12/14/2021
Exec. Board statement on the resignation of SUNy Chancellor Jim Malatras:
"Late last month, New York State Attorney General and former UUP member Letitia James released documents related to the sexual harassment allegations that forced Andrew Cuomo to resign as governor of New York. As more information from these documents came to light, it became clear that SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras, who had previously served in the Cuomo administration as director of state operations until taking a job as the President of the Rockefeller Institute of Government in 2017, had written insulting emails about one former state worker who had accused Cuomo of sexual harassment.
On December 3, the SUNY Board of Trustees issued a statement expressing their support for Chancellor Malatras and praising his leadership of SUNY during the pandemic. At the same time, the President of UUP issued a statement commending the “constructive relationship” between UUP and Malatras, calling Malatras a “tireless advocate on behalf of UUP members,” and saying that he looked forward to working with Malatras and the SUNY Board on “the most important budget in SUNY’s recent history.”
This statement was issued by UUP’s President with almost no consultation. Many UUP members have responded both on social media and through organized channels to express unhappiness with the President’s statement. Nevertheless, the President doubled down on his support of Malatras. Yesterday, as we now know, Malatras resigned.
UUP-Old Westbury’s Executive Board emphatically declares our solidarity with survivors of sexual harassment. As more material comes to light about Malatras’ past behavior, it seems that he contributed to the creation of a hostile work environment in Albany. We categorically reject any attempts by managers in any office to create a hostile work environment through the use of demeaning language, cursing, and screaming at their employees. Taking a principled stand against such behavior is a prerequisite for building a relationship between workers and managers based on trust and mutual respect. This is the fundamental mission of our union, and a goal we will be working to strengthen in our upcoming contract. "
