Please join us on Tuesday, August 31 from 7-9 pm for a beginning of the semester open house. We had originally hoped to have two of these but due to scheduling conflicts and the stressful and chaotic CUNY reopening process, we will be holding only the August 31 evening meeting.
Agenda:
Hear from the recently elected New Caucus PSC Leadership: James Davis and other principal officers will discuss how the Executive Council elected in Spring 2021 has been focusing on key issues like health & safety in reopening, union membership, strategic planning, retiree healthcare, and engagement with committees, including legislative, anti-bullying, and anti-racism.
Plan New Caucus events for 2021: Attendees will have an opportunity to collectively discuss caucus activities for the 2021-2022 academic year. Topics already under discussion include “Social Justice Unionism in the Post-COVID University”, “The Future of CUNY: Return to Open Admissions and a Free CUNY”, and the issue of Open Bargaining.
We write to you with three announcements: membership renewal, two August open houses, and the date of our November meeting when we will elect a new Governing Board and Treasurer. Given the uncertainty around the continued COVID outbreak (including variants), the Governing Board and Coordinating Committee have decided to hold all events on Zoom at least for this fall.
Once again this year dues will be $25 for full-timers and $10 for part-timers and retirees. It is important that members make sure to update dues by the dates indicated below in order to be eligible to participate in the GB election.
Here are important dates to consider when renewing membership:
Membership Dues Paid
By Sept 14, 2021
Sept 15 – Oct 30, 2021
Oct 31 – Nov 13, 2021
First time members
Can attend, Can vote
Can attend, Cannot vote
Cannot attend, Cannot vote
Renewing members
Can attend, Can vote
Can attend, Can vote
Cannot attend, Cannot vote
Election of the Next Governing Board:
The election for Governing Board will be held at the first meeting of this semester on November 13, 2021 at 10am. The current New Caucus Governing Board is serving out its current three-year term; all eleven positions will be open for nominations. In line with our by-laws, the Governing Board shall consist of no fewer than nine and no more than eleven members. PSC Executive Council members shall not have a majority of seats on the board. The position of New Caucus Treasurer will also be up for election.
Nominations (including self-nominations) will still be accepted from the floor during the election meeting. At that meeting, nominees must either accept their nomination or must have communicated their acceptance to the Coordinating Committee prior to the meeting. All nominees must be members in good standing of the New Caucus on the day of the meeting.
For this election, the Coordinating Committee will also be opening up a space on the New Caucus website for publishing candidate statements and information. If you are interested in publicizing your candidacy, please do the following by October 30, 2021:
Write to the Coordinating Committee at psccunynewcaucus@gmail.com and let them know of your intention to run.
Submit to the Coordinators a statement that describes your candidacy, and includes your title, department and campus affiliation.
Submit a picture of yourself suitable for posting on the New Caucus website.
August New Caucus “Open House”
Building on expressed interest in increasing opportunities for member engagement with the caucus, we will be holding two pre-fall semester “open house” events of the New Caucus on Saturday,August 28 10am-12pm and Tuesday,August 31, 2021 7-9 pm. These meetings will focus on the role of the New Caucus in supporting, undergirding, and providing political direction to our elected leadership in the PSC and beyond. Facilitated by the coordinating committee, this meeting will bring in member voices as the caucus plans its work during a new year and under a new PSC leadership, GB and CC members. More detailed information on the proposed topics and format of these meetings will be provided shortly.
Join us on Monday, April 5, 2021 from 5:30-6:30 PM via Zoom to meet the candidates for PSC Executive Council 2021 -2024. Register at http://bit.ly/NC040521
Join us on Wednesday, March 31 from 5:30-6:30 PM via Zoom to meet the candidates for PSC Executive Council 2021 -2024. Register at http://bit.ly/NC032521
This message serves to announce a membership retreat for March 7, 2021 for the dual purpose of introducing members in more depth to the New Caucus slate for the 2021 PSC union wide election and discussing in detail the larger political vision of the caucus as it moves into the 2020s.
The first reason for this retreat is to briefly introduce again the candidates for the Spring 2021 union wide elections and to discuss some of the major points of unity within the campaign.
The second reason for the session will be to reflect on the larger political project of the caucus beyond the upcoming election and immediate work within the PSC. Building on our recent workshops on Bargaining for the Common Good and combating racism and bullying in the university and union, we will engage members in a broad discussion of the challenges and possibilities of the current political moment and look ahead.
Finally, this retreat will provide the opportunity for collecting last minute signatures before the deadline of March 8. In that vein, we would also like to strongly encourage you to sign and circulatethis nominating petition forPSC General Officers and for NYSUT and AFT Convention Delegates: https://forms.gle/PJqY6EtMcnEmmWfk8
Signed,Governing Board, Coordinating Committee, 2021 New Caucus Slate
An eligibility list of credentialed PSC New Caucus members will be generated as of November 1, 2020, at 11:59 PM.
Eligible voters will receive a link to join the nominating convention.
Voters who do not receive a Zoom link should email Robert Nelson, Membership Coordinator, at psccunynewcaucus@gmail.com, no later than November 7, 2020.
The final list of eligible voting and non-voting members will be sent to a third-party vendor.
Nominations from the Floor
The Convenor will open the floor for nominations.
Nominees must be PSC New Caucus members in good standing.
Members may self-nominate or be nominated by others.
Candidates must state their full name and position sought.
Nominees must accept or decline the nomination.
Nominee’s Forum
Nominees for all slate positions will have two-minutes to make a candidate statement.
Conducting Elections & Voting Tabulation
A third-party vendor will host the convention and conduct the electronic poll ballots using the Zoom meeting platform to launch polls, collect ballots, and share poll results. Non-voting members will be placed in a breakout room for two minutes as the poll is launched to collect ballots.
The third-party vendor will present the raw counts of poll results.
Write-in votes will not be an option using the Zoom platform.
A Deliberation Committee comprised of a PSC New Caucus Governing Board Member, Coordinator, Treasurer, Robert Nelson, Robert Cermele, David Kotelchuck, and Kathleen Offenholley will certify the election results for each officer position; and it will be reported before moving to the next officer position on the slate.
Note: The nomination procedure, forum, and the poll will be repeated for each position, so that individuals who are defeated for one position may run for a subsequent position.
New Caucus Slate Selection Zoom Meeting; Saturday, November 14 (likely beginning at 10AM)
If you are a current or lapsed New Caucus member, please remember to pay your dues for 2020-21 no later than November 1st in order to be able to vote on slate selection on November 14th. Renewing on the day of the meeting, as has been the practice for in-person conventions, will not be possible in an online environment.
Tentative Topics of Discussion: 1. Aggression against Faculty, Higher Education Officers, and College Lab Techs 2. What are the current official and non-official methods of response and recourse? 3. What are the strengths and weaknesses of current contractual provisions on these matters? 4. Next steps
As on Aug. 31 and our earlier panel on Bargaining for the Common Good, we anticipate moderated panel presentations followed by discussion from the “floor.”
As the national anti-racist movement has surged, discussion has swelled about how to address racism and racist practice at CUNY and within the PSC. Join us for an initial critical examination of the current climate at the university for people of color. Representatives from anti-racist committees on four campuses will discuss the existing environment, their vision and action for change, along with the role the New Caucus and the PSC should play in the anti-racist struggle. Moderators: Cecilia McCall and Sharon Utakis Representatives from:Brooklyn CollegeLaw School LaGuardia Community CollegeQueens College
Please forward widely. New Caucus Membership and Slate Election Information 1. To ease last minute processing, please renew your membership for 2020-21 as soon as possible at https://tinyurl.com/newcaucus
2. September 14: Last date for new members to be eligible to vote at the meeting to choose a New Caucus slate for 2021 PSC elections. 3. Hold the date: Saturday, Nov. 14 – Meeting to choose a New Caucus slate for 2021 PSC elections. Alternate date: Saturday, Nov. 21.
In spring of 2021 the PSC will enter a new CUNY-wide election cycle. In June the New Caucus Governing Board began contacting our current NYSUT/AFT delegates to ask if they want to be considered to stand again for this position. As we continue to develop this pool and work to get a balanced group representing our very diverse union, we are beginning the process of soliciting nominations for a New Caucus slate for our Executive Council.
We are aiming to have our three-year nominating convention in November, prior to Thanksgiving. With that as our target the GB would like to know if you are interested in running for a seat on the EC or nominating fellow New Caucus member to do so. As has been our practice in the past, we will be looking to balance our recommended slate with seasoned and newer leaders, as well as accounting for the diversity of our members in terms of campus, title, race and ethnicity and other criteria that will allow for a strong slate.
Please let us know by Aug 10 if you would like to run, and if you have a specific position that you are interested in. Email your response to psccunynewcaucus@gmail.com and address your message to Anne Friedman or Eileen Moran. If you wish to nominate someone, please affirm that the person is willing to join the pool of nominees. All candidates must be New Caucus members in good standing.
Please indicate: interest in running, specific office if there is a preference, campus/chapter, and title, a phone number and email address. Once we develop a broad pool of candidates, we will be asking for more information to support your candidacy.
As you know, while the GB will present a proposed slate in November, nominations are open on the day of the convention until there is a vote to close them.
Hope you are all well and safe,
Anne Friedman and Eileen Moran, Election Committee Co-Chairs New Caucus Governing Board
newcaucuspsc.com 