Excerpt of letter written by Dr. Appa Hungund PEF Division 254 steward, research scientist at NY Psychiatric Institute, New York City to Sen. Thomas Morahan.
PI scientists’ promotions break through state freeze
By SHERRY HALBROOK
They had to wait more than two years, but eight research scientists at the state’s NY Psychiatric Institute (PI) in New York City finally are being promoted effective March 4.
The promotions received required peer-review approval at the PI in 2001, but then ran into the state’s blanket hiring and promotion freeze, which has shut them out until now.
Dr. Appa Hungund, a PEF Division 254 steward, is one of the scientists caught in the career limbo and who lobbied hard to get the freeze lifted for the promotions.
It shouldn’t take so long
In a September 2002 letter to state Sen. Thomas Morahan, Hungund explained that he was a senior scientist with 27 years of service at PI who deserved a promotion.
“I have been a productive scientist and have a good track record of securing funds from outside sources including federal agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and private foundations since 1990. The last big grant I received was from NIH, which is worth $1 million, began in September 2001 and will run through August 2005. Just this week, I received another NIH contract worth $365,000, which runs through September 2004,” Hungund wrote.
“If the state cannot reward me with a $5,000 raise for the accomplishments I have, what is the incentive for someone like me to work hard, write proposals and seek outside funding?” he asked.
“The same thing happened with my previous promotion in 1993, when I was promoted from (salary) grade 4 to grade 5. It took four years before I could see the money. I am already 60 years old, and if I have to wait another four years to see this money, I might as well forget it.”
Hungund wasn’t the only scientist writing to legislators and officials at the state Office of Mental Health to try to bust the promotions loose.
Unified efforts paying off
“These Division 254 members have really mobilized and worked very hard to make sure these promotions were not forgotten,” said PEF Director of Member Mobilization Margaret Messer. “And, last year, they successfully mobilized to save services at PI from proposed state budget cuts.”
Hungund said it was at one of those budget mobilizing events, he had the opportunity to tell PEF President Roger Benson about the frozen promotions. Benson, a research scientist at the Health Department in Albany, promised to personally look into the matter after the state budget cuts were defeated.
Last December, Benson wrote to Sharon Carpinello, acting state commissioner of mental health. He pointed out the eight promotions would cost less than $30,000 and that PI had told PEF it was willing to find money for them within its existing budget.
Benson also said many of them bring in very large research grants to the state, but “the concept of supporting research because of its revenue generating capabilities is contradictory to its intended purpose of being relevant to the state’s mission. Once it has been determined that a particular research project is appropriate and the grant has been accepted, all possible actions should be taken to support the culmination of that research, including appropriate compensation for the scientists involved.”
Benson was notified in a January 21 letter from the head of employee relations at the state Office of Mental Health (OMH) that “.... We are asking both the Division of Budget and Civil Service to act on these requests as quickly as possible. Please be assured that OMH recognizes the contribution that these research scientists make to its research program.”
Giving credit where it’s due
Division 254 Assistant Council Leader Virginia Warner said the scientists had lots of help and support from many people in this effort.
“I think Susan Mitnick (PEF supervisor of budget policy) was critical to helping us make this happen,” Warner said. “And it was a help to have PI Director Francine Cournos and interim Deputy Director of Administration Frank Mucha willing to push for it at the same time as President Benson.
“We have been lucky to have Benson, who understands research scientist issues, as our PEF president and to have such a wonderful staff hard at work for us in Albany,” she said.
Hungund credited Benson’s personal efforts with tipping the scale to get the state Office of Mental Health to finally press the state Division of Budget to waive the freeze and approve the promotions.
“I want to thank President Benson, because he really pushed this through, he really played a big role in this,” Hungund said.
Benson, on the other hand, said, “My hat is off to these scientists. They never let up on their research, and they never let up on demanding their right to these promotions. They exemplify the best, both as professionals and as union members. We’re lucky to have them.”
Communicator Home June
04
Inside This Issue
Features
Contract Update: State stalls...
Take
agencies out of the shadows
Law could reduce contracting-out
Keep pressure to save Fulton CF
Heroes plant feet in NH
Departments
President's Message
Member's Mailbag
Nurses' Station
Retirees In Action
Members' Highlights
Back Cover Ad
PEF Member Benefits & Travel
Union Matters
Vote: PEF’s privatization buster
Senate demands
offset of...
Stopping out-of-title work in
its...
Vote: privatization buster
for ’04
Step in the right direction at SED
Fed. law changes bad for union
Nurses' fast response saves life
$ for prison health care workers
Law
gives benefit to parole...
PI
scientists’ write to the top
Questions on this site?
Email the
comwebmaster
Register here on the PEF
Member Network.
Click
Here email notice when next issue
is online
Site Map
What's New
Search