Members of the Faculty Bargaining Unit,<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>I
<\/p>\n \n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>You
<\/p>\n \n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>In
<\/p>\n \n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>At
<\/p>\n \n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Last
<\/p>\n \n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Whatever
<\/p>\n \n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>In
<\/p>\n \n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Second<\/b>, however, our attorneys believe
<\/p>\n \n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The time is ripe for the administration to
<\/p>\n \n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Or,
<\/p>\n \n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Just
<\/p>\n \n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Second<\/b>, we will build our strength by reaching
<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Other
<\/p>\n \n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Many
<\/p>\n \n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The
<\/p>\n \n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>There
<\/p>\n \n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Let
<\/p>\n \n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>This
<\/p>\n \n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>What
<\/p>\n \n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Further,
<\/p>\n \n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Finally,
<\/p>\n \n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The
<\/p>\n \n
<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>We salute
<\/p>\n \n
<\/p>\n Previous bargaining reports are archived at the
<\/p>\n <\/body><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Members of the Faculty Bargaining Unit,
\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I
have
excellent news.
\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You
may
remember that in early April the FIU administration declared \u201cimpasse\u201d in the negotiations with the
UFF.\u00a0 That began a process that they
thought would end with the Board of Trustees unilaterally imposing a
new
bargaining agreement on the faculty, one with all of the rights
and protections of the previous agreement removed to university
policy only,\u2026 Continue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[10],"class_list":["post-211","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bargaining","tag-bargaining"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uff-fiu.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uff-fiu.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uff-fiu.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uff-fiu.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uff-fiu.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=211"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.uff-fiu.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/211\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uff-fiu.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uff-fiu.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uff-fiu.net\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nhave
\nexcellent news.<\/p>\n
\nmay
\nremember that in early April the FIU administration declared \u201cimpasse\u201d<\/b> in the negotiations with the
\nUFF.\u00a0 <\/span>That began a process that they
\nthought would end with the Board of Trustees unilaterally imposing a
\nnew
\nbargaining agreement on the faculty, one with all of the rights
\nand protections<\/b> of the previous agreement removed to university
\npolicy<\/b> only, where they
\ncould not be enforced by the grievance
\nand arbitration<\/b> procedure.<\/p>\n
\nMay the
\nUFF filed an Unfair Labor Practice<\/b>
\ncharge against FIU, on the grounds that by forcing the impasse they
\nhave
\ndeprived us of our right to bargain the rights and protections in the
\n17
\narticles of the previous agreement that they intend to leave \u201cvacant\u201d.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n
\nthe same
\ntime we filed a Motion to Stay the
\nImpasse<\/b>.\u00a0 <\/span>We argued to the Public
\nEmployees Relations Commission (PERC) that there was no point in going
\nahead
\nwith the impasse proceedings, because if we won the Unfair Labor
\nPractice, PERC
\nwould order both sides back to the bargaining table and instruct the
\nadministration to bargain those rights and protections.<\/p>\n
\nWednesday, June 15, PERC granted our Motion
\nto Stay the Impasse<\/b>.\u00a0 <\/span>The effect of
\nthis is two-fold.\u00a0 <\/span>First<\/b>, the
\nimpasse process will now be on hold until PERC can rule
\non the Unfair Labor Practice charge.\u00a0 <\/span>Our
\nattorneys think that the arguments will not be heard until probably
\nwell into
\nJuly, and that a decision will probably not come down until September
\nor
\nOctober at the earliest.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n
\nthe decision then, the status quo<\/b>
\nbased on the previous bargaining agreement will
\nnow be in place well into the middle of the fall <\/b>semester, and
\nprobably
\nlonger.\u00a0 <\/span>This will prevent the Board of Trustees
\nfrom imposing their extreme solution for a non-existent problem for a
\nlengthy
\nperiod.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n
\nthe
\nunlikely event we lose the Unfair Labor Practice, the impasse procedure
\nwill
\nbegin again, probably in mid-fall, with a public hearing at which both
\nsides
\npresent their arguments.\u00a0 <\/span>Then the
\nSpecial Master will offer his suggested agreement in a public meeting.\u00a0 <\/span>Then the Board of Trustees would propose an
\nagreement that must be submitted to the bargaining unit for a
\nratification
\nvote.\u00a0 <\/span>Once it is rejected\u2014and if it is
\nanything like the current proposal it will be rejected
\noverwhelmingly\u2014the Board
\ncould impose an agreement on us, but only for that fiscal year, with
\nbargaining
\nbeginning again for the next year.\u00a0 <\/span>This
\nprocess will probably put us well into
\nthe second semester, perhaps later.<\/b> <\/p>\n
\nthat the Motion to Stay the Impasse would not have been approved unless
\nPERC thought
\nthat our Unfair Labor Practice charge had merit.\u00a0 <\/span>So
\nwhile we should not break out the bubbly
\njust yet, we are optimistic that PERC will follow the law and its own
\nprecedents and rule that the strategy the administration has been
\nfollowing is
\nillegal, as we have argued from the beginning.\u00a0
\n<\/span>Both sides would then return to
\nthe table<\/b>, with the administration charged to abandon its previous
\napproach
\nand to bargain in good faith.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n
\ncome to its senses<\/b>, start with the previous state-wide bargaining
\nagreement
\nthat worked well for 27 years, change the handful of things that need
\nto be changed,
\nand reach agreement with the faculty.\u00a0 <\/span>(USF,
\nFAU, UCF, FGCU, and
\nhave already done this.\u00a0 <\/span>No other
\nadministration is still following the FIU approach.)\u00a0 <\/span>We
\ncould finish by the end of the
\nsummer.\u00a0 <\/span>Then FIU could return to normal
\nand we could all get on with the business of educating students and
\ncreating
\nknowledge.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n
\nthe
\nadministration could continue this unnecessary attack on its own
\nfaculty,
\ncontinue to demoralize the university, and continue to drive away many
\nof its
\nbest faculty.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n
\nin
\ncase the administration chooses to continue down its destructive path, we have plans to build our strength<\/b> so
\nthat we will be in a position to ultimately prevail, no matter how long
\nit
\ntakes.\u00a0 <\/span>First<\/b>, that means continuing
\nto build up the membership of UFF<\/b> so that no one can doubt that UFF
\nspeaks
\nfor the faculty and so we can bring to bear the resources needed to win.\u00a0 <\/span>We are very close to having a majority of the
\nbargaining unit as members, so we will be campaigning to go over the
\ntop.\u00a0 <\/span>If you have not yet joined UFF, a
\nmembership
\nform may be downloaded at http:\/\/www.uff-fiu.org\/nindex.php\/uff.form.html<\/a><\/p>\n
\nout to our natural allies<\/b>.\u00a0 <\/span>Some of them are
\non campus, like our co-workers<\/b> in USPS (secretarial
\nstaff,
\nmaintenance workers, etc) who are represented by AFSCME, nurses
\nrepresented by
\nSEIU, and the police represented by PBA, who are facing the same
\ndemands that
\nwe are\u2014that they give up their rights and protections that have been
\nenforceable by grievance and arbitration.\u00a0
\n<\/span>I will have more to report about this below.<\/p>\n
\nallies on campus include the students<\/b>.\u00a0
\n<\/span>They have an interest in keeping the best
\nfaculty and researchers from being driven away by attacks from the
\nadministration.\u00a0 <\/span>The articles in the
\nBeacon, Herald, and Sun-Sentinel have motivated many students to
\napproach
\nfaculty about what is going on here.\u00a0 <\/span>We
\nwill continue to encourage such inquisitiveness\u2014outside of the
\nclassroom, of
\ncourse.\u00a0 <\/span>(It is illegal in this state to
\nuse class time to build support for a faculty union.)\u00a0 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\nof our
\nnatural allies are off campus, and we are beginning to reach out to
\nthem.\u00a0 <\/span>FIU
\nalumni<\/b> have an interest in keeping the best faculty here, and we
\nare
\nconfident many will respond to a call to save FIU\u2014and the value of
\ntheir
\ndegrees\u2014from the extremists who would impose a corporate model on the
\nuniversity.\u00a0 <\/span>Many of us in the faculty
\nkeep in touch with former students, and some have already asked how
\nthey can
\nhelp us.\u00a0 <\/span>We will help them come together
\nto aid us in our efforts.<\/p>\n
\nbroader
\norganizations with which UFF is
\naffiliated<\/b>\u2014the American Federation of Teachers (AFT<\/b>),
\nthe National Education Association (NEA<\/b>), and the
\nFlorida Education Association (FEA<\/b>)\u2014are already
\nfollowing our efforts closely and supporting
\nthem.\u00a0 <\/span>We are not the only university
\nconfronted with outsiders trying to impose a corporate model of
\ngovernance,
\nrather than the collegial governance model we have been used to.\u00a0 <\/span>Because the leaderships of these broad
\norganizations like the way we have stood up to the attacks on us, they
\nhave let
\nus know that they are eager to step up their support in any way they
\ncan.\u00a0 <\/span>We will be happy to accept their increased
\nassistance.<\/p>\n
\nare many
\nin the local community who have a strong interest in restoring a
\nhealthy
\nFIU.\u00a0 <\/span>The UFF has worked with many labor
\nand community organizations<\/b> over
\nthe years, as well as with local political leaders<\/b>, and many
\nwill respond to a
\ncall to save FIU from those who have an ideological agenda to pursue.\u00a0 <\/span>We are reaching out to them and look forward
\nto the creative ways we know they will come up with to aid our efforts.<\/p>\n
\nme turn
\nnow to the attack on our secretaries and
\nother USPS workers<\/b> on campus. \u00a0<\/span>You
\nmay have seen the email sent out by Vice President Vivian Sanchez, the
\nnew head
\nof Human Resources.\u00a0 <\/span>In it she outlined
\nthe salary offer the administration has put on the bargaining table in
\nnegotiations with AFSCME, which represents USPS workers.\u00a0
\n<\/span>The offer is a $750 raise or 2%, whichever is
\ngreater, plus 1% merit pay<\/b>.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n
\noffer
\nis better than it appears since most USPS employees are paid so little
\nthat
\n$750 is 3%, or 4%, or even more of their current salaries.\u00a0
\n<\/span>$750 is 3% of $25,000 for example; it is 4%
\nof $18,750, and many USPS employees make less than that.\u00a0
\n<\/span>Can you imagine trying to live in
\non that?\u00a0 <\/span>It is
\nshameful.\u00a0 <\/span>To its credit, AFSCME demanded
\nthat most of the increase be a fixed amount across the board to address
\nthe
\nneeds of their least-paid workers.<\/p>\n
\nMs.
\nSanchez did not address in her email, is the
\nrest of the story<\/b>.\u00a0 <\/span>The
\nadministration has taken the same approach to the rights
\nand protections enforced by grievance and arbitration<\/b> in the
\nprevious AFSCME bargaining agreement that they have taken with UFF\u2014we
\nwill put it in
\nuniversity policy and you can trust us to be fair.\u00a0 <\/span>Naturally,
\nthe AFSCME bargaining team has no
\nintention of accepting.<\/p>\n
\nthe administration\u2019s proposal would change
\nthe status of USPS employees to \u201cat will\u201d<\/b>.\u00a0
\n<\/span>The AFSCME bargaining agreement allows the university to
\nterminate
\nemployees only for \u201cjust cause\u201d\u2014misconduct and incompetence\u2014enforced by
\nthe
\ngrievance procedure which can end before a neutral, third-party
\narbitrator.\u00a0 <\/span>Now the university wants the right
\nto
\nterminate \u201cwithout cause\u201d, to have the employees serve at the will of
\ntheir
\nsupervisors.\u00a0 <\/span>The administration calls
\nthis a 21st<\/sup> Century Human Resources approach.\u00a0
\n<\/span>Apparently they are looking forward to the 21st<\/sup>
\ncentury being a lot like the 19th<\/sup> century of the robber
\nbarons.<\/p>\n
\nthe administration\u2019s offer is take-it-or-leave-it<\/b>:\u00a0 <\/span>To get the $750, AFSCME has to agree to waive
\ntheir rights and protections, their grievance and arbitration process,
\nand
\ntheir right to termination only if the administration can prove just
\ncause, or
\nelse the administration will remove the salary offer after June 30.\u00a0 <\/span>The administration figured that USPS workers
\nare so impoverished that they will demand the money and give up the
\nrights they
\nhave had for years.<\/p>\n
\nAFSCME
\nleadership called a meeting last Thursday so that the bargaining team
\ncould get
\nguidance from the bargaining unit.\u00a0 <\/span>The
\nroom was packed with the biggest turnout anyone could remember, with
\nmore
\nparticipating by teleconferencing on the BBC campus.\u00a0 <\/span>After
\nfull discussion a straw vote was taken
\nand the vote was unanimous against
\naccepting the administration\u2019s offer<\/b>.\u00a0
\n<\/span>Several USPS employees saw the importance of a strong union and
\njoined
\nAFSCME at the meeting.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n
\nour brothers and sisters in USPS for their courage and intelligence.\u00a0 <\/span>All of
\nus at FIU are under the same attack. <\/b>\u00a0<\/span>We are
\nnatural allies and we will defend
\nourselves together.\u00a0 <\/span>Anything the UFF can
\ndo to assist AFSCME, we will do.\u00a0 <\/span>Faculty
\ncan help this process along by encouraging our coworkers to join their
\nunion
\nand to support their bargaining team.<\/p>\n
\nUFF-FIU
\nwebsite:\u00a0 <\/span>http:\/\/www.uff-fiu.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n--
\nAlan Gummerson
\nPresident, FIU Chapter
\nUnited Faculty of Florida
\nOffice: DM-315B
\nPhone: 305-348-2381
\nemail: alan.gummerson@uff-fiu.org<\/a>
\nFax:\t305-567-1943<\/pre>\n