It's important in this day and age to not only be aware of your rights, but to demand them. Too many people in a position of power will do everything they can to deprive you of them. They have no honor, no decency, no self-respect, and certainly no respect for anyone else. They'll twist the law and our nation's founding principles to deprive you of your rights. To be sure, not everyone who represents management at Upstate Medical University behaves in such a manner.
Many supervisors are fine human beings who treat employees with respect and dignity.
Those who don't, however, should be ashamed of themselves and their activities should neither be tolerated, nor encouraged. You might be amazed at what's in it. Only then are we subject to any collective bargaining agreements under which we may operate. Think about that for a while. Two parties can mutually agree upon a contract which allows for child labor, but that doesn't make it legal.