PSC Frustrated By Lack of Pay Offer

Caught in Albany Jam
PSC Frustrated By Lack of Pay Offer


After five months of bargaining, the Professional Staff Congress has yet to receive an economic offer from the City University of New York.

BARBARA BOWEN: Patience wearing thin. The hold-up is partially a result of a backlog in Albany, where Governor Spitzer has yet to offer an economic package to any of the state unions. Both the state and the city must sign off on any final economic settlement that CUNY reaches with its unions. But PSC officials are frustrated in light of having requested early negotiations eight months ago in the hope of avoiding last round's experience of working under an expired contract for 3-1/2 years.

'Delay Unacceptable'

"We understand CUNY is working with the state," said PSC President Barbara Bowen, "but the delay is not acceptable to our members."

The Civil Service Employees Association has also complained about the state's refusal to put an offer on the table. "For more than three months the CSEA team has patiently sat at the bargaining table," CSEA President Danny Donohue said in a statement last month, "without meaningful progress because of the administration's lack of direction and focus."

CUNY management would not comment on whether the state was preventing negotiations from moving forward. "We have had a series of face-to-face meetings with the PSC," said CUNY spokesman Michael Arena. "We have had very substantial discussions. These meetings are regularly scheduled, and there's progress being made in a number of areas."

Last week's session focused on non-economic issues, including health and safety provisions. The union is planning a cultural event titled "Our CUNY vs. Their CUNY" at its offices on Sept. 19, the day the contract expires. Members will display or perform a piece of creative work about how they envision life at CUNY if management's demands are put in place, or what life will be like if the PSC's demands are enacted.

"It's fun," said Ms. Bowen, "but it's also deadly serious imagining what management's real agenda is."