April Bargaining Update
April Bargaining update
The PSU-AAUP bargaining team has met twice with the University during the month of April.
During our first meeting, we negotiated ground rules for negotiations and set a schedule to discuss all of the open articles. During our second meeting, we learned about the campus budget situation from Vice President for Finance and Administration, Lindsay Desrochers. We also reached a tentative agreement on Article 20: Intellectual Property Rights/ Distance Education.
Financial crisis
As you all know, the economic situation in the nation, state, and university is not rosy. At PSU we are facing possible cuts of 20% in state funding. Our CFO predicts a $28 million problem that would be only half way alleviated by a proposed tuition increase. Depending on the Governor’s mandate for reductions by state employees, the university may consider filling some of the remaining budget hole by making some form of cuts to salaries. We will know more after the May revenue forecast.
PSU-AAUP recognizes the gravity of the state’s financial situation. The bargaining team is keeping a close and critical eye on budgetary issues and examining the university’s priorities and spending choices. Your bargaining team is committed to working across the table to craft a contract true to the following principles. First, we will work to keep jobs on campus, preserving PSU’s human capital. Second, we will work to shield lower-paid bargaining unit members from cuts, should they be necessary. Third, we will work to preserve current levels of health care coverage. Fourth, we will work to craft language so that if cuts prove necessary, the situation will “snap back” to the current one at a designated time or threshold. During this time of economic difficulties, the bargaining team is working to preserve the gains made in the 2007-2009 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Intellectual Property Rights Agreement
The new language on Intellectual Property Rights represents a major step forward in AAUP’s ability to protect members’ rights to the teaching and scholarly materials they craft through their intellectual pursuits. The bargaining team thanks PSU-AAUP’s IPR/DE task force members (Michael Chamberlain, Carol Holdt, Kal Toth, and Jonathan Uto), who have worked tirelessly with their counterparts from the university for over a year to reach this agreement. The success of the IPR task force raises hopes that during this round of negotiations the bargaining team will also be able to make significant progress with other non-monetary issues (such as workload and fixed term faculty job security and promotion).
Get involved
The PSU-AAUP bargaining team has met twice with the University during the month of April.
During our first meeting, we negotiated ground rules for negotiations and set a schedule to discuss all of the open articles. During our second meeting, we learned about the campus budget situation from Vice President for Finance and Administration, Lindsay Desrochers. We also reached a tentative agreement on Article 20: Intellectual Property Rights/ Distance Education.
Financial crisis
As you all know, the economic situation in the nation, state, and university is not rosy. At PSU we are facing possible cuts of 20% in state funding. Our CFO predicts a $28 million problem that would be only half way alleviated by a proposed tuition increase. Depending on the Governor’s mandate for reductions by state employees, the university may consider filling some of the remaining budget hole by making some form of cuts to salaries. We will know more after the May revenue forecast.
PSU-AAUP recognizes the gravity of the state’s financial situation. The bargaining team is keeping a close and critical eye on budgetary issues and examining the university’s priorities and spending choices. Your bargaining team is committed to working across the table to craft a contract true to the following principles. First, we will work to keep jobs on campus, preserving PSU’s human capital. Second, we will work to shield lower-paid bargaining unit members from cuts, should they be necessary. Third, we will work to preserve current levels of health care coverage. Fourth, we will work to craft language so that if cuts prove necessary, the situation will “snap back” to the current one at a designated time or threshold. During this time of economic difficulties, the bargaining team is working to preserve the gains made in the 2007-2009 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Intellectual Property Rights Agreement
The new language on Intellectual Property Rights represents a major step forward in AAUP’s ability to protect members’ rights to the teaching and scholarly materials they craft through their intellectual pursuits. The bargaining team thanks PSU-AAUP’s IPR/DE task force members (Michael Chamberlain, Carol Holdt, Kal Toth, and Jonathan Uto), who have worked tirelessly with their counterparts from the university for over a year to reach this agreement. The success of the IPR task force raises hopes that during this round of negotiations the bargaining team will also be able to make significant progress with other non-monetary issues (such as workload and fixed term faculty job security and promotion).
Get involved
- Interested in learning more? Keep an eye on our new Labor Blog at http://www.psuaaup.net/blog/blog.html.
- Interested in getting involved? Are you a full member of the union? If you’re not sure, you can check your pay stub. If you see a line that reads “AAUP Union Membership Dues,” then you are a full member. If you see a line that reads “AAUP Union Fair Share Deductions,” then you are not a full member. For a few extra dollars a month, you can receive the benefits of membership, including the right to participate in contract ratification votes, run for the Executive Council, and get reimbursed for renting or buying academic regalia for Commencement. See http://www.psuaaup.net/ for more information on membership benefits and for a membership form.
- Interested in doing more? We are recruiting Unit Representatives for some units and members for several committees headed by Executive Council members. Contact me, Jonathan Uto, or Gary Brodowicz for more information.
Finally, please join us for our Annual Meeting, which will be held from 4:00 – 6:00 PM at the Simon Benson House on Thursday, 7 May. Meet the Collective Bargaining Team, welcome our new Executive Council members, and learn about union initiatives and the status of bargaining. We will have great food catered by Madison’s Grill. Please RSVP to aaup@psuaaup.net so that we can get a rough head count for ordering the food. Please invite your colleagues to join you and hear what’s happening. I hope to see you at the meeting!
In solidarity,
Michele Gamburd
Labels: bargaining
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