OVERFLOW ASSEMBLY AT RALLY SENDS MESSAGE TO TRUSTEES; NYSUT BACKS CAMPAIGN; VOLUNTEERS PREPARE FOR SUSTAINED COMMUNITY EFFORT
Fresh off a rousing community rally last week, Corning Community College faculty and their community supporters are not letting up in their campaign for the future of the College.
After the September 22 rally, which attracted over 130 people to the CCC campus, participants attended a meeting of the College’s Regional Board of Trustees in a show of solidarity and concern. Because the room’s public seating capacity could not accommodate the unprecedented crowd, an “overflow assembly” gathered outside the meeting and together agreed to send letters to each CCC trustee outlining their shared concerns.
These letters, signed by 60 community members, call on the College administration to reverse its disinvestment in teaching and learning at the College; demonstrate respect for all CCC workers; include all stakeholders, including students and employees, meaningfully in decision making; and negotiate with employees’ bargaining representatives in in good faith. The Professional Educators of Corning Community College (PECCC), the College’s union of full-time faculty, forwarded these letters to Trustees this week.
“We are overwhelmed by the support community members have shown for our students and the future of CCC,” said PECCC President Ryan Hersha. “But we’re just getting started. While we are hopeful for progress in upcoming mediation, we know we must prepare for a long-term campaign hand-in-hand with our community. And that’s what we’re doing.”
In a boost for these long-term plans, yesterday the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) notified Hersha that they were awarding the PECCC an emergency organizing grant, enabling the CCC Crisis Campaign to engage community members in new ways over a sustained period of time.
"Corning Community College faculty are caring, dedicated educators who form the heart and soul of that institution. They deserve to be treated fairly by the trustees, and that includes a new agreement that reflects the excellent work they do every day on behalf of students and the community," said NYSUT President Karen E. Magee. "All of NYSUT's more than 600,000 members and its leadership stand shoulder to shoulder with the Professional Educators of Corning Community College in their fight for a fair contract."
NYSUT is a federation of over 1,200 unions across New York State. It is affiliated with the National Education Association (NEA), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the AFL-CIO.
Said Hersha, “NYSUT’s extraordinary support for our campaign is a big deal, and we will put it to work. But it’s up to us—that is, everyone in this community—to step up and make our voices heard. For the sake of our students, our local economy, and the families across this region, we will not rest until the college administration re-invests in what students need to learn, thrive, and succeed. That’s why we’re here, after all.”
The Professional Educators of Corning Community College is a dynamic union of passionate, talented full-time faculty fighting for excellence at CCC on behalf of their students and communities. More information about the PECCC and the CCC Crisis Campaign is available at peccc.org.