Why SUNY’s faculty and staff need the Governor’s proposed car insurance reforms

BY FREDERICK E. KOWAL

What does car insurance have to do with United University Professions and why does UUP support the Governor’s proposed reforms? Let me provide some context.

UUP is the nation’s largest higher education union, representing the faculty and professional staff who work at the 29 state-operated campuses of the State University of New York (SUNY). Here’s where the connection begins: Nearly all of UUP’s 42,000 members drive.

While our members serve in a variety of roles at SUNY campuses – ranging from faculty to computer center personnel to counselors – they all share the need to get to and from work. Therefore, auto insurance is, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, important to UUP.

UUP members, like all New Yorkers, are paying far more than our peers in neighboring states. On average, New Yorkers pay $336 per month for full coverage and $144 per month for the minimum required auto insurance. This comes out to an average of $4,031 annually for full coverage – nearly $1,500 above the national average of $2,679.

For our members, that $1,500 is a lot. Some titles in our union make somewhere in the mid-$30,000s. For these and many employees at the lower end of starting salaries, car insurance has become a significant financial burden.

Usually, we work to address affordability at the bargaining table, where we successfully advocate for wage increases for our members. But we also understand the importance of advocating for affordability outside of the contract, since at the end of the day, it’s income minus expenses that New Yorkers really feel.

So, what can be done about high auto insurance costs?

First, the Governor is going to take on fraud to put an end to the staged accidents that law-abiding UUP members end up paying for in the form of high premiums. She is also going to prevent people who commit crimes from landing jackpot payments beyond routine reimbursement for medical care or lost wages.

She is going to put an end to the ridiculous practice of people at fault for causing an accident suing their victims for compensation. Finally, she will better define what constitutes a “serious injury” so that compensation is reserved for the people genuinely suffering from significant medical issues.

UUP appreciates that the Governor is standing up for everyday people, like our members. We are the professionals who make sure you register for class on time, the lab staff researching innovative technologies, the professors who ensure that you find the career you love.

But New York has to be a more affordable place to live. Even though it is perhaps not in our usual wheelhouse, UUP recognizes that everyday affordability issues are essential to our membership, which is why we urge the Legislature to include the Governor’s proposals to lower car insurance in this year’s state budget.