October 19,2004
Dear Colleagues:
Many thanks to CJ O'Donnell for his organization of our demonstration yesterday at the BHE meeting at the Academy. Despite the rain, 40-50 people turned out at the corner of Main Street and Academy Drive. Unlike other campuses, this way was the only one into the campus, so BHE members and college presidents could not avoid seeing the picket signs.
The demonstrators were SC faculty plus APA members -- in total, six campuses were represented -- plus AFCSME members from the Academy and a group of students led by Nicole Price. In my remarks to the BHE, I stressed that the participants were not just faculty but a representative group of higher education folks and I thanked each group for its participation, including MTA Vice President Anne Wass, Priscilla Lyons, Katie D'Urso, Donna Sirutis and Meg Secatore, who came to picket and stayed for the entire meeting.
My remarks were not prepared ahead of time but I pointed out that we represent 1450 full-time faculty, 50 full-time librarians and 500 part-time faculty in this unit and that, while we appreciate the COP salary study, we all have to live in New England and we are all affected by the poor treatment we have received at the hands of the state. I then stressed the governor's pay increases for the executive branch managers -- 4.7% last year, 6% this year, with retroactivity and an 18.5% "market correction" to minimum salaries to boot. I said that we were not asking for anything different -- a decent pay package, retroactivity and some recognition of the deficit vis-a-vis our peers. I thanked them for their sympathy and concern but told them we expected action on the 29th. Based on responses to the meeting, I suspect that our 10/4 proposal will not be accepted.
Brad and Donna are preparing a report on the 10/15 bargaining committee meeting. If folks need extra signs and RESPECT buttons for picketing activities, Donna and I will have them with us on Friday.
Pat Markunas
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