March 17, 2020
The coronavirus has now claimed three lives in Suffolk County. The number is only going to increase.
On Sunday, NY Governor Cuomo asked non-essential state employees to work from home. Less than 24 hours later, many Stony Brook University employees received notification that they are now deemed ‘essential’ and should report to work. That all employees of whole units and schools are suddenly deemed essential makes a mockery of the word ‘essential’. In normal circumstances, this kind of absurdity would be the kind of thing we would chuckle about, but now the consequences are too stark.
How many people are going to have to die before our campus does what the Governor asked, and what the UUP executive board called for on Sunday night? Truly essential employees and other members of our university, who physically need to be on campus, need real support and protections. Everyone else should work from home, without time being charged to accruals, and without having to fill out forms seeking permission, until further notice.
While it is past time for this message to be sent loud and clear to the working people that make up our University, it is never too late to do the right thing.
Finally, we do not write this cavalierly. We recognize and empathize with the immense struggles university management is facing. We understand the situation is developing fast and changing rapidly. We applaud the decisions of many supervisors who are allowing their non-essential employees to work from home. However, we feel little choice but to publicly voice this overarching concern ever since we were informed that management cannot, or will not, meet with UUP West chapter officers this week, even virtually, to discuss work-related issues regarding the coronavirus pandemic.
The stakes are too high to remain silent and hope things eventually work out. It is never too late to do the right thing.
Please stay healthy and well.
In solidarity,
UUP West Chapter Leadership Team