SBU workers rally for fair wages and respect

SBU workers rally for fair wages and respect

Photo by John Griffin/UPP

Stony Brook University workers held their Rally for Respect and Fair Wages Nov. 17 in front of the school’s Administration Building.

Andrew Solar-Greco at the Nov. 17 rally. Photo by John Griffin/UUP

The state employees belong to four campus union chapters, CSEA Local 614, GSEU-RAU-CWA Local 1104, United University Professions and UUP Health Sciences Center, that make up SUNY Stony Brook Labor Council.

Andrew Solar-Greco, UUP Stony Brook chapter president, said in a phone interview that the Nov. 17 rally had a turnout of nearly 200 people. SBLC represents 10,000 members. The union chapters were joined by the Long Island Federation of Labor and the Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk. Members from the two latter labor unions have been standing outside on Nicolls Road the last few weeks.

Solar-Greco said the SBLC and trade unions decided to show solidarity.

“Our goal was to essentially bring attention to many of the labor issues happening on campus,” Solar-Greco said. The union president presided over the rally.

In addition to calling for a living wage, he said attendees have issues on their minds such as the Civil Service Employees Association working without a contract and fighting for hazard pay. UUP HSC is also fighting for hazard pay for all of its members in health care at the hospital.

Solar-Greco said university center campus members are currently dealing with staffing shortages as well as more students than average in classes due to increased enrollments. He said members feel that the shortage of faculty and increase in class sizes affect the quality of education the students receive.

“We want to be there for our students,” Solar-Greco said. “We want to set them up for success. We want to propel this institution forward, but we need more staff — we’re understaffed.”

He added that adjunct and graduate students, which make up most of the instructional labor, are paid wages that are below Suffolk County’s poverty level, and also depending on how many credits they teach may not get health insurance.
In an email statement after the rally, SBU officials said contracts are negotiated with the state, and that the university works “every day to foster a positive work environment where all employees are valued and respected.”

The statement also said officials supported the union members’ right to rally.

“At Stony Brook, we value the skilled work of every member of our staff. We support the unions’ right to express themselves, as they did at Wednesday’s rally. Contracts are negotiated between the state and the respective bargaining units rather than at the campus level.”

Photo from UUP

SBU officials added, “Where we have the opportunity to add to our graduate student employee stipends we do.” The university recently has done so, according to a message from SBU President Maurie McInnis that was emailed to the university’s community and posted to its website Nov. 15.

Graduate students and teacher assistants, who made less than $22,500 and have an academic year obligation, or make less than $27,875 with an annual obligation, were brought up to the dollar amount, retroactive Oct. 1. Those who made those amounts or more will receive an additional $500 for an academic year or $619 more for an annual obligation.

“Every graduate student employee will receive some measure of a stipend increase, proportionate to their appointment,” McInnis said in the email. “The approximate total cost for funding this additional raise for these part-time appointments is $1.3 million.”

Solar-Greco said representatives of UUP meet once a semester with McInnis, and find she is open to discussions and hearing members’ concerns.

After keeping the university going through the pandemic, Solar-Greco added that the workers should be commended for a job well done.

“Through all the trials and tribulations and still being there for our students, we feel we deserve respect and fair wages and dignity in the workplace and movement on the issues that we have,” he said.