Statement from Chancellor King and the SUNY Board of Trustees on Recognition of Labor Day
September 7, 2026
"New York State is the birthplace of the modern organized labor movement, and SUNY is proud to celebrate that history that helped inspire meaningful reforms to build a fairer society for New Yorkers and all Americans as part of our Labor Day observances.
"At SUNY, we recognize the role of our nearly 90,000 dedicated faculty and staff members in educating and supporting the next generation of New York leaders. Thanks to these dedicated public servants, SUNY is able to implement initiatives that provide New Yorkers with the affordable, high-quality higher education they deserve.
"Through the strong support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Legislature, SUNY's organized labor workforce members have achieved fair and equitable contracts that will help move the SUNY System forward. As we celebrate Labor Day, we recommit the SUNY System to ensure that each of our students is fully supported throughout their undergraduate experience, has access to internships and experiential learning, and is well prepared to achieve upward mobility and succeed after graduation.
"To everyone throughout the SUNY System, Happy Labor Day!"
About the State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state's only college of optometry, 12 Educational Opportunity Centers, over 30 ATTAIN digital literacy labs, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.7 million students across its portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2025, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and annually one in three New Yorkers who earn a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit suny.edu.
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Holly Liapis
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