Dear UCU Members,
We are writing to share additional updates on questions that were asked in the General Membership Meeting:
1. Summer Fridays will begin the week of June 1st. The first Friday off will be June 5, 2020.
2. The administration is encouraging employees to use their vacation time and personal days, as taking time away from work is more important than ever. As specified in our contract, full-timers can only carry over 11 vacation days beyond August 31st. Because a furloughed employee may be unable to use up vacation days in excess of the carry over maximum, we have requested that the administration address this for any possible furloughed employees.
3. Maternity benefits and health benefits will continue regardless of if an employee is furloughed.
4. In addition to the previously shared mental health resources, please consult the Online Resources: Health & Well Being page of the Cooper website. We will continue to share information about mental health resources in future mailings.
5. If you test positive for COVID-19, please notify the Health and Safety Committee. They will ensure that anyone affected is made aware while maintaining your privacy. Please also know that according to New York state law, the campus cannot reopen until there is a contact tracing program in place. We will share more details once the information is provided to us from the administration, but know that measures are being developed to protect the health and well-being of our community.
In solidarity,
UCU Executive Committee