Angela Davis on Sunday, Rally on Tuesday

Civil rights activist, scholar, and author Angela Davis will speak in Washington Square Park on Sunday, October 30, at 5:00 PM. Members of your bargaining team will be out leafleting the crowd and spreading the word about our next rally. It needs to be our biggest contract bargaining rally yet. Join your fellow members this Tuesday, November 1, after work.

If you're in the city on Sunday and would like to help leaflet, we will be meeting in front of the arch in Washington Square Park at 4:00 pm.

Otherwise, our contract bargaining rally is:

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1
5:15 PM to 7:30 PM
7 East 12th Street
Rain or shine
Bring signs, make noise!

Photos from Thursday Night

We thought our members would enjoy seeing these pictures from Thursday night's bargaining session.

CAN YOU HEAR US NOW?

It was an amazing night at the bargaining session today. Over 100 UCATS members showed up to exercise our power and tell NYU what we think of management's unaffordable health insurance and wage proposals. The messages coming from all of you echoed what the UCATS bargaining team has been saying to NYU's negotiators all along: our members are living on the edge, and these proposed changes would push us right over the cliff.

We hope that NYU will finally get down to the business of negotiating a FAIR contract with us when we meet with them on Friday.

Keep reading the blog for updates and calls to action.

SAVE THE DATE
General Membership Meeting
Monday, November 7
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square South
Room 808

BARGAINING UPDATE - NYU makes an offer we can't afford.

Don't take our word for it. Click below and see for yourself.

NYU's HEALTH INSURANCE PROPOSAL

NYU'S WAGE PROPOSAL

Key elements of the health insurance proposal:

• Across the board increases in health insurance premiums
• Steep increases to co-payments that would mean a member using the health insurance benefit could pay more in co-payments than they pay in monthly premiums

Key elements of the wage proposal:

• Pay freeze in the first year
• Small raises starting in 2012 that do not keep pace with the increases in health insurance costs, let alone the rising cost of living in New York

Are you upset? We certainly are. And we are putting out an urgent call to action for all of our members. Thursday is currently our last scheduled bargaining session before our contract expires. If you are unhappy with NYU's proposals, stand up and be counted. Come out Thursday after work for an impromptu DAY OF RAGE. NYU needs to hear from you if we are going to move them away from these unaffordable proposals.

DAY OF RAGE
THURSDAY, OCT. 27
7 EAST 12th STREET
Come after work. Stand up and speak out about NYU's proposals.

BARGAINING UPDATE - Hostage situation at 7 East 12th Street!

Your UCATS bargaining team was held hostage tonight by NYU. We were told that, unless we agreed to some of the proposals they put forward for the first time tonight, they would not present their wage or health insurance proposals.

In addition to denying us those crucial proposals, NYU submitted a proposal to us that would make the grievance and arbitration process the SOLE REMEDY in cases of discrimination.

We told NYU we would not be held hostage, and we need to see their wage and health insurance proposals in order to bargain.

Come join us Wednesday night at 5:30 for the contract rally and put the pressure on NYU to bargain with us! RAIN or SHINE - bring your umbrellas!

UCATS RALLY FOR A FAIR CONTRACT
Wednesday, October 26
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
7 East 12th Street

A message from your union president

Greetings,

We are quickly approaching the expiration of our union contract (October 31, 2011).
We are having a demonstration at 5:30 pm on Wednesday, October 26, in front of 7 East 12th Street where we will be in bargaining, in a street-facing room.

In preparation for the demo, Rob Lesko and I are taking a half day off on Wednesday so that we can leaflet outside of Kimmel where NYU will be having the employee benefits fair. Please stop by and pick up leaflets to bring back to your coworkers.

This is not a dress rehearsal; it is IMPERATIVE that you make this our biggest demo yet so that we can achieve the contract you deserve.

Best,
Stephen Rechner
President, UCATS

Video of Thursday's UCATS March

We have video of yesterday's UCATS March for a Fair Contract!



It was a great event. If you missed it, you still have a chance to show your support for a fair contract. Come out and join your fellow UCATS members for the rally on Wednesday, October 26!

UCATS RALLY FOR A FAIR CONTRACT
Wednesday, October 26
5:30pm – 6:30pm
7 East 12th Street

Tonight we meet! Thursday we MARCH!

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
TONIGHT
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Vanderbilt Hall, 40 Washington Square South, Room 206
Come get the latest update on the status of bargaining and find out what you need to do to get the contract you deserve.

MARCH ON THE BOSSES
Thursday, October 20
1:15 PM
Meet at the Washington Square Arch and march with us to Bobst Library. We'll be led by a fellow UCATS member on the bagpipes!

What will you do for your contract?

How can you show your support for a contract YOU deserve?

It's as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Gather on Thursday, October 20, by the Washington Square Arch at 1:15 pm for a bagpipe MARCH to Bobst Library.

2. Next Wednesday, October 26, MOBILIZE to distribute leaflets in front of Kimmel from 9:00-1:00, when NYU will be holding the employee benefits fair.

3. Also on Wednesday, October 26, let the NYU bargaining team hear you voice while we negotiate. Gather if front of 7 East 12th St. at 5:30 and MAKE SOME NOISE!




Let NYU know that asking you to pay more for health insurance and stripping you of your EEOC rights is unfair!

Bargaining Update #5

In a stunning move at our October 12 bargaining session, the university asked the UCATS bargaining team to agree to strip the constitutionally guaranteed rights of members to seek relief for discrimination with the EEOC. This suggestion is particularly alarming given the recent EEOC Consent Decree at NYU.

What was no surprise is that the university is proposing that you pay more for your health insurance coverage; how much more, they have not said.

Some good news: In a show of support for the UCATS bargaining team, members assembled in the lobby of 7 E. 12th Street last night to "greet" university negotiators as they left the building.

UCATS GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING REMINDER:

Tuesday, October 18
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Vanderbilt Hall, 40 Washington Square South, Room 206

Come get the latest update on the status of bargaining and find out what you need to do to get the contract you deserve.

What do you want to tell NYU?

AN OPEN CALL TO UCATS MEMBERS

We have been bringing your stories to the bargaining table, presenting NYU with the realities that you deal with every day. These stories help us support our contract proposals and remind NYU that we represent all of you.

But we can only represent you if we hear from you. If there is something you want to tell NYU, now is your time. Share your story. Support your union. Do your part for a good contract!

If you have a story or comment for us to present to NYU, email it to the union office at ucats@erols.com, fax it to 646-602-9554, or email it to a UCATS shop steward.

Bargaining Update #4

We had two more bargaining sessions with the university on October 5 & 6. We put forward a number of proposals about economic and flexibility issues, and backed them up with your stories about the hardships you face every day. NYU listened to what we had to say but were not encouraging on many issues. 


What we are experiencing at the bargaining table is what unions are facing all across the country: a downward pressure on wages and benefits. But with your support and with your stories, we will continue to push back against NYU.


HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THE BARGAINING TEAM?


GET INFORMED.
Come to the general membership meeting on Tuesday, October 18. It will be a dedicated contract bargaining meeting where we will have the latest updates for you. Ask us questions and give us feedback. Find out what you can do to help. This is your union and your contract!


General Membership Meeting
Date: Tuesday, October 18
Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: Vanderbilt Hall, 40 Washington Square South, Room 206


GET ACTIVE.
Come out in person to show your support! Our next bargaining session is Wednesday, October 12. We would love to see you in the lobby of 7 E. 12th Street when we finish our session. NYU's negotiators will see you too, and that will give them something to think about.


Post-Bargaining Session Action
Date: Wednesday, October 12
Time: 5:30 PM
Location: Fairchild Building, 7 East 12th Street, Lobby

Contact your shop steward or the union office for more information.