EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The UAOSU bargaining team and the administration team met twice last week. Over these two sessions, we passed 4 proposals, including Position Descriptions and Workload and Leaves. We received 6 counterproposals from the administration team.
UPCOMING SESSIONS
Use the links below to add these to your calendar.
- Mon. March 4: 1-4pm (LaSells Stewart Center)
- Fri. March 15: 10am-2pm (LaSells Stewart Center)
- Thur. March 21: 10am-2pm (LaSells Stewart Center)
- Mon. March 25: 1-4pm (LaSells Stewart Center)
FULL UPDATE
Our website provides a table with links to the articles for which we have presented proposals, along with all counterproposals passed by the administration.
Your UAOSU bargaining team and the administration team met at 10am on Wednesday, February 21 at the LaSells Stewart Center.
The administration passed counterproposals on Totality of the Agreement, Dues Deductions, and Grievance. They continue to resist language that makes explicit their obligations to bargain changes under the law. In addition, their Grievance proposal rejected language related to an important prior agreement between UAOSU and the administration. That agreement acknowledged that our union needs to review disciplinary settlements with faculty to ensure that their rights under our contract are protected. The current administration team was unaware of this previous agreement, and expressed skepticism about it. It is crucial that we can continue to enforce our contract.
We passed Academic Classification and Rank, Position Description and Workload, and No Strike, No Lockout. We heard clearly from faculty that workload is a key issue for these negotiations, and our initial proposal would address it in several ways:
- Adding more clarity to work assignments, in addition to the Position Description;
- Including additional specificity for unit teaching workload policies, and a more formal process for faculty approval of those policies;
- And creating a pool of course releases in recognition of the exceptional service burden carried by BIPOC faculty, women faculty, and faculty from marginalized communities.
Your UAOSU bargaining team met again with the administration team at 2pm on Friday, February 23.
We passed a proposal on Leaves, which would create a sick leave bank, allowing faculty to transfer excess sick leave to other faculty who need it. Our proposal would also expand sabbatical leaves to all promoted faculty, including non-tenure track, and increase the percentage of salary covered while on sabbatical.
The administration team passed counterproposals on Personnel Records, Nondiscrimination, and Union Rights. We continue to have significant disagreement about how to address the administration’s obligations to our union about policy changes that affect the meaning of our CBA.
The next bargaining session is 1pm–4pm on Monday, March 4 at the LaSells Center. Even if you can only drop by for half an hour, your attendance matters: show the administration that faculty are watching this process.
You can find a list of the currently scheduled bargaining sessions, as well as read our updates and proposals at uaosu.org/bargaining.
Our power in negotiations comes from all of us working together as a united faculty. Becoming a member is the first step in supporting your bargaining team and securing a strong second contract . You can become a member online by going to uaosu.org/join.
In solidarity,
Kelly McElroy and Your Bargaining Team