9.4% Wage Increase Proposed  
CUNY Reduces Offer to Faculty Union

By HOWARD MEGDAL

Out of the ashes of a potential Professional Staff Congress deal with City University of New York management that was torched by the city and the state, a Feb. 16 sitdown produced a new set of proposals that will keep the PSC at the bargaining table.

BARBARA BOWEN: Caught in a switch.

The PSC and CUNY management had the framework of an agreement last Nov. 14. But after three months passed without an accord, officials let the PSC know during the session at the city's Office of Labor Relations that the city and state were not on board. The city and the state - both of which provide significant funding to CUNY - need to sign off on any contract with the PSC.

Matched SUNY Terms

Management's new proposal called for identical pay increases to those ratified by the State University of New York Professors' union in April 2004: a one-time payment of $800, pro-rated for adjuncts, in the first year, a 2.5-percent raise in the second year, one of 2.75 percent in the third year, a 3-percent hike in the fourth year, and an additional $800 salary increase, also pro-rated for adjuncts, on the final day of the contract. PSC President Barbara Bowen estimated the total value of the increases to be "an average of 9.4 percent."

The PSC's counterproposal centered around three issues: additional contribution to the union's Welfare Fund, all equity improvements agreed to in November (such as a reduction of the teaching load for professors at New York City Technical College and 100 new full-time lines with adjuncts making up the hiring pool) and improved sabbatical pay - equalling 80 percent of a professor's full salary - as a condition for extending from five years to seven the teaching time needed to gain tenure.

"The PSC negotiating team registered the members' anger at receiving a proposal that differed in major ways from the conceptual framework, but in an effort to bring this contract to a fair conclusion, we offered a counterproposal," Ms. Bowen said.

A CUNY spokesman did not respond to repeated calls for comment.

Ms. Bowen said that a major difference between the November agreement and the Feb. 16 proposal was CUNY's refusal to provide an additional salary increase for Professors adding an extra weekly office hour.

A Deflated Package

"More than 3 percent had been added to the economic package in return for an additional office hour per week," Ms. Bowen said. "Without that amount, the proposal contained less money for salary increases and no provision for the increase in sabbatical pay to 80 percent that was part of the November framework."

The offer also reduced CUNY management's contribution to the PSC welfare fund, and included only a partial list of the equity improvements the sides had agreed to in November.

The reduced offer is likely to further inflame the PSC membership, which registered its displeasure at working under an expired contract since Nov. 1, 2002 by demonstrating outside the OLR offices as the most recent negotiations took place. The PSC estimated more than 200 members showed up in support, which "helped to create a sense of urgency throughout the bargaining session," according to Ms. Bowen.

The parties agreed to meet again shortly.