SUNY faculty OK contract & will get raises

The State University of New York faculty union voted to ratify a new four-year contract with pay hikes and other perks, Gov. Hochul and the United University Professions announced Friday.

The contract, which covers more than 37,000 SUNY faculty and professional employees, is retroactive to July 2, 2022 and runs through July 1, 2026.

It includes 2% raises for 2022 and 3% raises for 2023, 2024 and 2025, and increases minimum salaries for its lowest-paid members, the union said.

“This contract fairly compensates the hard-working members of the United University Professions who provide critical expertise to benefit New York’s college students each day,” said Hochul in a statement. “I’m grateful to President Kowal for his partnership to help get this agreement finalized and to ensure that our talented employees’ pay and benefits reflect their important contributions to our state.”

Union members will receive a $3,000 lump-sum bonus in 2024 and 2025, as well as retention bonuses for full-time employees who work seven years, and then 12 years.

The contract also includes on-call pay increases for hospital workers, and increased location adjustment pay for those in New York City or on Long Island.

“This contract contains historic gains for our members and builds on advances made in our last contract,” said UUP President Fred Kowal. “It rewards our members at SUNY’s public teaching hospitals — who were on the front lines of the pandemic — raises minimum salaries for our lowest-paid members and provides 12 weeks of parental leave with pay.”

“We won this agreement because we are a union,” said Kowal. “We speak with one loud, strong voice.”

Union and state officials tentatively agreed on the new contract on June 6, according to the UUP. Members cast voted electronically from August 10 to 24.

More than 96% of union members who cast ballots — or 14,900 faculty and staff — voted to ratify the contract, according to a tally by MK Election Services. Less than half of eligible voters voted in the ratification election.

“SUNY students and the communities we serve greatly benefit from the expertise and dedication of our faculty and professionals at SUNY’s campuses and hospitals,” said SUNY Chancellor John B. King, Jr.