Current Negotiations

Current Negotiations

The Strike Is Over !

LIUFF Media Contact: Ralph Engelman (347) 268-4033

Media Coverage of the LIUFF Strike
The LIUFF Strike Rally Was A Smashing Success ! (Story and Photos of Rally and strike)
LIUFF Meeting to Vote on Contract, Friday at 11am
Strike Headquarters
Sign-up for the Picket Line

LIUFF Membership Votes to Ratify the New Contract Proposal
09/12/03

The LIUFF Membership met today at the Ratification meeting, and after extensive discussion voted to accept the new contract proposal. All faculty are to return to work. Please use the phone trees in your departments to notify everyone. ___________________________________________________________________________

LIUFF Web Site Statistics
09/12/03

As of today we have received a total of 159484 hits during the month of September. Our Rally section received 7262 hits in the few days that it has been up. We received the highest number of hits on September 10th.

The web site will be changed over the course of the next few days. The strike section will be archived on the site. If you have any digital pictures from the strike, please contact me, Marjan Moghaddam. We would like to archive all digital shots on CD for the LIUFF collection. Thank-you.

___________________________________________________________________________

LIUFF Executive Committee Votes to Recommend Ratification of Contract
09/11/03

The Executive Committee of the LIUFF met today to review the Administration's offer, and they voted to recommend ratification of the Contract by the LIUFF membership. There will be a Ratification Meeting for all LIUFF members tomorrow, Friday September 12, at 11 am, at the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church. All Fulltime and Adjunct Faculty are required to attend this meeting. Read the Summary of the proposed contract drafted by the EC Committee.

All faculty are asked to suspend strike activities beginning at 8 am Friday morning, pending the final vote on the contract. The proposed agreement requires faculty to return to work on Friday pending vote on contract. All faculty are encouraged
to enter the campus to pick up mail, answer phones, and attend to all
scheduled office hours, classes, etc. in the morning.

If the faculty rejects the contract offer, the strike cycle will resume on Saturday morning.

(Directions to church from campus: Walk Up DeKalb Avenue to South Oxford Street, Right on S. Oxford across Lafayette Street, a 10-15-Minute Walk. Via Subway: C to Lafayette, G to Fulton Street, or 2/3/4/5 to Atlantic Avenue, from which you walk on Hanson Place to S. Oxford.)

___________________________________________________________________________

Strike Update: The Strike is Still ON!
09/11/03

DEAR LIUFF MEMBERSHIP:

THE STRIKE IS STILL ON. Please report to the picket line for your regularly
scheduled shifts. Negotiations continue.

Sign-up for the Picket Line here

There will also be another Teach Out/Speak Out at the Arch outside the LIU gate today from 12-1pm.

Our Contract voting meeting will be held tomorrow, Friday the 12th, at 11 am. Lafayette Avenue Church. ( See Below for more info).

___________________________________________________________________________

General Membership Meeting to Vote on Contract Proposal, Friday at 11am !
09/10/03

The full membership of the LIUFF is called to a critical meeting at 11am on Friday, September 12th, to vote on the contract proposal of the Administration.

Negotiations are continuing under a Federal Mediator. The Meeting will be held at the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, 85 South Oxford Street, Brooklyn. This is an extremely important meeting and the entire membership is expected to attend including Fulltime & Adjunct faculty.

Departments should implement phone trees to notify members about Friday's meeting. Please call all faculty in your department to verbally notify them of this meeting.

_______________________________________________________________

Teach Out/Speak Out Tomorrow at Noon!
09/10/03

There will be another Teach Out/Speak Out at the Arch outside the LIU gate on Thursday, September 11th, from 12-1pm. All faculty, students and other interested parties are encouraged to attend.

_______________________________________________________________

Sign-up For the Picket Line !
09/10/03

A lively, strong, vocal presence on the picket line will help pressure the administration to bring contract negotiations to a fair and speedy resolution. Apologies to those of you who signed up for picketing but whose names were not listed on the schedule that circulated at the 9/9 meeting. The omission of names was a clerical error made as we did our best to collate information. The updated picket schedule can be downloaded as a Microsoft Word File, Here.

Our goal now is to redouble efforts to organize the picket line. You can help by:
1) checking the schedule to be sure your name is listed;
2) if your name is not listed, e-mail your name, phone #, e-mail address, and preferred shifts to Deborah Mutnick at dmutnick@mindspring.com;
3) also e-mail any corrections of names as well as phone # and e-mail address if you didn't include them on the sign-up sheet.

A few names on the list were illegible, so if you signed up and don't see your name, email me that information as well. Finally, please volunteer for the smaller shifts, particularly evenings and Fridays. When you arrive for your shift, sign in with the picket captain, whose name is in bold typeface on the list. And remember to chant, sing, make our demands heard!

In solidarity,
Deborah Mutnick

______________________________________________________________

Update on Negotiations From LIUFF President
09/10/03

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Negotiations continue this morning at 10:30; they will be followed by a meeting of the full executive committee at 4:30. At this point, I am cautiously optimistic that we can reach a fair and just settlement.

In Solidarity there is Strength,
Jordan Kaplan,
President, LIUFF"

______________________________________________________________

The LIUFF Strike Rally is A Smashing Success !
09/09/03

Close to 300 faculty, students, prominent labor leaders and activists joined the LIUFF Strike Rally this morning in downtown Brooklyn. The large group marched in an orderly procession to the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian church for a program of speeches and rally music by: renowned Unionist/Activist Roger Toussaint, PSC CUNY president Barbara Bowen, PSC CUNY Executive Committee member Stanley Aronowitz, LIU alumnus Jeffrey Davis, NYSUT Vice President Alan Lubin, C.W. Post Union President Ralph Knopf, LIUFF Strike Captain Ralph Engelman, LIUFF EC members Sealy Gilles and Anne Larsen , and LIUFF president Jordan Kaplan. Street poet Professor Louis and Fast Eddie entertained the crowds with rap music in addition to George Man of the Labor Chorus. Four students from LIU also delivered speeches in support of the faculty. Everyone agreed that the Rally had been a smash success, attracting media representatives and some of the city's finest labor leaders and activists. Full story and pictures here.

Brief statements of support were also read from the President of the AFL-CIO, John J. Sweeney, and from the American Federation of Teachers

LIUFF President, Jordan Kaplan, announced that formal negotiations between both sides will be held at the church tomorrow.

LIUFF member, Professor Debra Mutnick, passed out sign-up sheets for the picket line. Morning slots have good coverage, we need more faculty to sign up for afternoon slots. All faculty are strongly urged to do a minimum of 3 shifts. To sign up contact Debra Mutnick at dmutnick@mindspring.com

There will be another Teach Out/Speak Out at the Arch outside the LIU gate on Thursday, September 11th, from 12-1pm. All faculty, students and other interested parties are encouraged to attend.

______________________________________________________________

Negotiations Update !
09/08/03

The LIUFF Negotiating team met for 5 hours today with a federal mediator and talks are continuing with another meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 11th, at 11 am. Rest assured that the strike is making a difference.

Ralph Knopf, President of the C.W.Post union will also be joining us tomorrow at our Rally at noon. Roger Toussaint , President of the Transport Workers Union Local 100, will lead faculty and students from the picket line on Tuesday at 11.30 am to our Rally at the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church. Other Labor leaders are also expected to attend our rally.

In order to make a statement during our procession tomorrow, faculty who have their cap & gown are asked to wear them for the Rally. All faculty, students, and other interested parties should assemble on the picket line at 11 o'clock Tuesday.

This is a very important Rally and we ask that you make every attempt to attend.

______________________________________________________________

Healthcare During Our Strike!
09/08/03

Dear Members,

As you know the administration has threatened to take away healthcare coverage for striking faculty. The Union asked a labor relations specialist at NYSUT (John Schlechty) to see if that was legal. He replied:

" This question is answered by the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986 (COBRA). Under COBRA each worker has the right to continue her/his health insurance coverage in the event of layoff, STRIKE or other displacement from the job by paying not more than 102% of the employer's cost of the coverage. LIU must give each worker written notice of her/his rights under COBRA and the notice must be given at least 30 days before the coverage terminates. The forms and information necessary to permit the employee to continue coverage at her/his own cost must be included. "

The Union has not heard of any member who has been notified that their coverage will terminate. Hence, OUR COVERAGE IS NOT CURRENTLY IN JEOPARDY.

Please notify the Union immediately if you receive a notice of termination of coverage, or if you receive any personal communications from the Administration threatening your personal job status or benefits because of the strike.

______________________________________________________________

From The President of the LIUFF: Classes Are Not In Session!
09/08/03

Dear Sisters and Brothers,

Today our colleagues at CW Post join us. This is the first time in the history of the University that both campuses are on strike at the same time. The message that the faculty of Long Island University are sending to the administration is clear and unambiguous: "the present contract offer is unacceptable." Our resolve, our commitment and our determination to see this through to a successful outcome are indisputable.

Negotiations will resume at 10.30 am. With the assistance of a mediator from
the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, we will resume our efforts to achieve a just and fair settlement with the University.

THROUGH UNITY AND STRENGTH WE WILL ACHIEVE VICTORY.

In solidarity,
Jordan Kaplan
President
Long Island University Faculty Federation.

______________________________________________________________

President of Transport Union will lead the March to the LIUFF Rally !
09/08/03

Roger Toussaint, President of the Transport Workers Union Local 100, will lead faculty and students from the picket line on Tuesday at 11.30 am to our Rally at the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church.

All faculty, students, and other interested parties should assemble on the picket line at 11 o'clock Tuesday.

______________________________________________________________

Teach-Out & Speak-Out today, from 12-1pm !
09/08/03

On Monday, September 8, 12-1pm by the arch near the Alumni Gate entrance to LIU/Brooklyn, there will be a Teach-Out and Speak-Out geared towards students and which all LIUFF members are invited and encouraged to attend.

There will be information about why we are striking, what it means in terms of current developments in the academic and business worlds, a brief introduction to the broader context of labor history and organizing, and a speak-out. We very much hope that adjuncts in particular (and others in general) will speak out about their own working conditions and the effects of those conditions on their lives.

Please come and be part of our our tuition-free, Sidewalk Classroom experience. As you all know, we have many adjuncts in the Writing Program, and this is your chance to speak out about the realities involved and change them. Health insurance for adjuncts is a very central issue in this strike, and we need to be unified in our efforts to bring it about. Hope to see you all there, as well as at the Church Rally on Tuesday and on the picket line often.

______________________________________________________________

To Adjunct Faculty From Jordan Kaplan !
09/06/03

LIUFF is on strike!
Adjunct and Fulltime Faculty are not to cross the picket line!

Scabs undermine our ability to negotiate effectively and to press our demands. All faculty stand united for a just and fair contract.

Jordan Kaplan
President of the LIUFF

______________________________________________________________

C.W.Post Negotiations
09/06/03

As of 4 pm on Friday Jordan Kaplan, President of LIUFF, was advised by Ralph Knopf, President of the C. W. Post Faculty Union, that negotiations between his union & the administration had broken down and no further talks were planned or scheduled between the Post Negotiating team and the administration.

C.W. Post faculty will begin their strike on Monday morning.

______________________________________________________________

LIUFF President attends C.W.Post Meeting
09/05/03 6:30 pm

LIUFF president, Jordan Kaplan, attended the C.W. Post General Membership meeting today in Brookeville. There was excellent faculty support for a strike, and the C.W. Post faculty will go on strike this Monday, September 8th.

The administration had also requested a meeting with the C.W. Post Negotiating team today.

______________________________________________________________

John Ehrenberg's Letter
09/05/03 11:50 am

John Ehrenberg, president of the Brooklyn Campus Faculty Senate, has asked me
to send to you all this letter (see below) already sent to President
Steinberg, AVP Kane and Trustee Grabois. In it, he expresses Faculty Senate
support for the LIUFF strike. We thank the Faculty Senate executives for
their support of our cause. As the letter implies, John Ehrenberg of the Faculty Senate recognizes that good relations were not ruptured through the actions of the LIUFF, its executive or its negotiating team. You can read the Letter here.

______________________________________________________________

PSC CUNY will Join our Picket Line Today 09/05/03 11:20 am

Our Colleagues from the Professional Staff Congress (PSC) CUNY will be joining us at the picket line today at Mid Day.

They will also be represented at our Rally on Tuesday.

Please make every effort to show up and join LIUFF & PSC/ CUNY members today at the picket line. Also a reminder to all LIUFF members to join PSC/CUNY at their Labor Day March tomorrow.

______________________________________________________________

Students Invited to Join LIUFF Rally
09/05/03 11:00 am

Brooklyn Campus students are invited to join us at the LIUFF Rally on Tuesday, September 9th, at the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church.
Rally Details Here.

______________________________________________________________

PSC CUNY Labor Day March
09/04/03 6:00 pm

PSC, CUNY'S Faculty Union has invited LIUFF to march with them in a Labor Day March on Saturday 6th September. Meet them at 1pm at 46th Street and 5th
Avenue. Volunteers should contact LIUFF HQ for more information regarding
banners, flyers etc. This is a high profile event and solidarity with the
CUNY Union can only add to LIUFF's strength.

______________________________________________________________

Negotiation Meeting
09/04/03 5:30 pm

Meetings were conducted between the LIUFF Negotiating Committee, the Federal Mediator and the University Administration today, Thursday, beginning at 11am.
No resolution had been reached as of 4pm. Discussions will be ongoing at the
next meeting scheduled for Monday morning September 8th.

Picketing in support of the strike continues until further notice.

______________________________________________________________

Urgent Meeting of All Striking Faculty !
09/04/03

Negotiating Team Report & Rally.

Hear:
* Latest news on negotiations
* Report on the university threat to suspend health care benefits
for strikers
* Prominent speakers from the labor movement offering support and solidarity
* And more

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9TH
NOON TO 2 PM
LAFAYETTE AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
85 SOUTH OXFORD STREET
BROOKLYN

Let us march from the picket line with our signs to the church at 11:30 am.
For further details about the meeting and regular strike updates: http://liuff.org.
Please call your colleagues, especially adjuncts who may not be on our listserve,
to inform them about the meeting.

______________________________________________________________

LIUFF Strike Headquarters
09/04/03

Your Office USA, 111 Livingston Street, Suite 1110, Room 9, Brooklyn, NY. Direct telephone number 718 210-4813.
Check your email and this page for updates.
LIUFF Media Contact: Ralph Engelman (347) 268-4033

______________________________________________________________

We Need A Strong Show of Support
09/04/03 9:23 am

Here is the latest information about the strike as of 9:23 AM on September 4.

1. THE LIUFF NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE IS MEETING WITH THE ADMINISTRATION TODAY AT THE BROOKLYN CAMPUS AT 11AM. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT MEETING WITH A FEDERAL MEDIATOR. WE REQUEST THAT ALL AVAILABLE FACULTY COME TO PICKET THIS MORNING FOR A SHOW OF SOLIDARITY DURING THE NEGOTIATIONS. TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL SO PLEASE COME TO LEND YOUR SUPPORT.

2. All adjunct members who receive this message should make an effort to
contact other adjuncts from the Brooklyn campus. Due to the transitory nature
of adjunct work, we are not always able to keep updated contact info for
adjuncts so please make an effort to email/telephone any adjunct members who
may not be receiving these messages. THANK YOU!

______________________________________________________________

Negotiations Resume
09/03/03 2:50 pm

Negotiations will resume with a meeting scheduled for tomorrow at 11 am on the Brooklyn campus between the Negotiating Committee, the Administration and a mediator from the Federal Mediation and Reconciliation section of the Department of Labor.

The LIUFF Negotiating Committee is requesting a strong turnout for tomorrow from all faculty as a show of strength while negotiations resume.

______________________________________________________________

Healthcare Coverage During the Strike:
09/03/03

The LIUFF leadership is aware of the George Sutton email of 09/02/03 which threatens monetary penalties and loss of Healthcare for the duration of the strike. The Executive Committee is investigating the legality of these steps. But rest assured that under law, health insurance can only be canceled with a 30 day notice.

Is is ironic that for the first time in LIU history a threat is being made to cancel healthcare during a strike that involves healthcare as a primary issue.

______________________________________________________________

First Day of Strike :
09/03/03

The strike got off with a strong start as approximately 100 faculty gathered outside the Brooklyn campus of Long Island University on Flatbush Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn. There was strong media presence with reporters from NY One, WABC TV and the Daily News covering the event.

A truck delivering food for Orientation Day by members of the Teamsters Union refused to cross the picket line.

New Students accompanied by their parents arriving for Orientation Day expressed concern about the strike.

The C.W. Post Faculty Union is scheduled to have a negotiating meeting on Friday September 5th.

______________________________________________________________

Media Coverage :
09/03/03

New York Times

____________________________________________

More Information on LIU & the Current Negotiations:

For Current Negotiation Information Click Here

To Find out about LIUFF Click Here