foundation field workers took their fight for a first contract to the RF headquarters at a pre-holiday rally on 12/22/10. The RF didn't express it's holiday spirit that day, but the workers succeeded in winning a first contract in the following semester. It went into effect on 6/1/11. Click the image to the left to see a video of the Grinch and the 12/22/10 rally.
Students at 5/28/10 graduation marching in the procession wearing stickers reading “Fund CUNY: Build Our Future,” The stickers were directed at the BCC commencement speaker, Governor David Paterson. This was part of year long budget campaign organized by the PSC and joined by students and many other allies.
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Success! The parental leave campaign mobilized thousands of supporters -- and won! Above: Parents and children who took advantage of the leave benefit at a celebration at the PSC Union Hall, 10/24/09.
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In July 2009, the PSC and CUNY agreed that, effective with the Fall 2009 semester, teaching adjuncts across CUNY will be paid the same amount in the last week of the semester as they are for all the other weeks. Adjuncts, with support from full-time faculty and staff, mounted a PSC “Campaign of Outrage” targeting the five colleges that did not consistently follow this practice: Baruch, College of Staten Island, and Bronx, Kingsborough and Queensborough Community Colleges. As the campaign intensified near Thanksgiving, a "turkey" joined union activist Diane Menna to tell college presidents, "Don't be a turkey!" Above, campaign of outrage action at Baruch, Nov. 2007.
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On Valentine’s Day 2008, PSC members on 13 campuses (including BCC above) protested the university’s failure to provide any paid parental or family leave. They gathered thousands of signatures on postcards to CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein. The postcards say “CUNY, stop breaking our hearts! Give us time with our families!” and call on the university to agree to the union’s bargaining demand for paid leave.
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Contract rally in front of the 5th Avenue office of Board Chairman Benno Schmidt, April 19, 2005
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