10/30/19 Strike Authorization Campaign Statement

STRIKE AUTHORIZATION CAMPAIGN

Statement by Brooklyn College PSC chapter members

October 30, 2019

17 in favor, 1 abstention

Whereas: CUNY and Brooklyn College are currently facing a serious budget crisis that is hurting students and academic workers through course cancellations, over-tallied classes, heavier workloads for faculty and staff, reduced student services and resources, and the threatened termination of entire academic programs;

Whereas: the CUNY Board of Trustees has used PSC bargaining demands as a pretext for

approving another $200/year tuition increase for CUNY undergraduate students at the four-year

colleges;

Whereas: without a credible threat of a strike, PSC lacks the power to halt the budget crisis and

tuition hikes and to win sufficient funding from New York City and State to pay for our contract

demands—especially our fair demand for a minimum of $7,000 per three-credit course for

adjunct faculty;

Whereas: the PSC carried out a strike authorization campaign and a strike authorization vote for the last contract and did not incur Taylor Law penalties;

Therefore be it resolved that: the Brooklyn College chapter of the PSC urges the PSC Executive Council and Delegate Assembly to immediately:

●      Launch and publicize a CUNY-wide strike authorization campaign, using the Proposed Strike Authorization Campaign Plan appended below as a guide;

●      Double the number of paid part-time liaisons at each campus;

●      Task all PSC organizing staff and part-time liaisons with developing and supporting

mobilization teams on every campus to build toward a strike;

●      Raise dues to 2% for all members earning more than $70K/year gross pay; and

Be it further resolved that: effective immediately, the Brooklyn College chapter of the PSC:

●      Convenes a strike authorization campaign committee as a standing committee of the chapter, composed of the elected chapter leadership and rank-and-file PSC members from all job titles, to lead this campaign at Brooklyn College and report on its progress at chapter meetings.

●      Commits to continue sending chapter members to Free CUNY meetings in order to sustain student/worker solidarity.

*** Proposed Strike Authorization Campaign Plan ***

●      Strike authorization pledge: assign campus organizers to reach out to all members with strike pledge cards, affirming they will vote yes to a strike authorization vote on the current contract; that they will respect the picket line if and when we strike; and that in the event that the union’s dues checkoff rights are revoked under the Taylor Law, they will sign up for automatic monthly payment of dues directly to the PSC.

●      Membership mobilization: develop and support teams of rank and file members on each campus to:

○      Work with organizing staff to get strike pledge cards signed.

○      Work with members, students, and other supporters on campus to build the

campaign and organize escalating militant actions leading toward a strike.

○      Educate members about the need for a strike and how effective strikes can win

important gains.

○      Organize picket schedules and train picket volunteers, including in how to

respond to potential picket-crossers.

○      Organize drives for food, clothes, books, and other items that might be needed

○      during strike.

○      Begin outreach to collect information about which members will need financial

○      assistance during a potential strike.

○      Coordinate with the PSC central office regarding strike funds and CUNY-wide

○      logistics.

●      Building mobilization capacity:

○      Double the number of part-time liaisons.

○      Hire more organizers.

○      Task all organizing staff and part-time liaisons with developing and supporting

the mobilization teams on every campus to get pledge cards signed and build

strike support.

○      Eliminate unrealistic membership card quotas for liaisons and retroactively

consider all efforts to build power toward a fair contract as legitimate paid work.

○      Include rank-and-file “$7K or Strike” activists and organizers in every aspect of

this campaign.

○      Hire student organizers on each campus and/or pay stipends to students to build

solidarity.

○      Hire community organizers to mobilize CUNY community members including

alumni, families of CUNY students, and parents of NYC public high school

students.

●      Financial resources:

○      Raise dues to 2% for all members earning more than $70K/year.

○      Set up an online fundraising platform for a “militancy” fund to provide support in

case of a strike.

●      Publicity:

○      Launch a broad public campaign designed to maximize and mobilize the support

of students, other unions and their members, and the wider NYC community for a possible strike.

○      Encourage the meaningful participation in public relations work of all

rank-and-file member-activists who bring skills and experience into the campaign, including with social media.

●      Coordination:

○      Create a CUNY-wide strike authorization coordinating committee of active

rank-and-file campus leaders and organizers from every campus that reports

regularly to the PSC Delegate Assembly and Executive Council but is

independent of both bodies.

○      Empower this committee to make adjustments to plans and procedures in

consultation with PSC staff and in keeping with the spirit of this proposal.