‘Revolution at NYU’

Re: “Revolution at NYU,” Editorial, September 1, 2005. The 2004 National Labor Relations Board ruling, wrong though it is, does not prevent New York University from negotiating a contract with our union. President John Sexton and his administration bear full responsibility for their failure to recognize our union, although they continue to hide behind this blatantly partisan 3-2 decision.

Furthermore, every grievance our union has filed on behalf of members has concerned economic matters, not “academic decision making.” The Graduate Students Organizing Committee offered earlier this summer to withdraw all open grievances – although we believe them to be legitimate – if they posed a barrier to negotiation. NYU still refused to come to the table.

Last spring, over 800 GSOC members – an overwhelming majority of our membership – signed a letter demanding that NYU negotiate a second contract in good faith. The “revolution at NYU” will continue until they do.

SUSAN VALENTINE
Member, Graduate Students Organizing Committee
New York University
Brooklyn

‘Mental Ward Not Welcome’

Re: “Staten Island Mental Ward Not Welcome,” Alicia Colon, New York, September 2, 2005. It seems The New York Sun columnist Alicia Colon is the only one covering St. Vincent’s plan to house former convicts in the residential area of St. George on Staten Island.

But I disagree with her closing paragraph stating that now is the time for communication. Misleading communication has been St. Vincent’s game plan all along.

It failed to send a representative to the first community board meeting. At the emergency meeting held a week later, it bused in supporters. At every turn, it has insisted that this was housing for the “mentally stable.”

And now, only because a private citizen filed a Freedom of Information Act request, it has become known that continuing funding for this project is contingent on St. Vincent’s accepting the target populations of former Sing Sing convicts, those under court order, those with former drug addiction, and those under supervision of the Brooklyn Mental Health Court.

All of these plans with New York State were made in 2003. They were never meant to be made public. Why should the public trust any communications with St. Vincent’s?

EMILY MOOG
Staten Island

‘Arab League’

I am writing to The New York Sun to comment on the article “Arabs Warn Iraq’s Constitution May Tear the Country Apart” [Page 1, August 30, 2005] written by Eli Lake. The author wrote:

“None of the [Arab] league’s members – now excepting Iraq – hold regular elections or anchor their laws in the protection of individual liberties.”

Lebanon, which is a member of the league, does hold elections. Algeria, another member of the league, does hold elections. Mauritania does elect its president by popular vote. The last president was elected with 60% of the vote. Palestine, despite being occupied by Israel, is also a member, also holds elections.

Few other states also hold elections, but they are generally not free. This includes Tunisia and Egypt (they don’t directly elect the president but it must be validated by a popular referendum).The voting process in these countries has been in place for years now but it is not transparent. Morocco’s last two legislative/parliamentary elections were deemed generally free by international observers.

KARIM ZAMANI
Gaithersburg, Md.

---

Please address letters intended for publication to the Editor of The New York Sun. Letters may be sent by e-mail to editor@nysun.com, facsimile to 212-608-7348, or post to 105 Chambers Street, New York City 10007. Please include a return address and daytime telephone number. Letters may be edited.