By ALLISSA KLINE
akline@bizjournals.com | 716-541-1612

The local chapter of a union that represents more than 2,800 faculty and staff employed by the University at Buffalo is planning to vote soon on whether to recommend that UB and its top executives break ties with the Buffalo Niagara Partnership and The Business Council of New York State Inc.

The language of the proposed referendum is being finalized by members of the Buffalo Center Chapter of United University Professions and the ballots will likely be mailed out in coming weeks, chapter President Mike Behun said. It will essentially call for UB to end its memberships with the Partnership and The Business Council and request that UB President Satish Tripathi resign from his position as a director of the Partnership, Behun said.

The relationships between UB and the organizations aren't new, but the organizations' enhanced political activities in recent years are raising questions about whether UB as a publicly supported entity should belong to such groups, he said.

"There's concern that some of the activities (at the Partnership and The Business Council) are impacting the (State University of New York) mission," he  said. "UUP members are concerned with lobbying and partisan political activity."

Both the Partnership and the council are chambers of commerce that also organize political action initiatives. Locally, the Partnership endorses political office candidates and advocates here and in Albany for specific issues related to the business community. Both organizations operate political action committees.

UB, because it is supported in part by taxpayer dollars, should have no connections to such organizations because it gives the appearance that UB is politically motivated, said Martha McCluskey, UUP member and UB Law School professor.

"The Buffalo Niagara Partnership, at least in many of its public communications, says its members and staff are actively involved in the promotion of certain political candidates," McCluskey said. "I have seen no attempt to distance the university from that core function of the Partnership's work. One can only assume that the university's taxpayer funds are being used to help elect certain candidates, and I don't think that's an appropriate role."

That's not what happens, according to UB administrators and the Partnership. UB's annual dues to the Partnership, which total $47,994 this year, are not used for the organization's political action initiatives, but rather placed in a general fund that gives UB access to the Partnership's programs, events and services, said Partnership spokesperson Thomas Murdock. UB's massive growth plan, UB 2020, has been its regional priority since 2008.

"Our mission is to support employers in Western New York, and UB is one of those employers," Murdock said. "But we do not use any UB funds for (political) purposes. The political activity is separate."

UB has been a member of the Partnership and its predecessor, the Buffalo Area Chamber of Commerce, since 1951, UB spokesperson John Della Contrada said. It joined The Business Council in 1992.

"The SUNY mission clearly states that SUNY institutions should participate and share their expertise with local governments, school districts, businesses and civic organizations for the purpose of enhancing the economy and well-being of the community," he said. "Colleges and universities nationwide are commonly members of such organizations because higher education has an important role to play in economic development and community improvement."

Ten higher education institutions in the region, including UB, are members of the Partnership, according to its online membership directory.

Still, there's worry about crossing boundaries, McCluskey said.

"This referendum is not about saying the university shouldn't be talking to local businesses and shouldn't be exploring issues of concern in Western New York," she said. "Instead, it's saying that we can do those things much more effectively and appropriately without being members of these groups and serving on the boards of these groups. Doing so blurs the line of accountability and raises questions about conflicts of interest."

The outcome of the referendum should be known sometime in December, Behun said.