Today (July 20, 2021): Tell the JJay watchdogs what You know About your Workplace

Dear John Jay Colleagues,
It was great to see many of you at yesterday’s management forum on the return to campus.
As you heard, the situation keeps changing, and a few important decisions and procedures are still to come.  Soon, we’re told, perhaps when the Reopening Committee next meets.  What hasn’t changed is CUNY and John Jay management’s goal of an August 2nd return to campus (at 50% levels) by full time staff and library and other hourly faculty.  The 8/2 date is almost upon us.
Fortunately, we now know our first walkthrough inspection will be tomorrow afternoon, Wednesday 7/21. So we need your help quickly.   Many of you are actually experts on the spaces we will be visiting, so we seek your input on the physical concerns you have – like locations that have previously been tightly occupied or had inadequate air flow.
Anyone in our bargaining unit, with any title, whether represented by the “John Jay” or cross-campus “HEO” or “CLT” chapters, can fill out this linked form. (https://forms.gle/jLCKDrq9AZvoLBvN9)
 
On policy and procedural issues, you may find it helpful to review the written presentation VP Mark Flower used in yesterday’s forum.  He indicated it would be made broadly available.  The College administration’s AskJohnJay@jjay.cuny.edu email address may possibly receive your policy queries.  Share your reasoned arguments with the management policy deciders.
We are happy to learn that our essential colleagues in DC37 (serving administrative, technical, maintenance and other roles) will have representatives on the walkthrough tomorrow as well as the PSC.
In solidarity,
Zabby Hovey & John Pittman

From the Chairs, 19 July, 2021

Dear John Jay Colleagues,

Management is having a zoom forum about our ”Return to Campus” today at 1 pm. We think it is important that it answer your workplace safety questions in the continuing pandemic. Register here. Send them your questions in advance if you like.

We should expect to hear whether John Jay is going to be more protective than CUNY’s July 1-posted guidelines. Those are here.

If you have specific workplace concerns that do not get addressed at today’s forum, tell them to our PSC John Jay Health & Safety Watchdogs. Look after 2:30pm at our PSC @ John Jay College Commons webpage for a link to a googleform designed to receive any specific workplace concerns.

FORM WILL APPEAR HERE

Our trained chapter representatives will walk through our buildings in three careful visits. We hope management will put them in the calendar today. We will inspect ventilation, physical improvements, support for distancing and other protections. A 50% return of on-campus staff and faculty is scheduled for August 2, but we must have convincing walk-throughs in all those workspaces first. Timing has become urgent.

Please help us help you by communicating your specific concerns at today’s forum and to the chapter watchdogs.

In vigilance and anticipation,

Co-chairs Zabby Hovey & John Pittman
jjaypsc [AT] gmail {DOT} com

From the Chairs, 22 June 2021

Colleagues —    Despite the fact that summer is, and should be, annual leave for many of us, events affecting the college and our collective well-being don’t have the summer off.  We supply some details on matters of concern to you in what follows.

This Thursday — June 24th — CUNY Rising Alliance is holding a rally at City Hall at 2 PM. As you know, the Mayor proposed cuts of $67 million to the NYC budget for CUNY. The PSC and coalition partners in CUNY Rising will be there to push for full restorations and investment in city services, including CUNY, instead. We hope you will come out with us to support our students and community allies in support of funding for CUNY.  RSVP here: https://cunyrisingalliance.org/june24rally

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Reopening issues – 10th May 2021

The abrupt and ill-advised decision of the Chancellor that all CUNY colleges adopt a 60/40% in-person section model for the Fall ’21 semester has, suddenly yet predictably, overthrown months’ worth of planning work by PSC-represented faculty and staff, as well as administrators, throughout the university.  At John Jay, the deliberation and work of many at all levels of the college has been disrupted by the Chancellor’s fiat and further entrenched a leadership style predicated on top-down diktat.  The chancellor makes high-handed decisions based on the governor’s whims, and the staff, faculty, and administrators at the colleges are left to pick up the pieces to assure safe reopening!

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Remembering Professor Barry Spunt

Photo of Dr Spunt wearing a shirt and tie

It is with great sadness that we have to tell you that Barry Spunt died from complications related to pancreatitis on Feb. 5th, 2021 after being in the ICU at Bellevue Hospital since August.  All of the charges that were brought against Barry were dismissed.  There has been no official announcement of his death from John Jay College, despite requests from his family.  Barry worked at John Jay from 1993, serving as Sociology Department Chair and Deputy EO of the CJ PhD program.  Continue reading →