April 2002
In this Issue:
From
the President's Desk
New
Executive Committee for 2001-03
Dental
Update
In
Memoriam
A
Letter from a Retiring Faculty Member
As we are all well aware, the academic year began with world transforming events. I never expected to begin the year by getting word of sleep-over provisions for stranded faculty, staff and students, or by visiting our local fire station to deliver an LIUFF donation to the bereaved families of our local firefighters. On matters of considerably smaller scope, LIUFF saw several changes at the same time. While we welcomed new faculty members into our fold, we also lost several long-term members. As those of you in Conolly College already heard, Dr.Susanne Popper-Edelman passed away just before the semester began; LIUFF made a donation to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens in her memory. Several faculty members also retired after our last membership meeting (no connection implied!): William Edelson, Al Hirschberg, Esther Hyneman, Yaw Afriye, Bob Rochlin. We honored their retirements at our December meeting. Bertram Bandman, whose retirement will be effective in August 2002 was also honored for his long service.
Despite other changes and issues which shall be addressed elsewhere in this newsletter, I want to focus on one particular issue which, concerns us all during this academic year. The elected LIUFF officers are the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Grievance Chair. As of this date, the Grievance Chair and I have announced that we will not stand for re-election. This situation provides an exciting opportunity to toss the reins to new leaders. But in order to facilitate a successful transition, we need to identify potential candidates as early as possible. Therefore, I urge any of you interested in such positions to talk to the incumbent officer or other Executive Committee members.
I shall take the remainder of my letter to reflect on what I and the other officers have (and have not) accomplished, and the implications forwhoever grasps the reins. First, I cannot thank enough the other officers who have left or are leaving their positions. Our union is strongbecause of their efforts, and shall remain strong because of their legacy.
The past three to fours years have been exceptionally challenging. LIUFF has gone primarily electronic. My apologies to those of you without computers, but computers do make things faster and easier. I hereby apologize for calling you 'computer morons' in a meeting once. I wish that you would get computers, but that is your choice, after all.
The LIUFF office (M602) is also more-or-less organized and livable. Of course, we do still lose things sometimes, but the filing system, fax machine and photocopier make life much easier. The new officers might actually be able to find, fax and copy documents. And - who knows- maybe they'll buy new furniture.
I see and hear a new sense of dynamism throughout LIUFF. Although LIUFF is one of the oldest private university unions in North America, I am sure that we are not the most staid. With our renewed energy, we will need to gird ourselves for the negotiations of 2003. In the past, we have made modest gains for part-timers. I advise the new leadership to continue efforts on their behalf. While I hope for an improved budget that would allow for greater pay increases and/or the introduction of some health insurance reimbursements for part-time faculty, it will be up to the next negotiation team to battle for everything they can get.
So, let's hope
for the best in the year 2002, and commit ourselves to working for it.
Rhiannon
Allen
Back
to the Top
Executive Committee for 2001- 2003
Eilene Augenti
(Nursing)
Michael Bennett
(English)
Dennis Broe
(Media Arts)
Dennis Curley
(Biology)
Edward Donohue
(Chemistry)
Ralph Engelman
(Journalism)
Sealy Gilles
(English)
Janet Haynes
(Biology)
Matthew Kerner
(Sports Science, academic year 2001-02)
Laurie Lehman
(Education)
Marjan Moghaddam
(Media Arts)
Aderemi Oki
(Chemistry)
Michael Pelias
(Philosophy)
Jose Sanchez
(Political Science)
Rebecca States
(Physical Therapy, academic year 2002-03)
Paolina Taglienti
(Library)
Cynthia Dantzic
(Art; ex-officio as newsletter editor)
The officers of the LIUFF until June 2002 are:
President:
Rhiannon Allen (Psychology)
Vice-President:
Jordan Kaplan (School of Business)
Secretary:
Melissa Antinori (English)
Treasurer:
Amin Zewail (Economics)
Grievance
Chair: John Reilly (History)
DENTAL
UPDATE
Family Dental
Coverage
The monthly
premium for our First Fortis single coverage has risen to $42.63/month
for each member. For all those who indicated a preference for family coverage,
the monthly charge would be $lO6/family. Therefore, those desiring family
coverage would have to pay an additional monthly premium of $63.37 per
family. (First Fortis reserves the right to increase a premium if fewer
than 60 members opt for a family plan.)
The Benefits Committee might contact those indicating interest in a family plan before we decide how to proceed. If we decide to proceed with family coverage, there will be a slight delay while Payroll makes arrangements for an extra deduction.
A memorial service for Professor of Mathematics Panagiotis (Peter) Stratigos, held on campus last Spring and attended by many of his colleagues, including those who had served with him on the Research Released Time Committee for many years, was marked by several enthusiastic eulogies as well as a piano rendition of Chopin's "Fantasie Impromptu" played by Professor Sam Park, Chair of the Mathematics Department. Professor Stratigos was recognized for his 40 years of service to LIU at the 2000 Commencement, and was a recipient of the 1993 TASA Award (Trustees Award for Scholarly Achievement). He did extensive work in his very specialized field, topological measurement theory, and was widely published.
Pace.
Letter
from a Retiring Faculty Member
Colleagues
and Fellow Union Members
What provision is there in the new contract for the preservation of seniority? The issue of seniority has alwaysbeen at the center of union recognition, promotion, hiring and firing. Seniority is the very basis of annual pay raises. At its core is the concept that an experienced employee is more valuable because of his or her demonstrated ability to do the job better and to advance the mission of the institution. I speak for my colleagues as well as for myself. At LIU, those of us who claim the rights of seniority do so on the basis of our record of loyalty to the institution and its mission in good times and bad. More important, we fought for the union, went out on strike at almost every contract renewal at considerable risk to ourselves, and supported the growth of the union. Respect and support of the seniority principle in this context is vital to our future as a faculty.
Seniority applies to scheduling. In the English Department, I understand that seniority is recognized as a principle in scheduling. There are undoubtedly qualifications that apply to this important principle, such as competence. But to ignore seniority in preference to some other principle, such as the one I heard at the recent Union meeting, identified as "share and share alike," or to characterize seniority as "an arcane principle," seems to ignore the meaning and importance of seniority as it effects working faculty members like ourselves. Some people who dismiss the value of seniority just don't seem to understand what unions are about. I appeal to you to support seniority in scheduling.
Fraternally,
Bert Bandman
Cynthia Danzic,
Editor Devabrata Mondal, Shamim, Technical associates. Conversion from
the print edition and uploading to the Web site by Marjan
Moghaddam.
Copyright
© 2002, LIUFF. Faculty.Union@brooklyn.liu.edu
Copyright
© 2000, LIUFF. Faculty.Union@brooklyn.liu.edu