Dear New York State Senate leadership,

We ask that the New York State Senate pass S8477, which is the paybill for the 2007-2009 contract with the Graduate Student Employees Union/CWA 1104 (GSEU), the union that represents all Teaching Assistants (TAs) and Graduate Assistants (GAs) in the State University of New York (SUNY).  

The last contract between GSEU and the State of New York expired in 2007. Last year, GSEU and the State agreed to a new contract covering the years 2007-2009.  This contract was ratified by GSEU members on February 25, 2010 and the paybill for the contract passed in the Assembly in July.  However, the New York State Senate has yet to pass the bill.

You should pass the pay bill for the following reasons:

1) This contract is long overdue.  In fact, once implemented, this new contract will have already expired as it covers only 2007-2009.

2) SUNY works because TAs and GAs do.  Many university offices rely on GAs to function properly, and countless undergraduate students rely on TAs.  In fact, the quality of undergraduate courses in the SUNY system would be severely compromised without TAs, if these courses would even be able to run at all.

3) TAs and GAs desperately need raises.  And because of the extremely low salaries TAs and GAs receive, providing raises would be inexpensive for the State.   

4) Top SUNY administrators were awarded generous raises despite the fact that TAs and GAs continue to work for menial pay in difficult conditions.

Please ensure that the New York State Senate approves the GSEU paybill number S8477 quickly.  

The undersigned,

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