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| EMERITUS ASSEMBLY CONNECTICUT STATE CONFERENCE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS |
| NEWSLETTER ON LINE VOLUME 22, NUMBER 2 SPRING 2010 |
| Officers of the Emeritus Assembly President: Timothy Killeen (2008-2010) Killeen3@charter.net Vice President: Eli Dabora (2008-2010) Dabora@sbcglobal.net Secretary: Jane Knox (2009-2011) jane.knox@uconn.edu Treasuer: Richard P. Wurst (2009-2011) rpwurst@comcast.net State Conference Liaison: Morton Tenzer m.tenzer@sbcglobal.net Membership chair and Newsletter Editor:: Timothy Killeen Killeen3@charter.net |
| FEATURE ARTICLE What Does the UCONN Health Center Vote mean for the CSC AAUP? by Morton Tenzer When we first posted the news about the UCONN Health Center's medical faculty vote on November 19, 2009, we raised the question as to what it may mean for the Connecticut State Conference of AAUP, our mother ship. Here Morton Tenzer, EA Liaison Officer to the CSC-AAUP, shares his reading of the situation with us. The union supporters won by two votes, 223 to 221. But hey, a win is a win. The following is from Mort: I didn't forget your inquiry about the significance of the vote to unionize at the Health Center for the state conference. Of course it means we will add a large chapter which will improve the conference's finances We will have another voice at the state capitol. But the significance goes far beyond Connecticut. The vote has been hailed as the most important in higher education in the last ten years by the head of the Collective Bargaining Conference. It is the first time a medical school faculty has voted for collective bargaining, and it is hoped that other professional school faculties in medicine, law, and ohers may begin to consider collective bargaining more favorably. The story of the vote fulfills the old adage "If at once you don't succeed,try,try again." From the outset of the law permitting collective bargaining in 1976 efforts were made to organize at the Health Center. On two different occasions in the seventies and eighties I remember giving talks there on the value of CB to the faculty, emphasizing the strengthened role in governance that it brings. The last effort by the UConn chapter in the nineties took a great deal of effort and expenditure ($50,000 if I recall correctly) and failed anyway. There were always too many very well paid doctors who thought unions were beneath them. What happened in 2009 that led to a different outcome? First , there was the Great Recession at the national level which increased the insecurity even of the wealthier members of the society and specifically hit the Med School with cutbacks in state funding. Then the new health Insurance reform working its way through Congress also threatened the income of doctors and hospitals who deal with Medicare patients. Finally, there were rumors that the Governor and other political leaders were considering merging the Health Center with Hartford Hospital, turning the institution into a private venture. This led to the bare majority willing to try to better secure their future with a collective voice. Mort . December, 2009 For more of Morton Tenzer's recent reports, go to tenzeryeshiva. |
| SAVE THESE DATES APRIL 5TH, 2010. FRIDAY, 10:30 AM "ELECTIONS 2010: STATE AND NATION" PANELISTS: HOWARD REITER and GREGORY HLADKY Moderator: Morton Tenzer Room 310 Stat4e Capitol,Building 210 Capitol Avenue, Hartford. CT. Lunch at the Legislative Office Building Cafeteria 300 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT. ****************************************************************** MAY 18TH, 2010. TUESDAY, 10:30 AM RAIN DATE IS MAY 25TH, 2010. SAME TIMES. GUIDED TOUR AT THE CONN COLLEGE ARBORETUM 270 Mohegan Avenue, New London, CT Nonn to 1:30PM Lunch at the Conn College Student Cafeteria. 1:30PM. GUIDED TOUR AT THE LYMAN ALLYN ART MUSEUM 625 Williams Street, New London, CT |
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GUEST EDITORIAL AT ISSUE: STATE EMPLOYEES' SALARIES by Mary C.Rogers In response to your note about articles for the on-line newsletter, here's something which I wrote recently for the Willimantic Chronicle. I don't think that I have sent this to you previously. Since AAUP Emeritus Assembly consists of state employees, we ought to be aware that a columnist such as D Dowd Muska is actually being published. To give the Chronicle credit where credit is due, they also publish articles by William A. Collins, who is more in agreement with the Emeritus philosophy than is Muska. You could probably get a copy of any one of his columns. Editor, The state has need for many people of talent, skills, and education to provide necessary services. The breadth of state services can be seen by merely glancing at the phone book, - nineteen pages of information about the state and its departments, in addition to local and federal governments. Each of these departments requires administrators at the highest levels and at mid-levels. These plus engineers, medical staff, lawyers, scientists, technicians, are all included in that Average Salary figure which columnist Dowd Muska provides in his recent diatribe against state employees. Readers of that column may get the picture of every lowly broom pusher receiving over fifty five thousand dollars in annual salary. Not so; averages are deceiving. State’s lowest salaries are not far above the minimum wage required by law. Is fifty five thousand per employee an exorbitant average amount? One major corporation offers this comparison for upper level administrators: they have three executive vice presidents whose average salaries in 2008 were $9,741,025. Each! The two top officers each received (average) $14,818,149, amounts cut from previous year by $7.7 million. Apparently we are underpaying our governor - despite all those perks which are on the public record. Or isn’t the State of Connecticut as important as one corporation? The state is fortunate to find qualified workers for such a relatively low average salary. For employees at the lower range of salaries, today’s market leaves little if anything in excess of average monthly expenses. Muska is apparently trying to privatize state services. If we did go in that direction, it should should be noted that a private contractor would expect profits in addition to basic expenses. Profits enough, perhaps, to pay the CEO and the vice presidents $9 to $14 million dollars each? Mary C. Rogers January, 2010 To read more of Mary Roger's writings for the assembly, go to Roger's Commentaries. |
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| NOTES AND NOTICES It is the Emeritus Assembly’s pleasure to invite all college and university faculty retirees to join our organization. We welcome and encourage you to attend one of our meetings. Yo will receive our biannual newsletter for two years. .Membership dues are only $10.00 per academic year. For a more complete description of what we are, and what we have been up to, visit the Welcome page of this site. If you wish to join us, fill out the membership form and send it in. If you have questions about membership, call or email any of the officers listed above. CELEBRATE RETIREMENT |
| PROGRAM NOTES: For the April 5, 2010 panel discussion on "ELECTIONS 2010: STATE AND NATION" with HOWARD REITER and GREGORY HLADKY, we have the following information submitted by Morton Tenzer, who is organizing this event and will be serving as panel moderator. Should be a treat to hear these learned scholars discuss the current political scene. Audience participation is strongly urged. HOWARD REITER Professor Emeritus Reiter taught at the University of Connecticut from 1974-2009 and was department head from 2003 until 2009.He is the author of many books and articles on American politics and has been a Fulbright Scholar and a lecturer in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. He is president of the New England Political Science Association this year. GREGORY HLADKY Greg Hladky is senior writer for New Mass Media, specializing in investigative reporting on political and social issues.He was State Capitol Bureau Chief for the New Haven Register 1989-2008, covering the legislature and state and federal government issues and politics. He has written articles for the New York Times, the Boston Globe, Connecticut Magazine and a number of other publications. His stories currently appear in the Hartford Advocate, New Haven Advocate, and Fairfield County Weekly Convenor and Moderator MORTON TENZER Mort is Professor Emeritus at the University of Connecticut. Professor Tenzor continues to be active in the Connecticut political scene and the AAUP. He is has been involved in the Emeritus Assembly since its inception and currently serves as our Nominating Committee Head. We urge you to please email Mort Tenzer at m.tenzer@sbcglobal.net for advance registration so he can have an estimate of the attendance. Let him know that you will or will not be able to attend and whether you will bring guest(s) for this most interesting program. Thanks. Check our web-site for updates! Directions to the State Capitol Traveling on 1-84 East: Take Exit 48 (Capitol Avenue) and get into the right lane of the exit ramp. At the end of the exit ramp, turn right onto Capitol Avenue. Turn right immediately after the Legislative Office Building (on your right) and proceed to the garage behind it and enter the garage using either the right lane (for visitors) or left (for employees). Traveling on 1-84 West: Take Exit 48 (Asylum Street). At the end of the short exit ramp, bear left on Spring Street. Immediately afterwards, at the traffic light turn right onto Asylum Street. In one block, at the YWCA turn left onto Broad Street and proceed through two traffic lights, immediately after the Armory building (on your left), turn left onto a short access road. At the end of the access road, turn left to the parking garage and enter the garage using either lane. Traveling on 1-91 North or South: Take Exit29A (Capitol Avenue), the long exit road will end at the Pulaski Circle. Proceed halfway around the Circle and exit onto Elm Street (keeping Bushnell Park on your right). Where Elm Street dead-ends at the Capitol building grounds, turn left onto Trinity Street, Keeping the Capitol on your right, bear right onto Capitol Avenue. Proceed past the Capitol building and the 1-84 entrance ramp. Immediately after the Legislative Office Building (on your right), turn right and proceed to the garage behind it and enter the garage using either lane Note: There is a covered walkway to LOB from the roof level of the garage, and a tunnel from LOB to the Capitol building. Handicapped parking is available, though very limited, at the Capitol building. On-street metered parking and commercial parking lots are also nearby |
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The above photos are from the websites of Conn College Arboretum and from the Lyman Allyn Art Museum. Don’t Miss our May Meeting It’s a Double Dose of Connecticut MUST SEES! Tuesday, May 18, 2010 (Rain Date – Tuesday, May 25, 2010) Connecticut College Arboretum at 10am 270 Mohegan Avenue (Route 32) New London, CT Followed by lunch at the Student Cafeteria Lyman Allyn Art Museum at 1:30pm 65 Williams Street New London, CT The tour of the Arboretum will be guided and the Museum tour will be led by a docent. The cost per person is $14.00 and the lunch will be pay as you go. A brief history of the Arboretum and a description of the exhibits at the museum Follow. If you are interested, please fill out the registration form on the back inside page of the newsletter and send it in with a check before the deadline. History of the Arboretum The Connecticut Arboretum was established in 1931 on 64 acres of land owned by Connecticut College on the west side of Williams Street, south of Gallows Lane. The initial tracts included a grove of mature hemlock trees, one of the main features of interest in the Arboretum's early years. The remainder of the original property was laced with stone walls that testified to over two hundred years of agricultural use. What eventually became the Native Plant Collection and Bolleswood Natural Area was comprised of rocky ledges, red maple swamps and brushy fields. Dr. Caroline Black, first chair of the botany department, created a small teaching garden in 1928 across Mohegan Avenue (now CT Route 32) from the College's main entrance. The four-acre plot was named the Caroline Black Garden after her untimely death in 1930, and still flourishes today. In early 1931, the College engaged the landscape architect A. F. Brinckerhoff of New York City to design a plan for the Arboretum and hired Dr. George S. Avery, Jr. as chairman of the botany department and first director of the Arboretum. Dr. Avery oversaw the development of the Native Plant Collection, College greenhouses and began membership and educational programs, such as the Arboretum Bulletin series, that are still very active today. The Lyman Allyn Art Museum Lyman Allyn Art Museum is a community-based museum located in New London, Connecticut. Founded in 1932 by Harriet Upson Allyn in memory of her father, Lyman Allyn, the Museum serves the people of Southeastern Connecticut and is free to the residents of New London. The Museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is a non-profit organization with 501(c) 3 status. Lyman Allyn Art Museum is a Founding Member of the Connecticut Art Trail. Housed in a handsome Neo-Classical building designed by Charles A. Platt, the permanent collection includes over 10,000 paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, furniture and decorative arts, with an emphasis on American art from the 18th through 20th centuries. Directions to the Connecticut College Arboretum The Main Entrance to Campus is located at 270 Mohegan Avenue (Route 32) in New London. Coming from New Haven: Take I95 North to Exit 83 (Route 32). Take route 32 north and the College will be on your left. Enter through the Main Entrance and drive through campus to the Williams Street entrance, where we will meet. Coming from the Hartford area: Take Route I84 east to route 2 south towards Norwich. Stay on Route 2 until route I395 South in Norwich. Take I395 south until the left exit for route 32 south New London. Remain on 32 south until Connecticut College is on your right. Turn into the main entrance and drive through campus to the Williams Street entrance, where we will meet. From arboretum to art museum, what more can one ask for?. Thanks to Zoe Leibowitz! |
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| Items from our readers
Opinions expressed are from individuals and not necessarily those of the AAUP, the Emeritus Assembly, or the newsletter and the website staff |
| The Case for Health Care Legislation
by Zoe Leibowitz Let's hope that congress and the president pass good universal health care legislation for our citizens. I remember clearly that after Bill Clinton's plan failed, the insurance companies put in place such Draconian measures to save money such as making mastectomies out-patient procedures and allowing no one to have a hospital stay longer than the "average." Perhaps you were told several stories of people who died because of restricted health care as I was. I worry that if this effort fails, the insurance companies will institute another group of money saving measures that we'll be just as sorry to see The United States is now rated in 37th place by the World Health Organization. The United Kingdom with its "socialized medicine" is ranked 18th. Canada is 30th. We're 37th: right after Costa Rica and right before Slovenia. It's shameful that we deliver no better health care than that of the average undeveloped nation. Let your congressman know you're behind a new and improved health care plan. It's important for us and our children. Zoe Leibowitz Wednesday, October 21, 2009, The Wilimantic Chronicle |
| The Founding of the Emeritus Assembly
Legend regarding the founding of the Emeritus Assembly, AAUP CT Conference as told by its first secretary. Source: Mary Rogers. This is from VANGUARD dated April-May 1995. "Emeritus Assembly: the first ten years. by Barbara McKillop, special Education(ret.) Saint Joseph College. " Here are the introductory two paragraphs. "The Emeritus Assembly has been in existence now for nearly ten years, since it was started in 1986 with encouragement from the AAUP Connecticut Conference. A survey of retirees in the state that August revealed a real interest in forming a group of retired faculty, and those who were to become charter members of the organization met at Wesleyan in October of 1986 for an initial planning meeting. "The first formal meeting was held on November 3, 1986, in the Charter Oak Room at Central Connecticut State University under the chairmanship of George H. Jacobson. Twenty nine people attended, including Dr Kerry Grant, representing the Connecticut Conference, and Iris Molotsky, Associate Secretary of the national AAUP. A steering committee was formed consisting of Esther Cohen, Winston Cone, Ida Dubins, Forrest Peterson, David Pinsky, Francis Rio, Robert Rosenbaum, and Violet Skorina; several of these original members are still active in the Assembly. Win Cone and Francis Rio formed a Constitution Committee; in Spring of 1987 they presented the document that, slightly amended, is the one under which the Assembly still functions. At this meeting it was suggested that the group hold two fall meetings and two spring meetings, the pattern which prevails today. The aim of the Assembly was to provide an opportunity for retired faculty to meet and discuss concerns of mutual interest - particularly those relating to legislative issues, to health and education, and to the pursuit of the active life in the later years. It was also proposed to devote some part of the annual programs to social and cultural activities. The Assembly has adhered fairly closely to these aims in its choices of speakers and topics. A review of programs over the past ten years may help to highlight the Assembly's focus thus far. The Assembly develops its meeting schedule according to the academic calendar, and that is the pattern that is followed here." There follows an extensive review (5 wide full length columns) of each of the following 10 years, starting with 1986-87 and ending with 94-95. At the end a paragraph states that there will be future reports. An editorial note states that Barbara L. McKillop is the Secretary of the Emeritus Assembly. Dave Newton and Iris Molotsky spoke at the first meeting, in November 86, and Walter Wardwell followed in December. In March 87 Dave Pinsky spoke at CCSU, and in April Jeff Johnson "covered legislative issues in higher education , - - In May a 3rd meeting took place at CCSU with Arthur Welwood, composer and professor of music, discussing how a composer works." 87-88 UCONN, Everett Ladd political changes during Reagan yrs; May - St Joseph College Marie O'Brien lobbyist for UCONN AAUP 88-89 Sept - Trinity college Joseph Beale of Social Security Adm, et al, (SS sound for 75 yrs) ; Oct - Manchester Comm College Ladd, Director of Roper Center; April - Hartford Coll for Women Moshe Paranov; May - the NEW LOB OBrien lobbyist again re Legislature and budget & taxes, and Ed Marth re pensions & buy-backs. 89-90 Oct - LOB Pelto, Foley, Marth, OBrien; Nov - Gerety of Trinity; April - Paranov music program, May - M. Beyer Elderhostel Thank YOu, Mary Rogers, very much! |
| Message from the President I hope that everyone fared well coping with the winter weather and doldrums. We are ready to get going with our interesting and educational programs for the new season. Mort Tenzer has put together a relevant and informative session for April 5th on the election season. It will certainly be worth while to make the effort to be a part of the discussion. I thank Mort, Howard, and Greg for their willingness to be under the gun, so to speak. The May 18th outing to the Connecticut College Arboretum and the Lyman Allyn Art Museum Should be a memorable day for the Assembly. I am most grateful to Zoe Leibowitz who has arranged tours at these two unique cultural points of interests. The parking situation at Conn College is not clear, but we will resolve it and let you know before the May date. There is a 15 minute walk to the afternoon session at the museum, but those who prefer can easily drive and park at the museum. If there is a weather related problem on the 18th and the rain date is necessary, We will put the information on the web site and directly contact attendees. There will be a brief business meeting during each event. The nominations for President and Vice President for 2010-2012 will take place at the April meeting, and the elections will occur in May. I encourage everyone who has access to look for updated information on the web site: http://www.ctemeritusassembly.org or http://www.eact.info. If you are not yet a member of the Assembly, try to attend one of our meetings to find out what we are about. You will be most welcome and there will be no pressure to formally join us. I look forward to seeing each of you this spring. Like me, try to stay well and enjoy a long, useful and happy retirement. Sincerely, Tim Killeen March 6, 2010 |
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| Informative Entries at the CSC-AAUP Website
In case you have not visited the website of the Connecticut State Conference-AAUP recently, here is the link: http://people.wcsu.edu/nairv/AAUPCSC.htm. Webmaster Vijay Nair. (The URL is also listed in the side bar in the home page of our site under the heading of links of interest.) Note especially a succinct synopsis of the organization in the first two paragraphs and a description of its membership as follows: "Membership is open to college and university faculty members, administrators, graduate students and the general public." This statement answers indirectly a question often raised by people as to who may join the Emeritus Assembly, which, while it does not require membership in the AAUP-CSC, nevertheless is part of the Connecticut State Conference-AAUP, Inc. Be sure to read the many articles of interest posted on the site and keep up with the latest updates. What a rich and exciting source of information it is indeed! |
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| The newsletter on line ia made available for members of the Emeritus Assembly, AAUP-CSC and others who may be interested in becoming members as a convenience. Its sources are primarily from the particular issue of the newsletter itself, and from the website. For comprehensive coverage of any particular newsletter, you are referred to the print version of the newsletter itself. Please contact Tim Killeen,, EA President and Newsletter Editor for printedcopies of the newsletters. Updates for the events depicted in the printed newsletter and the newsletter on line may be found in the blog which is the home page of this website as they come up. |
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