New York state's budget crisis is starting to threaten areas once thought immune to such pressures, including contracts already negotiated for members of NYSUT's higher education locals.

Call them givebacks, and call them what they are: an attack on public employees, say NYSUT leaders in higher education and retiree issues.

"UUP is adamantly opposed to any contract givebacks under the guise of balancing the state budget, or any reductions of benefits for our current or future retirees," said Phil Smith, president of United University Professions, which represents more than 35,000 academic and professional faculty at the State University of New York.

"It is blatantly unfair to ask public employees and retirees to shoulder the burden of state budget cuts, especially while the wealthiest New Yorkers have not been asked to pay their fair share," Smith said.

The proposed cuts would affect most state employees, including members of UUP and the Professional Staff Congress at CUNY.

Among the latest proposals in the state's effort to close a $14 billion budget gap:

• Negotiated 3 percent salary increases with state employees would be eliminated.
• A five-day pay deferral would be implemented for state employees.
• The state would reduce health insurance premium contributions for certain future state retirees.
• The cost of Medicare Part B would increase for both in-service employees and retirees in the Empire Plan.
• A proposed Tier 5 retirement plan would require greater employee contributions for a longer period.

"NYSUT's higher education members have already made enormous concessions in the state budget crisis, by doing more with less," said NYSUT Executive Vice President Alan Lubin.

He noted that faculty at all of the state's public college and university campuses are teaching larger classes with fewer supplies and support services.

"Everything has been cut back," Lubin said, "and the state cannot now ask these dedicated public employees to start surrendering negotiated rights and benefits."

Smith said cutting back on workplace benefits is as serious a problem as cutting the funding to the State University of New York, and deserves the same outrage and reaction by New Yorkers.

Barbara Bowen, president of PSC, which represents 20,000 faculty and staff at the City University of New York's community and senior colleges, told legislators during recent testimony before the Joint Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means Committee that the giveback proposals should not even be under discussion.

"Proposals to take back collectively bargained salary increases, defer salary, reduce pension benefits and increase health care costs are an attack on the thousands of people who have dedicated their lives to public service in this state," Bowen said.

NYSUT Vice President Kathleen Donahue, whose office oversees retiree issues for the union, noted that the state is making a mistake if lawmakers believe NYSUT retiree members will not react to threats that don't directly affect them, such as the proposal to reduce the state's share of health insurance premiums for certain future retirees.

"NYSUT retiree members are incredibly strong advocates for their in-service sisters and brothers, and they also know that a threat against one group can eventually become
a threat against all," Donahue said.

"Retiree members will continue to demonstrate solidarity with in-service members, as we all work to prevent these unfair givebacks."