Dear UFCT Member: Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday break and have had a successful start to the spring 2010 semester. As I announced last fall, I am on sabbatical for this semester [taking some much needed time to return to the much neglected studio.] And, although I am not on the Pratt campus day-to-day, rest assured, I'm very much in touch and attuned to what is happening on the ground (and trust me, there is always something!) The bottom-line is th

Showdown with White House imminent. What happened to pulling support from a bill with no public option? It looks like we are dancing the ol' two step between progressives and labor and centrist/corporate Democrats…this is getting boring. –Suzanne

Here's the article. The AFL-CIO IS THREATENING NOT TO SUPPORT A BILL WITHOUT A PUBLIC OPTION. –Suzanne

This is an excellent article from the Wall Street Journal concerning how the recession is forcing older workers into retirement years before they had planned, forcing many to start receiving social security payments earlier, which lowers their payments for life, and making it very difficult for those who do want to work to find a new job. It looks like we will be facing a wave of poverty among seniors. –Suzanne

Dear UFCT Member: Regrettably, I have to cancel tomorrow's: UFCT General Membership Meeting (Tuesday, 12/8, 12:30 to 1:50, 110/ENG.). I have been struggling with laryngitis and asthmatic bronchitis for the last five days and am simply in no shape to attend or conduct the meeting. I apologize for the late notice. I will be sending my Status Report electronically by week's end. Best wishes for a smooth end to the fall semester. In Solidarity, -Kye

Dear Union Member: As a reminder, I have scheduled a UFCT General Membership Meeting for Tuesday, December 8th, 12:30-1:50, room: 110/Engineering Bldg. This will be the only GMM for the fall 2009 semester, and I will be on sabbatical for the spring 2010 semester. I will have for distribution my 2009 UFCT Status Report. Lastly, we would like to serve lunch on the 8th, but will need you all to RSVP ASAP. Few have responded thus far. Regards, and Happy Thanksgiving! -Kye

Here's the story from Democracy Now . Tuition at California state schools is due to rise an average of 32%. Update (November 21): Protests continue across the state. Democracy Now continues to provide excellent coverage, here with an articluate interview with the president of University of California, American Federation of Teachers, Bob Samuels. The interview reveals not only the the stakes of the current budget crisis, but the more pervasive and long term pressures on u

The next general membership meeting will take place Tuesday, December 8, 12:30-1:50 in Engineering Building 110. Topics for discussion include executive and grievance team configuration during Spring 2010 when President Kye Carbone is on sabbatical leave, the status report, elections, and negotiations. Please RSVP (718-636-3614; kyecarbone@gmail.com) as lunch will be served.

A benefit enshrined in the Collective Bargaining Unit involves a full-time or adjunct faculty member's ability to follow any course of study at Pratt Institute and to receive full or partial reimbursement depending upon the faculty member's status (full time or adjunct). Article 28.4 (b) of the UFCT 1460 Collective Bargaining Agreement states the following: 28.4 Tuition Remission and Tuition Exchange Plan (b) Part-Time Faculty The tuition remission program set forth in Articl

The protest march took place October 28, 2009.