The UAlbany GSEU was proud to stand in solidarity with faculty union UUP to demand that the Chancellor ask the Legislature for full funding of the SUNY university system. Following the financial crash of 2008, austerity measures were implemented and SUNY faced sharp budget cuts. While NYS promised these cuts would be temporary, the full SUNY budget has never been restored. Business Agent Sam Rider (pictured) spoke on behalf of the GSEU, arguing that budget cuts have facilitated back-door cost increases for graduate students in the form of fees, which increase regularly every year to overcome campus budget deficits. The GSEU is committed to abolishing fees for all graduate student employees and calls for SUNY Chancellor Kristina Johnson to pressure the legislature to keep their promise to restore SUNY funding to pre-financial crash levels.