Recognizing that passage of the Employee Free Choice Act is currently stalled at the national level, unions are acting at the state level to achieve the same effects, which are to inhibit employer interference in employees' ability to form unions: Kris Maher, Unions Push Issues in State Capitals, Wall Street Journal, November 11, 2009. The glaring question here is, if President Obama has pledged to sign it, why is it stalled? Will the Democrats compromise here as well, as th

Good news or bad? Democrats and progressives are all over the map. Here is a range of articles addressing the issue: 1. New York Times Op-Ed November 12, 2009: Trading Women's Rights for Political Power 2. Nicholas Kristof Op-Ed, New York Times, November 12, 2009: A Defining Choice 3. Ralph Nader, Commondreams.org, November 11, 2009: Still Waiting for Health Care 4. Dennis Kucinich, Commondreams.org, November 8, 2009: Why I Voted "No." 5. Lucinda Marshall, Commondreams

Bernie Sanders of Vermont will bring a single payer bill to the floor of the Senate this year.

I thought I would spend some time trying to read through the bill just introduced by the House. Purely from a layperson's perspective, here are some notable elements (comments and corrections are welcome): It appears to make available an emergency "public option" ("the high risk pool program") beginning January 10, 2010 that will expire when the public option comes online. Who is eligible? Those who don't have benefits from a program under the Social Security Act (Medicare?

Academic Freedom, covered under article III in the UFCT 1460's CBA, can be an elusive concept to understand. The case of University of Alaska professor, Rick Steiner, who lost a research grant due to his outspoken statements on environmental conservation, gets to the core principle of academic freedom: the freedom of faculty to pursue the "truth" in their fields without outside pressure, be it political or economic. He had received a $10,000 research grant from NOAA (Nation

On Saturday, September 26, members of the UFCT 1460 (Pratt's faculty) turned out to support a rally held by Local 153, Pratt Institute, academic and administrative support staff from across the Institute. The rally was held during an Institute event entitled "The Good Life." Members of Local 153 oversee the wood, metal, jewelry, ceramics, and printmaking shops; the photo, film, and math/science labs; and manage offices throughout the Institute (admissions, architecture, the

FIRST MEETING: WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 23 123 NORTH HALL 12:30-2 This group is devoted to the exchange of ideas among Pratt faculty and other interested parties. It is founded on the premise that an Institute dedicated to education and training in the arts should provide a space for innovative thought. Without awareness and action, even an institution dedicated to creativity can fall prey to intellectual inertia. The group aims to provide resistance to this inertia, and to open

The first ever Union-sponsored forum on the Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure process at Pratt was well attended, by about 50 faculty from every department at Pratt. The event was historic in bringing together faculty from across the Institute to discuss Pratt's unique ARPT process, memorialized in Article XVI of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The discussion helped to clarify the faculty's role and rights in a process that is often greatly misunderstoo

Please come discuss issues relevant to Appointment, Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure at Pratt with fellow faculty and Union members. Friday August 28, 2009 Engineering 371 10:00-2:00 PLEASE RSVP: kyecarbone@gmail.com, 718-636-3614 Food & drink will be served

The UFCT Executive Committee would like to invite you to a discussion/meeting/conference on matters pertaining to: Appointments, Reappointments, Promotions and Tenure (i.e. ARPT, see: article XVI of the CBA). This will take place on Friday, August 28th, from 10:00 to 2:00 on Pratt's Brooklyn campus (actual room TBA as dependent on how many members will be attending). Lunch will be served. If you have served or are presently serving your department/area’s Peer Review, CART or