My First Message
Greetings Colleagues,
This is my first message as the Chapter President of UUP’s West Campus chapter. A quick introduction: I am a native New Yorker, who has been at Stony Brook University for 34 years. I first became active in UUP five years ago, but have 19 years of union experience behind me, with positions of Treasurer, Vice President, along with grievance co-chair as well as co-chairing other union regional committees including the Human Rights Committee.
My knowledge of the issues facing us at this university will assist us moving forward, as will the educated and committed team we have representing all of you. We are committed to being transparent and are ready to rebuild and regain your trust.
On behalf of myself and the members of the delegation, I would like to thank Andrew for his tireless efforts and dedication as former Chapter President and to the labor movement. We all wish him much success.
Colleagues, we are moving forward on the same path, the path of unity. Unity not only to the members that we represent at this chapter, but, the unity and strength of the labor coalition that I have helped build with the four major unions at Stony Brook University and hospital which includes GSEU, CSEA, PEF, and our HSC/Hospital UUP Chapter. We will continue to educate the members and public on the importance of organized labor. We will continue to hold Stony Brook management and elected officials accountable, whether it be to our collective bargaining agreement or respecting and supporting workers’ rights. Let me assure you this train is on track and going full speed ahead in the right direction.
In Unity,
Louise Melious
My Second Message
Greetings Colleagues,
As the year 2024 draws to an end, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you who have been the driving force behind the positive changes we’ve witnessed over the past year at our chapter. In the spirit of the New Year, we should all take the time to reflect on our previous accomplishments and set new goals on achievements for the future.
Our workplace is not just a physical space; it’s a community that thrives on the energy, enthusiasm, and active participation of each one of us. We are the engine and the driving force that has elevated Stony Brook University to rank number one among public universities in New York for the second year in a row and number 26 among public universities nationwide, a five-spot increase from the previous year. Rest assured; the momentum gained from 2024 will help to propel us into another transformative year.
As we embark on this New Year together, we must reinforce some of the cultural and intellectual aspects of who we are as a chapter of activists, learners, innovators, and scholars as we begin the new year. We must be ready to combat and engage in the challenges we may face in 2025. We must move in unison. Only through the labor union and employee’s rights systematic change occurs. As union activists we have the power to modify policies, processes, relationships, mindset and power structures within a system to understand it and fix the underlying issues. That’s the power of a union. We must continue to seek to interact with and engage in dialogue with each other. We all possess different perspectives and experiences of our own; we stand to gain the most from the rich diversity of our “union”.
As we move forward, we must continue to stay focused on becoming more united. Let us embrace the New Year with a renewed commitment to our local chapter. Together, we will continue to create an environment filled with exciting opportunities, meaningful connections, and admiration for your fellow colleagues.
Let’s stay connected and informed.
Wishing you all a very healthy, happy and prosperous 2025 New Year.
Best Wishes,
Louise Melious