Collective
Bargaining Updates
2003/05 Contract
January
8, 2006
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January
6, 2006
The
AAUP Bargaining Team has reached a tentative agreement on a contract
that the Executive Council has voted to submit to members for ratification.
A ballot will be forthcoming via campus mail. Three forums will be held
to answer questions about the tentative agreement; dates, times, and
rooms for which are provided at the end of this message.
The
agreement has two key pieces:
The
first piece:
The 2005-07 contract will contain across-the-board salary increases
totaling 8% for all bargaining unit members: 5% now, and 3% next year
(2% July/Sept., and 1% at the start of 2007). Health care will be fully
paid for 2006 and, if insurance premium cost increases do not exceed
14%, fully paid in 2007.
The
second piece:
The University agreed to increase low salaries of defined groups of
continuing faculty by an additional 1.25% in exchange for our participation
in a risk-sharing agreement, if PEBB should choose not to cover additional
health insurance premium costs over 12% out of its substantial reserves
in 2007.
The
formulas for the second piece are straight-forward, but will take some
space to describe. It is important that everyone understand the implications
of (A) the low salary pool and (B) the health care agreement.
A. The
low salary increase will be added to an individuals salary base. The
minimum increase will be $450 for those on 9-month contracts and $600
for those on 12-month contracts. Eligibility depends on type of appointment,
rank or level and hire date.
Below are the
three eligible groups, starting with the largest.
1.
Eligible ranked faculty must be continuing from 2004-05:
a) Instructors with 9-month base salaries less than $36,000
b) Senior Instructors with 9-month base salaries less than
$40,000
c) Assistant Professors with 9-month base salaries less than
$46,000
d) Associate Professors with 9-month base salaries less than
$56,000
e) Full Professors with 9-month base salaries less than $66,000
2.
Academic Professionals, in two sub-groups:
a) Program Administrator I, Advisor/Counselor I, Instructional
Technical Specialist I or Psychology Resident who are continuing
from 2004-05 whose 9 or 12- month bases salaries are below $32,500
b) Program Administrator II or III, Advisor/Counselor II,
Instructional Technical Specialist II or Psychologist, Clinical
Social Worker or Educational Technology Specialist who are continuing
from January 2003 whose 9 or 12- month base salaries are below $50,000.
3.
Research Assistants and Associates, in two(*)
groups:
a)
Research Assistants* who are continuing
from 2004-05 whose 9 or 12- month base salaries are below $33,000
b) Senior Research Assistants, Research Associates, and Senior
Research Associates who are continuing from January 2003 whose 9
or 12-month base salaries are below $50,000.
(*)Research
Assistants continuing from 2004-05 who participated in the realignment
study in the School of Social Work and who are approved for reappointment
as Senior Research Assistant, Research Associate, or Senior Research
Associate are eligible under the terms of 3(b) above. (Research
Assistants and Associates who participate in a rank realignment
process during 2006 may also become eligible for this award.)
B. The
Risk-Sharing agreement:
Together, the University and AAUP represented faculty are taking the
risk that health care insurance premium increases might exceed 12%
for the 2007 plan year, and that PEBB might not cover increases beyond
12%. Here is the language, binding only for this two-year contract:
Should rates
for plan year 2007 exceed the Employer contribution the parties shall
jointly petition PEBB to use the reserve funding to support a portion
of any premium increase above 12%. If the increase in excess of 12%
is not covered by PEBB reserves, the University will fully cover an
increase of up to 14%. If the increase in excess of 14% is not covered
by PEBB reserves, the across-the-board salary adjustment for January/February
2007 shall be reduced by .025 percentage point for each 1% increase
in premiums above 14%. This shall be in lieu of any monthly premium
contribution by employees.
Based on the
information available to us at this point in time, we think it is
highly unlikely that the cost of insurance premiums will lincrease
by more than 14% in the 2007 plan year.
You may see this
risk-sharing deal as a well-hedged bet, or as an erosion of the principle
of fully-paid health care. To put it in context, the State of Oregon
has already signed an agreement with its largest union, SEIU that
includes language on the health care issue that is less favorable
to workers than the proposed language above; they risk losing as much
as 2% of their contracted pay increase. This should be a red flag
for all of us. OUS will pressure us on this issue during the next
round of bargaining; we must be prepared to address it.
Other gains include
a 7% increase to all rank, range and promotional minimums (effective
July/Sept. 2006); a 20% increase in travel funds, a green light from
OUS for PSU to offer three-year contracts to fixed term faculty and
language specifically stating that Academic Professionals whose positions
are reclassified to a higher level in their Job Family will receive
a minimum increase and that they are eligible to receive faculty development
funds.
Sincerely,
AAUP Bargaining
Team
Martha Hickey
John Armbrust
Tom Luckett
Connie Ozawa
Jon Uto
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November
21, 2005
With
no contract settlement in sight, the AAUP Bargaining Team and Contract
Action Team have planned the following contract actions for the next
3 months. Let's keep the pressure on the PSU administration until they
negotiate a fair salary increase.
Green
Shirt Wednesdays
Wednesday, November 23 and 30
Green contract campaign t-shirt day/red buttons
Have
you seen this good-looking shirt? It is 100% green cotton and the text
on the front and back is printed in white and yellow. The front says
"The Campaign for Portland State Faculty" while the back says "Bridging
the Gaps" and "American Association of University Professors."
We
have the following size t-shirts: S, L, XL, and XXL. Come by the AAUP
office (232 Smith) to get your shirt. Call or email Julia with at 5-4414
or aaup@psuaaup.org for campus
mail delivery.
Faculty
Senate Meeting
Monday, December 5
3 pm
53 Cramer Hall
AAUP
is on the agenda! Sy Adler, AAUP President, will be posing a question
to PSU administrators regarding faculty compensation and the enrollment
growth model. All bargaining unit members are invited to attend. Wear
your green t-shirts! Signs will be available for those who want to carry
them.
AAUP
End-of-term Party
Thursday, December 8
3-6 pm
K-House, 633 SW Montgomery St.
Drop
by to celebrate the end of the term and to thank all the bargaining
unit members, yourselves included, who worked so hard on the contract
campaign.
If
needed, members of the AAUP Bargaining Team will provide a contract
negotiation update.
Steve
Brown at Madison's Grill--the folks who cater our annual meeting each
spring--is preparing a special menu.
Faculty
Protest State Board of Higher Education Meeting at PSU
Friday, January 6
save the date--time and location to be determined
Faculty
Protest at PSU Basketball Games
Saturday, January 14,
Thursday, January 19,
Saturday, January 21
7 pm
Stott Center
We
all know how much President Bernstine supports PSU athletics programs.
Let's show him how badly the PSU faculty need a raise.
AAUP
is preparing a special message for the President. Be a part of the action--wear
your green contract campaign t-shirts/red buttons to the game.
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November
14, 2005
PSU-AAUP Vice President
for Collective Bargaining Statement to the State Board of Higher Education
I am Martha Hickey,
a PSU faculty member and Vice President for Collective Bargaining for
the American Association of University Professors, and as I speak on
their behalf, I would like to acknowledge my many PSU colleagues in
the room .
We do know you
are all well aware that faculty salaries in the Oregon University System
does not compare favorably with faculty salaries nationally. Recent
Board efforts to a lobby for a plan to bring salaries closer to comparator
averages are appreciated
The failure of
the governor and the legislature to act, however, has not made the need
to address faculty compensation any less immediate. At Portland State
it is also a question, we believe, of fairly and equitably acknowledging
the good work and the dedication of, full-time and part-time faculty
and university professionals, who have helped to make this University
an institution that the state of Oregon can be proud of.
It is unfortunate
that some policy decisions made by the Board and the Chancellor’s office
have placed an unfair burden on faculty and students at Portland State.
The decision to fund Universities in the system based on four-year old
enrollment figures is one example. Students and faculty at Portland
State deserve resources that are commensurate with their numbers and
their real successes.
A second burden
is a consequence of how OUS has decided to fund our medical care benefit.
OUS bases what it charges each institution on an average cost per individual
that is significantly above our own real health care expenses. PSU is
required to give back money that it has been allocated. We understand
the desire to make health care accessible to all who work for OUS, but
is it fair to take money from a campus where salaries are on average
3 to 9% below salaries at OSU and U of O, and where cost of living is
around 5% higher? The cost of on-campus parking alone is three times
more here than it is in Corvalis or Eugene—just about $1,000 per year.
The amount harvested by the OUS health care “tax” on the 1,000 AAUP
represented faculty at PSU alone would fund a 2% increase in our salaries.
The salary freeze
was salt on an open wound. 55% of our full-time teaching and research
faculty and academic professionals have salaries lower than an average
Oregon school teacher—that's less than $50,000 dollars. Oregon teachers’
salaries have risen since 2003, PSU faculty salaries have not. This
past year AAUP worked together with the PSU administration to design
a performance pay system to reward faculty based on review of the work
that they do, but we had to abandon the effort because the funding offered
was, by established state standards, far from adequate.
You know that we
continue to meet and exceed the Benchmarks set for PSU by the Board.
Last year we had the largest graduating class of any University in Oregon,
and in all likelihood we graduated more Oregonians than any other campus
in the system. Portland State deserves the resources both to pay its
faculty and to ensure that growth will not come at the expense of quality
or morale.
We ask the Board
to address these inequities and fund competitive professional and livable
salaries for the professionals who work here at Portland State. Thank
you.
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November
8, 2005
PSU Calls for Mediation
4 Weeks After 1st Salary Proposal
The AAUP Bargaining Team was shocked that after only four weeks of on-again
off-again bargaining over salary, and only three on-paper offers, the
PSU Administration called for mediation.
The Administration
rejected AAUP’s request that PSU match the minimum increase for Oregon’s
professional and classified employees of 8.75%.
AAUP Salary
Proposal
Our proposal for across-the-board salary increases included:
- 2% salary increase
retroactive to July 1, 2005 for 12-month bargaining unit members and
September 16, 2005 for 9-month bargaining unit members;
- 4% salary increase
effective January 1, 2006 12-month bargaining unit members and February
1, 2006 for 9-month bargaining unit members; and
- 2.75% salary
increase effective July 1, 2006 for 12-month bargaining unit members
and September 16, 2006 for 9-month bargaining unit members.
AAUP other increases:
- 1.5% academic
professional in-range salary increase effective July 1, 2006 AND
- $275,000 to
remedy low salaries effective July 1, 2006 for 12-month bargaining
unit members and September 16, 2006 9-month bargaining unit members.
PSU Salary Proposal
PSU’s proposal for across-the-board salary increases included:
- 5% salary increase
effective January 1, 2006 12-month bargaining unit members and February
1, 2006 for 9-month bargaining unit members;
- 2% salary increase
effective July 1, 2006 for 12-month bargaining unit members and September
16, 2006 for 9-month bargaining unit members.
PSU other increases:
- 0.5% one-time
lump sum payment (At 0.5% percent, the lump sum would amount to $150
for someone making $30,000 or $350 for some one making $60,000, before
taxes, of course.)
- 0% academic
professional in-range salary increase in years 1 and 2.
- $175,000 to
remedy low salaries effective July 1, 2006 for 12-month bargaining
unit members and September 16, 2006 9-month bargaining unit members.
AAUP Rejects
PSU’s Salary Offer
AAUP rejected the administration offer. According to the recent report
in the Oregonian, faculty at U of O are eligible for 4% plus 4% raises
in the biennium. (TheOregonian also confirmed the 6% OSU raise this
year.) We are still unclear about the administration’s commitment to
hold faculty harmless for health-care costs in 2007.
PSU Calls for
Mediation
It is unlikely that a mediator from the Employment Relations Board can
be scheduled before January 2006. The sole focus in mediation will be
salary and benefits. AAUP agreed to temporarily agree to (TA) the increases
we had previously suggested for faculty development and peer support,
and the up-date to the Appendix on rewards. (The PSU administration
now has permission from the Chancellor to offer three-year contracts
to fixed-term faculty but had no comment on when they might begin to
implement them.) We also TA’d the fixed-term Article 18 with no changes.
AAUP Next Steps
Salary
Update/Action Planning Meeting
November 17 & 18
The AAUP Bargaining
Team would like to talk with bargaining unit members about salary negotiations.
Please come to one of the salary update/action planning meetings on
Thursday, November 17, 12-1 pm or Friday, November 18, 12-1 pm (location
to TBA.) The AAUP Bargaining Team will update you about the salary negotiations
stalemate and what we can do to strengthen our hand in the next few
weeks before we begin mediation.
Green
T-shirt Wednesday
Please continue to wear your green t-shirts/red button on Wednesdays.
We have the following sizes: S, L, XL, and XXL. Come by the AAUP office
(232 Smith) to get your shirt. Call or email Julia with at 5-4414 or
aaup@psuaaup.org for campus mail
delivery.
Sign
the Petition
If you have
not already, please sign on-line petition before 5 pm on Wednesday,
November 9. Go to www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/fund_PSU_fairly/ to read
and sign it. As of today, 460 people have signed. Let’s make it 500!
Sincerely,
Martha Hickey
Associate Professor
Foreign Languages and Literatures
AAUP Vice President for Collective Bargaining
John Armbrust
Senior Instructor
Applied Linguistics
Tom Luckett
Associate Professor
History
Connie Ozawa
Professor
Urban Studies and Planning
Jonathan Uto
Admissions Counselor
Admissions, Records and Registration
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November
3, 2005
AAUP met with administration
negotiators Tuesday, November 1 to discuss two different concepts for
distributing a two-year 8.75% across the board salary increase.
Unfortunately,
there is little progress to report. Mike Driscoll said that the administration
would respond with a counter offer by next Tuesday, but their options
were currently limited.
Faculty presence
at the Board of Higher Education meeting this Friday, November 4, particularly
between 12 and 1:00 p.m. in Smith Center 327, when AAUP plans to address
the Board, will help will help underscore our concerns about the lack
of progress on faculty salaries.
Hoping to find
some common ground, last Tuesday AAUP proposed a 2% retroactive raise
this year plus a 4% increase in Jan./Feb. 2006, and 2.5 percentage increase
in July or September 2006, with a smaller increase in year two as the
administration has requested. We also discussed, as an alternative,
somewhat higher mid-year (Jan./Feb. 2006) and July/Sept 2006 increases.
We believe the biennial cost of both these alternatives to be significantly
less than AAUP's 4.5% retroactive plus 4 % proposal.
The next bargaining
session will be November 8, 10:00 am - 1 p.m. in 323 SMSU. Anyone can
observe for all or part of the session. A call or email to the AAUP
office, 725-4414, or aaup@psuaaup.net will let us know if we will need
extra chairs.
Your bargaining
team thanks you for all your past efforts, especially your visible and
vocal participation in the re-accreditation process. Again, we encourage
you to attend some part of the Higher Ed Board meeting from 10:00 to
1:00, November 4th. President Bernstine will > also be addressing the
Board during that time.
Sincerely,
PSU-AAUP Bargaining
Team
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October
12, 2005
Faculty Rally
for Higher Salaries
Thanks to the 200+ AAUP bargaining unit members who turned out at noon
on October 12 for the “Rally for Faculty Salaries.” For those unable
to attend, see the below photos.
At
the rally, members of the AAUP Bargaining Team reported that they have
switched to Plan B at the October 11 negotiation session. Because AAUP
was not able to convince the PSU Administration to adequately fund performance
salary increases, AAUP has withdrawn the proposal for a 4-year contract
with a comprehensive performance-based salary increase system.
AAUP's
new proposal, called "Plan B", includes a 2-year contract with a 4.5%
across-the-board salary increase in 2005-2006 and a 4% across-the-board
salary increase in 2006-2007.
In
addition, Plan B proposes a 1.5% in-range increase for Academic Professionals;
a 1.5% salary increase for Research Assistants and Research Associates;
a pool for mitigating instructional faculty salaries below rank average;
and a pool for compression/market adjustments for Professors with 4
or more years in rank.
Sincerely,
Julia
Getchell
Chapter Coordinator
PSU-AAUP
aaup@psuaaup.net
503-725-4414

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October
11, 2005
PSU Proposal
on Performance Increases
At the
negotiations session today, Tuesday, October 11, the PSU Administration
signaled that they not prepared to adequately fund performance increases.
In their very first “on paper” offer PSU offered between $1008 (for
Instructors) to $1800 (for Professors) for the once-in-three years performance
increase.
It
appears that PSU continues to short change the across-the-board increase
in the second year for the cost of funding inadequate performance increases.
PSU
Proposal on Across-the-Board Increases
PSU has proposed a 3% across-the-board increase in the first year, 2.25%
in the second, and reopening the contract in 2007 to negotiate across-the-board
increases in the third and fourth years.
AAUP
Takes Performance Increase Plan Off the Table
AAUP has taken the four-year contract proposal with performance increases
off the table and responded with a two-year offer with higher across-the-board
increases. (See details below.)
PSU
responded by announcing that the accreditation visit was going to keep
them so busy for the next three weeks that they could not schedule another
bargaining session until November.
Rally
Wednesday, October 12
Noon
On the Library steps
The
AAUP Bargaining Team encourages everyone in the bargaining unit to come
to the rally on Wednesday to demonstrate to the PSU Administration that
inadequate salary increases and refusal to negotiate for three weeks
is unacceptable.
AAUP
Two-Year Contract Proposal
Across-the-board
increase:
4.5% effective July 1 or September 16, 2005
4.0% effective July 1 or September 16, 2006
Academic
Professionals in-range
1.5% in July 1, 2006 and July 1, 2007
Research
Assistants and Research Associates annual performance increase:
1.5% effective July 1, 2007
$225,000
pool for individual adjustments in 2005 to base salary to mitigate the
impact of the salary freeze for instructional and research faculty significantly
below PSU comparator averages (the greater of $450 or 1.25%). $225,000
pool for compression/market adjustments to base salary in 2006 for full
professors with 4 or more years in rank (no less than $500 and no greater
than $1800).
Yours
truly,
Martha
Hickey
Associate Professor
Foreign Languages and Literatures
AAUP Vice President for Collective Bargaining
John
Armbrust
Senior Instructor
Applied Linguistics
Tom
Luckett
Associate Professor
History
Connie
Ozawa
Professor
Urban Studies and Planning
Jonathan
Uto
Admissions
Counselor Admissions, Records and Registration
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October
4, 2005
Here
is the short version of the October 4, 2005 negotiation session:
- The PSU Administration
made no move to increase the money in its across-the-board salary
offer: 3% now and 2.25% next year.
- AAUP rejected
this as a basis on which to conclude a contract. We asked PSU to account
for (in writing) its level of commitment on all the open financial
issues: faculty development, travel and career support funds, and
salary advancement for fixed-term faculty.
- A 1.5% performance
increase at the end of the second year remains on the table for Academic
Professionals. This could be realized for Research Assistants and
Associates, too.
- PSU said, “We
will try to have something in writing that addresses the other open
issues next week.”
- The AAUP Bargaining
Team ask if the rumor that OUS is funding PSU at 2002-2003 enrollment
levels even though more and more students are enrolling at PSU. PSU
confirmed that this is true. This means that OUS universities where
enrollment has been flat or declined are being funded at the expense
of PSU.
This shortchanging
comes on top of the on-going loss of the equivalent of a 2% salary
increase for PSU faculty because of the money OUS takes from PSU every
year to fund medical care for those other universities. Doesn't this
double whammy meet the test of “undue burden”?
More information
from about the October 4, 2005 negotiation session:
- PSU Administration:
“We can’t go higher than 3% across-the-board in the first year.”
AAUP:
“We can't recommend an offer that PSU faculty won't accept. The standing-room-only
crowd at Faculty Senate Monday was there to state its discontent with
your proposal.”
AAUP reminded
PSU that the cost of living has increased 6.7% since January 2003.
PSU’s once-in-three years $1,500 performance increase fails the test
of a meaningful commitment to improving salaries.
PSU tried to
argue that $1500 would be an average 2.2% increase for full professors
in the second year. In fact, according to data that PSU reports, it
is only 1.9% of the average full professor salary. > > *PSU Administration:
“We might be able reallocate the .25% we added to the 2% across-the-board
in the second year into the performance increase.”
AAUP:
“Rebating a minimal across the board increase in the guise of a ‘performance’
increase to a quarter of the bargaining unit is not the answer. If
we can’t fund a meaningful performance increase, we should be talking
about a two-year contract and higher across-the-board increases.”
Upcoming
bargaining events:
The AAUP Bargaining
Team thanks you for all your gestures of support this past week. It
makes our arguments on your behalf more credible when backed-up by your
public collective support.
T-shirt Wednesday
Wednesday, October 5, 12, 19, and 26
Don’t forget:
wear your AAUP t-shirt and/or button on this Wednesday and every Wednesday
until the contract is settled.
Get a free AAUP
t-shirt or button from AAUP office in 232 Smith. We can send via campus
mail, too! Call 5-4414 to make arrangements.
Negotiations
Session
Tuesday, October 11
10-1 pm
323 Smith
All bargaining
unit members are invited to observe any or all of the negotiation session.
No need to call first, just show up!
From the AAUP Bargaining
Team,
Martha Hickey
Associate Professor
Foreign Languages and Literatures
AAUP Vice President for Collective Bargaining
John Armbrust
Senior Instructor
Applied Linguistics
Tom Luckett
Associate Professor
History
Connie Ozawa
Professor
Urban Studies and Planning
Jonathan Uto
Admissions Counselor
Admissions, Records and Registration
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September
29, 2005
PSU has presented
a salary offer that many of you find unacceptable. More than 200 people
responded to the last bargaining update question “Is this a salary offer
you are willing accept?” All but 3 people said “no” to PSU’s latest
offer. Thanks to everyone who responded and included anecdotes and information
about their salaries.
There are many
bargaining-related events in the next week. We know you have limited
time and energy, but we are at a crucial point in contract negotiations.
Please support our efforts to negotiate a fair salary increase by attending
one of the following events:
Update Meeting
Friday, September 30
12-1 p.m.
238 Smith Center
Members of the
AAUP Bargaining Team will provide an up-to-the-minute update about salary
negotiations. There will be time for questions and comments in addition
to a discussion of action bargaining unit members can do right now to
influence the bargaining process.
Faculty Senate
Meeting
Monday, October 3
3 p.m.
53 Cramer Hall
At the next Faculty
Senate meeting, members of the AAUP Bargaining Team will be asking PSU
administrators “Why no contract?” All bargaining unit members are invited
to join them, even if you are not > a senator or a faculty member.
Please wear your
green AAUP t-shirt or AAUP button. (Don’t have a t-shirt? Get a free
contract campaign t-shirt from the AAUP office in 232 Smith Center while
supplies last.)
Contract Negotiation
Sessions
Tuesday, October 4 & Tuesday, October 11
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
323 Smith Center
All bargaining
unit members are invited to observe the negotiations session. AAUP’s
Bargaining Team members would like to pack the room with observers while
they negotiate a fair salary increase with PSU administration.
You are not required
to attend the entire session or to participate in negotiations. Wear
your AAUP t-shirt or button.
Wednesdays
Get a free AAUP contract campaign t-shirt and wear it on campus every
Wednesday until the contract is settled. Supplies are limited so get
yours today from the AAUP office (232 Smith Center.)
Sincerely,
Martha Hickey
Associate Professor
Foreign Languages and Literatures
AAUP Vice President for Collective Bargaining
John Armbrust
Senior Instructor
Applied Linguistics
Tom Luckett
Associate Professor
History
Connie Ozawa
Professor
Urban Studies and Planning
Jonathan Uto
Admissions Counselor
Admissions, Records and Registration
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September
13, 2005
1.
The AAUP bargaining team wants to meet with you the last week of
September to talk about where we stand.
The
Administration and AAUP have agreed to extend the contract for one month,
to September 30, 2005. We have a bargaining session scheduled for next
Monday night (September 19) at 6:15, but we are not too optimistic that
we will reach agreement, given the Administration’s current offer. (See
below.)
Please
mark your calendar for a Contract Update and Discussion. Two
meetings will be scheduled to accommodate a variety of schedules. Please
attend one or the other.
Thursday,
September 29
12-1 pm,
238 Smith (Browsing Lounge)
or
Friday,
September 30,
12-1 pm,
238 Smith (Browsing Lounge)
2.
Unfortunately, your team has to report that the Administration has
yet to demonstrate that they are serious about IMPROVING faculty salaries.
COMPARE
THE INVESTMENT PLANS (for COLA + Performance Increases):
| |
1st
Year
|
2nd
Year
|
3rd
Year
|
4th
Year
|
| PSU: |
3%
|
2%
+ .33%
|
COLA
+ .33%
|
COLA
+ .33%
|
| AAUP: |
4%
|
2%
+ 1.5%
|
COLA
+ 1.5%
|
COLA
+ 1.5%
|
(The
percentage indicates approximate cost in terms of the PSU-AAUP salary
base)
- The Administration's
cost of living offer of 3% + 2% gives us a salary equivalent to what
we had two years ago--but not until NEXT year!
- The Administration
and AAUP are very close to agreement on a plan to implement performance-based
raises. But the Administration and AAUP are very far apart on defining
a fair increase for the continuing good (above satisfactory) work
of PSU faculty:
PSU proposed
the equivalent of $200 per year for Associates, and $380 per year
for full Professors as a reward. We were incredulous.
State of
Oregon professionals are eligible for an annual 4.5% performance
increase. (At $50,000 that’s a possible $2,250 increase.)
- PSU has made
no other commitment to try to address "distance from market" or compression.
- PSU average
salaries are 10 to 16% below OSU comparator institutions
- Many faculty
are more than 16% behind their own professional peers
- Cost of living
in Portland is currently 127% of the national average
3. PSU has
an historic opportunity to craft a compensation system that serves faculty,
student and administration interests and that really makes faculty salaries
a priority by addressing a root cause of salary erosion and compression:
There are only two regular opportunities for a salary increase for instructional
and research faculty during their entire career.
4. In response
to Administration concerns and as a 'good faith' gesture, AAUP signaled
its willingness on Tuesday to consider an average 10% reduction to our
proposed performance increases. (That means increases of around $1,000
per year for Associate and Full Professors and $700 per year for Assistant
Professors and Senior Instructors who are reviewed positively by their
peers and units.)
Annual in-range
increases for Academic Professionals would be somewhat less than 2%
each year (with a similar recommendation for Research Assistants and
Associates).
The total cost
of the AAUP proposed performance increases in the second year and subsequent
years of a four-year contract would not exceed the annual cost of a
1.5% across the board raise. PSU’s proposal invests only about one third
of a percent in performance increases each year. We offered to couple
performance increases with a 2% COLA in year two.
During our session
this past Tuesday we did reach agreement on Article 17 changes that
clarify leave and faculty development opportunities for Academic Professionals.
We also signed off on a Letter of Agreement on Flexible Scheduling and
Wage & Hour Training for Academic Professionals and their supervisors.
Your bargaining
team thanks you for all your past comments and welcomes hearing from
you, whenever you have questions or concerns. You can contact us by
telephone at 5-4414, or by email at aaup@psuaaaup.net.
Again, please plan
to attend one of the information sessions next week.
Sincerely,
PSU-AAUP Bargaining
Team
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September
8, 2005
Dear
Bargaining Unit Member,
PSU
outlined its salary proposal Tuesday, Sept. 6, but some details are
still fuzzy. (See below)
Issues
related to implementing performance increases for instructional faculty
and working conditions and compensation for Academic Professionals dominated
the discussion for most of the four-hour session.
PSU’s
salary proposal:
Contract
Year 1:
3% across the board (Effective Sept 1 for 12-month and Sept. 16 for
9-month faculty)
Contract
Year 2:
2% across the board (Effective July 1 for 12-month and Sept. 16 for
9-month faculty)
Plus an unspecified amount for “other forms of compensation”
Contract
Years 3 & 4 unadressed
PSU
promised to identify the dollar amount they would allot to other forms
of compensation next week. Without this information it is difficult
to assess PSU’s commitment to salary improvement, especially given an
offer that limits 2005-06 increases to 3% after two years of a salary
freeze.
Other
State of Oregon professional salaries will increase at least 8.75% over
the next two years. The President of OSU has already committed to a
6% increase, with a 4% across the board in the first year. And OSU faculty
do not have to cope with a cost of living that is 127% of the national
average, as we do in Portland.
Asked
to prioritize among “other compensation issues,” AAUP repeated its support
for an added performance increase plan that would provide significant,
on-going rewards for good work to all faculty. (The AAUP plan under
discussion phases in instructional faculty groups over a three-year
period and takes compression and market-lag into account in the timing.)
In-range salary increases for Academic Professionals would be comparably
funded, 1.75% to 2% annually. Discussions on a strategy to include Research
Faculty, as well, are in progress.
The
AAUP team welcomes your responses to PSU’s offer. The next two weeks
will be critical to our efforts to advocate on your (our) behalf. Consider
attending part of a bargaining session Sept. 13th or Sept. 20th (12:30
to 5:00 p.m.). Just let the AAUP office know 24 hours in advance of
the session (725-4414 or aaup@psuaaup.net).
Information
sessions on the progress of bargaining and on details of a performance
increase plan, if one is forthcoming, have been scheduled for Thursday,
September 29, 2005 in SMSU 238 at 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. and Friday, September
30 in SMSU 238 at 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.
----------------------------------------
PSU-AAUP Bargaining Team
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August
8, 2005
Dear
PSU-AAUP Bargaining Unit Member,
Looks
like our contract negotiations will continue into September. At the
August 2 bargaining session, the PSU Administration announced that although
the Oregon legislature may have reached agreement on funding the Higher
Ed budget, the Chancellor’s Office and Board have yet to “filter” the
results.
Unable
to discuss dollars, we continued to talk about the details of the following:
1. Implementing
a periodic performance-based increase in addition to cost of living
adjustments, and
2. Professional
concerns of Academic Professional Faculty.
Performance-Based
Salary Increases
The Administration repeated that they support the concept of regular
performance-based increments to faculty salary throughout the bargaining
unit, phased in over a four-year contract. Differences appeared over
administering the process; however, the Administration appears to accept
key requirements of AAUP’s proposal that
1) The
dollars awarded must be significant, if they are awarded only once
in three years,
2) The
increments must be available for everyone reviewed, and
3) The
increases will be awarded in addition to cost of living increases.
Academic Professional
Faculty Concerns
The AAUP
Bargaining Team was disappointed to hear that the job security and more
realistic market-based salaries for Academic Professionals are not an
Administration priority this year. While they expressed a wish to communicate
better about the availability of flex-time and grant funding options
(from the Faculty Development Fund) for Academic Professionals, and
a wish to improve management training around these issues, they rejected
language that would make longer-term contracts or sabbaticals a more
realistic option.
AAUP and the Administration
agreed that discussion of Academic Professional concerns, and processes
to implement performance increases and a possible one-time market-based
pool will continue in three sub-committees during August.
The next bargaining
session is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday,
August 30 from 12:30 to 5:00 p.m. If you would like to attend,
call or email the AAUP office at least 24 hours in advance of the session.
You can follow the progress of negotiations on the PSU-AAUP web site.
We appreciate hearing
from you, whenever you have questions or concerns. You can contact us
by telephone at 503-725-4414, or by email at aaup@psuaaaup.net.
Sincerely,
Martha Hickey
Vice President for Collective Bargaining
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July
11, 2005
Dear
Bargaining unit member,
Most
of the session on July 5 was devoted to three issues:
- Reviewing changes
to Article 17 (Academic Professionals),
- Discussion of
a Letter of Agreement to pilot the realignment of Research Assistant
and Associate Faculty
- Administration
responses to changes in Dispute Resolution (Article > 28 and Appendix
D).
1. Academic
Professionals: AAUP argued for criteria and contract language that will
make faculty development support, sabbatical and flexible work scheduling
more accessible for Academic Professionals. (Flexibility in work scheduling
is one of the legal attributes of the overtime exempt position.) AAUP
also requested that a joint work group should gather information on
how well the Job Family system is functioning after 5 years, including
a review of the salary ranges.
2. The pilot
realignment project will be undertaken by the Graduate School of Social
Work and will be based on the report of the Joint Compensation Task
Force sub-committee on Research and Development Support. Details of
the letter of agreement are still under discussion. The goal is to implement
the use of 4 ranks (Research Assistant, Senior Research Assistant, Research
Associate and Senior Research Associate), along with opportunities and
procedures for advancement across campus.
3. AAUP
expressed its reservations about the administration proposal to index
performance increases to an individuals distance from his or her market
salary. Although the PSU Administration made no salary proposal, two
days later OUS reached an agreement on a new two-year contract with
classified OUS staff. Their deal includes the following:
1) a 2% salary
increase in each year with a floor of $600/year
2) fully paid
health care for full-time workers
3) step increases
that promise nearly all workers an additional 4.5% increase in addition
to 2% in the second year, including those who were at the top of their
ladder. (The second year increase is delayed to December 2006,)
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May
25, 2005
Dear
Bargaining Unit Members,
Become
a part of the process. Highlight part of this message and send it to
President Bernstine to let him know that a meaningful resolution to
the bargaining process is possible and important to you.
Plan
to rally for the next session, June 7,
to let PSU know you want an answer.
This
Tuesday, May 24, two important items were on the agenda:
- A complete proposal
summarizing what is needed to bring this bargaining session to a rapid
conclusion, including: (COLA + 2% performance increase + fully-paid
health care) x 4 years.
- Discussion of
issues that are important to Academic Professionals, and to all of
us at Portland State who want PSU to value our work as professionals
and our contributions to a quality education for Oregonians.
1. We presented
a three-pronged strategy to address compensation issues:
a) An across
the board cost of living raise of 2% for two years, as funded in both
the Governor’s and Joint Ways and Means budget proposals (plus the
legislated COLA for 2007-09)
b) A 2% annual
increase for four years that will underwrite the implementation of
a new performance-based raise that is linked to our current review
structures (This request parallels OUS Board recommendations to the
Governor for COLA + 2% for six years.)
c) Fully paid
medical benefits
For more details,
view the full outline of the AAUP “package
proposal.”
This is a modest
proposal. Most state employees expect to see a 4.5% increase in addition
to their cost of living raise, because they are on a “merit plan.” The
governor has recommended that merit and performance step raises be funded
for the next biennium. (The latest State of Oregon proposal to classified
workers includes the addition of a 9th step in the second year of their
contract for those who have reached the top of their ladder.)
2. AAUP’s
compensation plan is based on the expectation that PSU will honor its
commitment to fund in-range salary adjustments for Academic Professionals.
Five years ago,
Academic Professionals agreed to a placement and review system that
promised them the opportunity for advancement, but the pool that is
supposed to fund their performance increases has been dry for the last
two years.
Overtime exempt
Academic Professionals at PSU have been asked to work longer hours and
provide service to more students without any prospect for opportunities
that many PSU instructional faculty take for granted: eligibility for
professional development support, flextime, and the prospect for sabbatical.
We are still puzzled
how a contract without an “end date,” but no commitment to renewal,
is a better deal for APs than a commitment to a multi-year contract,
as they have argued. PSU needs to demonstrate that Academic Professionals
will be treated as professionals and as a part of out community.
The
next bargaining session will be June 7, 12-
2 p.m. in 323 SMSU.
All bargaining
unit members are encouraged to observe. If you have any questions or
comments about this update, please contact me.
Sincerely,
Martha Hickey
Vice President for Collective Bargaining
hickeym@pdx.edu
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May
11, 2005
In
this Tuesday's bargaining session the following items were discussed:
1. Concepts
for implementing performance increases (in addition to COLA) for all
AAUP bargaining-unit members.
2. An outline for new steps and performance increases for Fixed
Term Instructional & Research faculty.
3. Responses on language changes to Articles 2, 6, 13, 26,
28 and Appendices B-D.
1. PSU-AAUP
seeks both to limit the frequency of reviews for continuing faculty
and to give them meaning by attaching increases to base salary when
reviews are positive. Our discussion of how PSU would shift to this
new compensation system was modeled in our presentation on fixed-term
faculty, and includes:
1) requiring
annual activity reports from all faculty who wish to be reviewed periodically
for performance.
2) phasing groups
of faculty into the system over a period of 3 years.
3) buffering
those not receiving performance increases with similar market-based
raises for 2 years.
4) distributing
periodic performance awards by rolling out the increase out over
1 to 3 years, depending on the nature and length of contract.
This version of
the plan would offer essentially annual performance increases in addition
to COLAs. It would give faculty financial incentive to shift to a four-year
contract, something that the administration has often told us it wants--and
help bridge our salary gaps.
*In our compensation
sub-group, administration representatives raised some concerns about
how PSU would explain carrying over large reserves from year to year
(to pay for large up-coming performance increases) to the legislature.
*A suggestion
for rolling the increase out to those on a 2-year or 3-year review cycle
was made. (For example, instead of an increase of 4.5% once in three
years, a 1.5% increase annually over three years.)
*This approach could be acceptable as long as the University acknowledges
that the individual awarded the increase owns the full amount, no
matter how circumstances change (for example, due to retirement, termination,
or budget cuts).
2. AAUP
outlined a way to implement two new interim steps for fixed term Instructors
and Research Assistants and Associates, along with a review cycle linked
to length of contract. For example:
Instructor I
(annual contract for the first three years from hire).
Instructor II (make two-year contracts the norm, assuming 3 years
service).
Senior Instructor I (make rolling two-year contracts the norm, assuming
6 years service).
Senior Instructor II (same as Sr. Instructor I).
A rolling two-year
contract is understood as a contract that essentially automatically
renews each year with a two-year extension. (This type of contract might
be more difficult to assign to research assistants on grant-limited
projects.) AAUP proposed linking rolling contracts to a three-year performance
review cycle.
*AAUP was responding
to interim reports from the Recruitment and Retention & Research and
Development sub-committees of the joint PSU-AAUP Compensation Task Force,
whose good work is gratefully acknowledged. (Thank
you Johanna Brenner, Mike Driscoll, Ruth Chapin, John Reuter and Angela
Rodgers, Barbara Sestak, Mitch Cruzan and Nancy Koroloff!)
*We would like
to see the two-year and rolling two-year contracts become a reality
for fixed-term Assistant and Associate Professors as well.
If you have any
questions or comments about this update, please contact me.
Sincerely,
Martha Hickey
Vice President for Collective Bargaining
PSU-AAUP
hickeym@pdx.edu
503-725-5290
Fixed-Term
Faculty
Proposed Review/Promotion Schedule
Years
1 and 2: Annual review in spring
(activity report to be reviewed by departmental committee)
Year
3: Option of promotional review in spring (packet submitted
for review by departmental committee) for promotion of Instructor I
to Instructor II and for Research Assistant I to Research Assistant
II; successful completion of review/promotion process results in promotion
in rank with salary increase and biennial review in following years;
opting out of promotional review allows for continuing annual review
(those opting not to go through promotional review at end of third year
may do so in any subsequent year, without waiting for three more years)
Year
6: Option of promotional review in spring for Instructor
II to Senior Instructor I and for Research Assistant II to Research
Associate I; successful completion of review/promotion process results
in promotion in rank with salary increase and rolling contract (two-year
contract which would be renewed for two years at the end of the first
year of contract)
Year
9: Option of promotional review in spring for Senior Instructor
I to Senior Instructor II and for Research Associate I to Research Associate
II; successful completion of review/promotion process results in promotion
in rank with salary increase and rolling contract
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April
27 , 2005
PSU-AAUP
and PSU Bargaining Teams met on Tuesday, April 26, 2005. Topics of discussion
were:
1. Strategies
for Improving Compensation (75 min.)
2. Contract
“Housekeeping” issues (30 min.)
1. The AAUP
Bargaining Team believes that one of the best strategic investments
that PSU can make is in rewarding the work of its own faculty. We devoted
the majority of the session to discussing various possibilities for
improving compensation. In general, the administration seemed more prepared
to talk about short-term, targeted interventions or provisional allocation
of dollars to pools, special funds, etc. AAUP is lobbying to shift the
discussion towards more comprehensive changes in order to introduce
greater stability into our compensation system, especially in terms
of the resources allocated to it.
- AAUP presented
a list of ten considerations for implementing an on-going system of
performance increases for all members of the bargaining unit. (See
below)
- We out-lined
a model that would link periodic, defined salary increases to type
of contract, job description, the use of annual activity reports and
annual or triennial review.
- PSU Administration
wanted to know how the University’s mission, or a unit’s preferences
for what it wants to reward would be accommodated.
- AAUP’s goal
is an inclusive, fair, transparent and efficient review process that
is ALSO accompanied by meaningful rewards. We believe that
the possibility for regular incremental increases will mitigate the
on-going problem of salary compression.
The Administration
and AAUP Bargaining Teams agreed to meet in smaller working groups to
set up the agenda for the next session (Fixed Term Faculty) and continue
discussing the goals and requirements of a performance step system.
2. Each
side plans to respond at the next session, May 10, to items dealing
with contractual housekeeping issues raised by:
- PSU’s suggestion
for clarifying the definition of “day” in certain instances that would
have consequences for the timing of the grievance process (Articles
2, 26, 27 and Appendix B).
- AAUP’s requests
for information to keep its records current and more appropriate language
for defining classes subject to potential discrimination and grievance
filing. (Articles 6, 13, and Appendixes B, C,D).
All bargaining
unit members are invited to observe bargaining sessions. The next session
will be Tuesday, May 10, 12-2 p.m. in 323 SMSU.
The session will focus on a discussion of Fixed-Term Research and Instructional
faculty members issues.
Sincerely,
Martha Hickey
Vice President for Collective Bargaining
503-725-5290
hickeym@pdx.edu
Considerations
for a performance step plan:
1. A new review
& compensation structure should be simple and efficient ("elegant")
2. The new structure
could integrate and/or build on review processes in place
3. Reviews should
recognize all the work that faculty do -advising, teaching, research,
training, grant administration, service, community outreach, etc.
4. Expertise
and acquired experience should be valued; 'seat time' is not the only
appropriate measure
5. Need a transparent
process: the how, what, when, who should be clear to everyone
6. Need a fair
process: appeals for an unfavorable outcome, or continuing eligibility
if the award is not annual
7. Need enough
regulation to prevent abuse (through neglect or design), but not so
much that we are telling departments how to evaluate
8. Need a meaningful
reward structure with a funding stream separate from "across the board"
or COLA raises
9. A progressive
element may be desirable (awards weighted toward the lower end of
the salary scale)
10. Participation
in review for performance steps should be voluntary after initial
annual reviews and promotion; meaningful monetary rewards would be
a strong incentive for participation (APs could be shifted to biennial
review, rolling contracts.)
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July
7, 2004
Contract
Ratified
The
ballots have been counted. The new PSU-AAUP contract for 2004-05 has
been approved by 93% of the ballots cast. Thanks to all AAUP members
who responded. The new contract will be available on line shortly.
It's
already time to start working on the next round of collective bargaining.
You can help define how we will address salary and benefits issues that
are certain to arise in the next biennium. There are opportunities now
to help shape the important discussions that will begin in the fall
under the auspices of a joint PSU-AAUP Task Force on Compensation.
Please
tell us your thoughts and let us know if you would be willing to serve
on the Task Force. In addition, benefits, salary equity and compression,
work load, retention and recruitment, and defining guidelines for research
appointments are all likely to be important issues next time. Are there
additional issues that you think should be addressed in the 2005 baragaining
session? You may e-mail us at aaup@psuaaup.net
or call the AAUP office at 725-4414.
It's
very important that the AAUP Executive Council and next year's Bargaining
Team strengthen their capacities to engage members in discussions of
issues, and to communicate with members both before and during formal
negotiations. Please let us know if you're interested in serving as
a departmental representative to strengthen AAUP in these ways, and
contact Martha Hickey directly if you are interested in serving on the
2005 bargaining team (hickeym@pdx.edu).
Sy
Adler
View
summary of proposed changes.
View contract with changes noted.
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June
23, 2004
Forums on
New Contract
You
are invited to learn more about changes to the new contract. Martha
Hickey, Vice President for Collective Bargaining, and Jacqueline Arante,
former Vice President for Collective Bargaining, are hosting 2 contract
forums.
Come
to 326 Smith on Friday, June 25, 12- 1 pm or Tuesday, June 29, 12- 1
pm to learn about what has changed in the 2003-2005 contract. Bring
your questions!
View
summary of proposed changes.
View contract with changes noted.
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June
16, 2004
Tentative
Agreement on New AAUP/PSU Collective Bargaining Agreement
Portland
State University (PSU) and the PSU Chapter of American Association of
University Professors (Association), the bargaining agent for full-time
faculty, have successfully concluded negotiations and reached tentative
agreement on a new contract. Bargaining unit members will be voting
next week on an agreement that includes no salary increases, but does
offer fully paid medical and dental benefits through the 2003-05 biennium.
The
new Agreement will also substantially increase the University contribution
to the fund for professional development and research for the 2004-2005
academic year. In addition, each tenure-track Assistant Professor in
the library is guaranteed five professional development days per year.
The
amounts contractually defined as minimum salary increases to accompany
promotion for individual ranked faculty. The new minimums are 24% to
33% higher than in 2002 and will go into effect retroactively for promotions
awarded as of July 1, 2003. The increase to the minimums represents
a small, but essential step in remedying the on-going problem of salary
compression at Portland State. PSU and the Association look forward
to working together to study compensation issues and potential remedies
during the fall and winter of 2004-05 in preparation for the next round
of bargaining. The task force will also review position descriptions
and compensation guidelines for faculty on research appointments.
Negotiations
on issues concerning the processes by which grievances are handled,
and fixed-term faculty are reviewed and awarded seniority were protracted,
but we have succeeded in clarifying some of the procedures and timelines.
The Association and the University have agreed that 36 credit-hours
represents the maximum FTE teaching load for a fixed-term instructional
faculty member.
View
the proposed changes.
If
you have questions, please feel free to contact one of us.
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June
15, 2004
Bargaining
Report
AAUP
has reached agreement with PSU. Final edits are going to press, but
negotiations on the new contract have been completed.
The
good news does not include a salary adjustment, but there are several
positives features:
1. health and
dental coverage will be paid IN FULL through 2005
2. faculty development
funds will increase by 71% to $240,000 annually; eligibility criteria
now explicitly includes chairs and bargaining unit members who are
primarily instructional faculty (fixed term) or academic professionals
seeking funding for professional development
3. the travel
fund will increase by 87% to $75,000 annually
4. the minimum
amounts to accompany promotion will increase 24% to 33%, RETROACTIVE
to appointments made as of July 1, 2003
5. 36 credit
hours is now the defined maximum for a full load for a faculty member
on a fixed term appointment
6. PSU-AAUP
will convene a compensation-work load task force in the fall of 2004
(Please consider contributing your time or expertise.)
7. other gains
have been made in clarifying language and expectations in AP review,
dispute resolution and grievance processes
8. and yes,
$350 will come your way next November if your were employed before
July 2, 2003.
These are the
highlights. More detailed information will follow.
As newly appointed
VP for Collective Bargaining I would like to add my thanks to your hard
working and patient bargaining team:
Jacqueline Arante,
VP to May, 2004,
Fran Bates,
David Hansen ,
Connie Ozawa,
and Angela Rodgers.
--Martha Hickey
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April
22, 2004
Mediation
Report
During
mediation session of April 15:
These
two refusals are particularly troublesome with reference to the Administration’s
current rhetoric in support of the development of a “faculty of distinction”
and it is AAUP’s position that PSU should be able to negotiate no less
than our sister institutions have negotiated; for example, Western Oregon
University has signed an agreement which offers to its faculty:
1. fully paid
health, dental, and basic life insurance for 2003-2005.
2. a one-time
payment of $350.00 to those bargaining unit members hired before July
1, 2003 and continuing until November 30, 2004.
3. a professional
development fund which equals 1.25% of the faculty salary base.
4. an “Assignment
of Duties” (workload) article which recognizes the many responsibilities
of faculty and limits the number of credit hours which comprise a
1.0 FTE.
AAUP
bargaining unit members have no reason to expect less!!!! We are the
only institution in the OUS system with increased enrollment.
PSU
has refused for over a year to negotiate with AAUP over Salary, Governance,
Workload, and Dispute Resolution.
The
AAUP negotiations team has had almost enough. We have agreed to one
more mediation session on April 29, 2004. Prior to that session we will
offer to PSU a group of proposals which will ensure these benefits to
our bargaining unit members:
1.
Fully paid health, dental, and basic life insurance for 2003-2005.
2.
A one- time payment of $350.00 to all bargaining unit members employed
on November 30, 2004. (These two benefits have already been given or
offered to all state workers and to other OUS institutions)
- A 25% increase
in promotion in rank adjustments.
- An increase
in professional development funds (for which all bargaining unit members
are eligible) equal to 1.25% of the AAUP salary base.
- Workload: recognition
of the status quo in relation to credit hours taught and diversity
of workload.
- A recognition
of the right to timely notice of non-reappointment for Academic Professionals.
(see OAR 580-021-0305)
- Proposal for
a Task Force on Governance.
- Crucial adjustments,
to benefit both PSU and AAUP in the current Dispute Resolution articles.
- A requirement
for more job security for many senior fixed-term faculty.
We
hope PSU will finally begin to seriously negotiate this contract on
April 29. Please offer your opinions, suggestions, questions, and support
to the AAUP negotiations team, executive council, and staff. Speak with
members of the administration responsible for not negotiating your 2003-2005
Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Jacqueline
Arante,
VP of Collective Bargaining
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March
8, 2004
MEDIATION UPDATE
Thirteen hours
of mediation between PSU and your AAUP negotiations team on March 4th
and 5th resulted in no movement toward a mutually acceptable Agreement
over substantive issues.
1. PSU continues
to reject all AAUP proposals on regulation of Workload and on stronger
shared Governance and Academic Freedom.
2. PSU continues
to refuse to negotiate over Job Security, Timely Notice, and Minimum
Work Components for Academic Professionals.
3. PSUs latest
salary proposal offers no salary increase in 2003-2005, one year of
paid health, dental, and life insurance, and a $350 bonus payment for
each bargaining unit member to be paid in November, 2004. PSU has proposed
a 4-year agreement (2003-2007); they have not proposed any accompanying
salary/benefit increase.
4. In nearly a
year of negotiations, PSU has tentatively agreed on only two substantive
issues: 1) parking and 2) a change in the structure of professional
development days for Library faculty. Your AAUP negotiations team has
responded to all of PSUs proposals and has offered two new proposals.
We expect a proposal for a reasonable cost of living adjustment or concessions
on workload and/or governance from the University before the end of
this mediation process.
Do these issues
concern you? Please contact the negotiations team, AAUP staff and Executive
Council with questions, comments and suggestions.
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March
17, 2004
Willamette Week Article
Clarification
The March 17, 2004 issue of the Willamette Week contains two stories
relevant to PSU-AAUP bargaining unit members. First, the cover story
(see http://www.wweek.com/story.php?story=4915)
touches on collective bargaining and other issues at PSU. Second, the
recent floods of RRI offices in Ondine Hall receive a mention in the
“Murmurs” column on p. 17 (see http://www.wweek.com/story.php?story=4907).
Please be aware
that there are several errors in the cover story. First, Zack Dundas
reported that 60% of all classes are taught by non-tenured faculty.
That is incorrect. Sixty percent of all student credit hours are
taught by non-tenured faculty.
Second, the bottom
graph on p. 21 is misleading. It shows that the average annual salary
for tenured professors is $73,365. This figure is the average annual
salary for tenured faculty members with the rank of full professor.
There are only 154 tenured faculty members with the rank of full professor
represented by AAUP.
The average annual
salary for all AAUP-represented tenured, tenure-track, fixed-term research
and instructional faculty members, and Academic Professionals is $48,048.
The average annual salary for AAUP-represented tenured, tenure-track,
and fixed-term research and instructional faculty members is $50,569.
The median annual
salary for all AAUP-represented tenured, tenure-track, fixed-term research
and instructional faculty and Academic Professionals is $45,540. The
median annual salary for AAUP-represented tenured, tenure-track, and
fixed-term research and instructional faculty members is $48,006.
The Willamette
Week has agreed to print a clarification.
March
8, 2004
MEDIATION UPDATE
Thirteen hours of mediation between PSU and your AAUP negotiations team
on March 4th and 5th resulted in no movement toward a mutually acceptable
Agreement over substantive issues.
1. PSU continues
to reject all AAUP proposals on regulation of Workload and on stronger
shared Governance and Academic Freedom.
2. PSU continues
to refuse to negotiate over Job Security, Timely Notice, and Minimum
Work Components for Academic Professionals.
3. PSU’s latest
salary proposal offers no salary increase in 2003-2005, one year of
paid health, dental, and life insurance, and a $350 “bonus” payment
for each bargaining unit member to be paid in November, 2004. PSU
has proposed a 4-year agreement (2003-2007); they have not proposed
any accompanying salary/benefit increase.
4. In nearly
a year of negotiations, PSU has tentatively agreed on only two substantive
issues: 1) parking and 2) a change in the structure of professional
development days for Library faculty. Your AAUP negotiations team
has responded to all of PSU’s proposals and has offered two new proposals.
We expect a proposal for a reasonable cost of living adjustment or
concessions on workload and/or governance from the University before
the end of this mediation process.
Do these issues
concern you? Please contact the negotiations team, AAUP staff and Executive
Council with questions, comments and suggestions.
February
20, 2004
Your negotiations
team is preparing a package of proposals for the next mediation session
on March 4th. We will offer these proposals to the Administration two
weeks before the March 4th session; we hope PSU does not feel caught
unaware by these proposals, which have been open and on the table since
last April and make substantial movement towards settlement over the
issues of most concern to AAUP: compensation, workload, governance,
and dispute resolution.
By this time many
of our bargaining unit members will have read, or have heard mention
of the so-called “AAUP Collective Bargaining Update” sent from Michael
A. Driscoll to the Executive Committee, Deans, Vice-Provosts, Associate
and Assistant Deans, Directors, and Department Chairs; the AAUP negotiations
team did not recognize itself in this memo, at least as they are referenced
and certainly did not participate in its creation, but we feel compelled
to respond, in part, to its tone and its content.
We cannot dispute
the financial information offered by Vice-Provost Driscoll; we acknowledge
that despite the current crisis in state funding, negotiations have
resulted in an offer from PSU to AAUP bargaining unit members of fully
paid health, dental, and life insurance benefits for the 2003-2005 biennium.
We also acknowledge the “$380,000 to be allocated to bargaining unit
members” which has been called a “bonus.”
Given the $30 million
deficit in our state allocation, which our increase in enrollment and
increase in tuition doesn’t cover, AAUP naturally asked from which revenues
the $1.9 million for benefits and the “bonus” were coming. PSU’s reply
was that the benefits money would come from “reserves”, but they refused
to reply when we asked about the budget source of the “bonus.” Our conclusion
was that they could not offer our members a salary increase and we could
not ask for one, but if there was non-reserved revenue available for
PSU to offer a “bonus”, then it was our responsibility to negotiate
not a “bonus” but a reasonable cost of living adjustment for our members,
all of whom are living and working in the urban area where the current
increase in the CPI is almost 5%. Our salaries are among the worst in
the nation and like all Oregon State employees, we deserve an increase
in our base pay which would at least offset the cost of living each
year. We are willing to forgo the increase in base salary, to see the
University through this next (in a long line of many) financial crisis
only if our value to the University is expressed through a reasonable
cost of living adjustment, paid benefits, negotiated workload maximums,
and enhanced shared government structures.
On Workload:
We are the only AAUP contract in the country without a workload article.
The central purpose of workload articles is to set maximum credit hour
requirements, regulate student credit hours across departments, and
speak to the ratio between tenured/tenure-line faculty and contingent
(off the tenure track) faculty. Last Spring, AAUP offered an extensive
proposal based on the University’s own data on workload in 2002-2003;
we assumed this proposal would be a beginning point for negotiation;
it set the maximum credit hours for tenured/tenure-line faculty at 18
credit hours and 32 credit hours for full-time fixed-term instructional
faculty. But the University refused to negotiate; they offered only
current contract language (Article 4), a laundry list of responsibilities
of the faculty; they have offered no substantive counter-proposal on
workload. Had the University negotiated over the issue of workload,
we feel we would have reached a fair and reasonable agreement on workload
maximums which would reflect a situation not significantly different
from the current workload requirements, but would have given faculty
a measure of control over the increase in workload which will come with
an increase to 35,000 students in the next ten years.
On Governance:
We have not proposed “taking significant power from the Faculty Senate
and giving AAUP the primary Role in governance.” We have proposed enhancing
the current governance structures to facilitate true shared governance
as it is practiced in most AAUP- represented institutions. We have proposed
no changes in the Faculty Constitution, though we are proposing to give
the constitution “teeth.” As governance currently stands, the faculty
is purely advisory to the administration; the Faculty Constitution may
be violated or ignored; those violations are not grievable or arbitrable.
The recommendations from the Senate Committees mat be ignored. All decisions
of the Senate may be ignored. Only the University has the reserved right
to amend, modify, or change in any way it sees fit the criteria set
forth in the “Pay, Promotion, and Tenure Guidelines”. We have proposed
larger responsibility and agreement from the faculty in department-level
decisions on hiring, promotion, and tenure. We have proposed that all
violations of shared governance policies and procedures be arbitrable
and grievable. We are proposing only that the Senate take back a substantive
role in governance.
Why are we in mediation
after “only 28.5 hours at the bargaining table?” Most of those hours
were spent in presentation and explanation of AAUP proposals; we have
received no substantive proposals from the University on workload or
governance. Only during the last session did the University offer its
“no-salary increase” salary/benefit proposal and its “bonus” of $350
for each bargaining unit member. This was six weeks after we had called
for mediation.
AAUP did not decide
“not to bargain” during the summer. With the exception of one tenured
faculty member, we are not 12-month employees of the University. We
all had to work during the summer, some not at PSU. During the time
available for bargaining we were not employees of the University. Your
chief negotiator worked during the summer with representatives from
national AAUP and with our attorney and office staff researching a proposal
for changes in the dispute resolution articles of the Collective Bargaining
Agreement; we offered this proposal to the Administration in July; we
still have not received a counter-proposal and have just learned the
AAUP proposal was not shown to the University’s attorneys until January!
We resumed negotiations in early September, before the September 15
date upon which we became employees of PSU. We offered, at that time,
to negotiate in the evenings, and on weekends, if it would mean responding
to substantive proposals from the University.
PSU did not agree
to the times; they did not offer substantive proposals, (except, of
course, the proposal to increase fixed-term faculty credit load to 45
hours; their only substantive proposal through the entire process).
As a result, we felt our only recourse was to request mediation.
Thus far, negotiations
have revealed the current administration to be only secondarily concerned
with the crisis in funding; they are primarily determined to take complete
control of both workload and governance. Given this trend, PSU’s “Faculty
of Distinction” will soon have no responsibility for the quality of
education at PSU, and no control over our individual worklives. Our
only choice will be to leave.
Please support
your AAUP negotiations team. Offer suggestions, or arguments, or anything
showing your engagement with this struggle.
February
6, 2004
MEDIATION UPDATE
Mediation between PSU-AAUP and PSU began February 5th with a 6-hour
session that brought little movement. Much of the initial time in mediation
is spent working with the state mediators, in this case, Paul Johnson
and Wendy Greenwald; each side has the responsibility to advise the
mediators as to the nature of the conflicts and of any possible agreements
we may have reached. This was a lengthy task, considering that we have
reached little agreement in this negotiations process.
Tentative agreement
was reached on Article 25: Parking. The University has fulfilled its
obligation to create new and flexible parking on the east side of Broadway
and there will be no rise in parking fees this year.
AAUP offered a
proposal to provide increased time for professional development in the
Library Faculty.
ACADEMIC PROFESSIONALS
AND RESEARCH ASSISTANTS AND ASSOCIATES NOTE: PSU offered a proposal
that mandates minimum office components for instructional faculty only.
This proposal also rejects AAUP’s original proposal to immediately find
a designated space on campus in which to house a faculty/staff commons;
AAUP will counterpropose next week.
We did not negotiate
over salary issues or the 2004-2005 benefits cost. PSU’s position has
not changed from “there will be no salary increases;” AAUP’s position
remains firm that funds budgeted in the Education and General Services
budget to cover deficits in auxiliary accounts should be re-designated
to cover at least a cost of living adjustment, health care coverage,
and increased professional development funds for AAUP bargaining unit
members.
We also did not
exchange further proposals over workload restrictions or shared governance
concerns; PSU has still offered no substantive counterproposals on those
issues.
AAUP plans to offer
a “package” of proposals on salary, benefits, governance, workload,
promotion, tenure, and dispute resolution before the next mediation
session, scheduled for March 4. See the Collective Bargaining Update
of February 2 for further details on the current struggle.
IF YOU ARE NOT
A MEMBER, NOW IS THE TIME TO JOIN AAUP. We will not succeed in changing
the deplorable state of either our salaries/benefits or our role in
shared governance without a show of solidarity. Print an on-line
membership application and send it via campus mail to AAUP.
February
1, 2004
After months of
attempting to negotiate with the PSU administration over the 2003-2005
contract, AAUP has requested mediation through the Oregon State Employment
Relations Board. The first mediation session will be held on Thursday,
February 5, at 9 AM in the Smith Center, Room 333.
AAUP bargaining
unit members should be seriously concerned over the administration’s
unwillingness to negotiate needed changes in the current Collective
Bargaining Agreement. Despite the current, and seemingly endless, crisis
in Oregon’s school financing, the AAUP negotiations team began this
bargaining process hopeful that this would be a year in which the University
and the Association could work together to make some much-needed non-monetary
changes in the contract. We have been continually frustrated and disappointed
in PSU’s refusal to negotiate over any of these key issues.
To those of you
who participated in our recent survey of your opinions on the importance
of these various issues we owe a debt. Your voice registered your primary
concern over the rise in the cost of health care. You are also angry
at the rise in workload, coupled with the loss in real income which
will occur if we are unable to negotiate a salary increase. Many of
you told us of specific incidences which indicate problems in shared
governance; the erosion of academic freedom and the dismantling of tenure,
concomitant with the rise of non-tenured faculty was also a strong issue.
We took your concern
over the rise in the cost of health care seriously; PSU has tentatively
agreed to pay the approximately 9.1% rise in the cost of PEBB-brokered
health plans in 2003-2004; they have not agreed to cover the projected
9.2% rise in 2004-2005. This, despite their own admission that “the
money is there, in reserves.”
PSU has also stubbornly
refused to negotiate over salary increases. They have invoked the Governor’s
and the legislative Budget Committee Co-Chairs’ dictum: “there will
be no salary increases” (J. Sicotte, chief negotiator, OUS). Keep in
mind that, despite steady, approximately 4% negotiated raises over the
last 4 years, PSU’s salaries are still in the lowest 10% of PhD-granting
universities. We are far behind the University of Oregon and Oregon
State University; nevertheless, both Univ. of Oregon and OSU have been
awarded the same 4% across the board increase we have negotiated each
year, while we fall further behind because the cost of living in the
Portland are is at least 3% higher than in the rest of the state. Federal
wage scales build in 3.8% in base salaries to account for this cost
of living differential; are you, as a dedicated faculty member, or academic
professional at PSU ever rewarded for staying in the urban area, despite
its challenges?
The Oregon University
System is currently in negotiations over salary proposals with PSU,
WOSU, EOU, and SOU. I have been asked why PSU-AAUP should expect to
be able to negotiate a modest salary increase for all of our members
in an environment of state budget crisis, an environment in which U
of O, OSU, and the small regional universities may not be able to negotiate
or may not be given an increase this year. The answer is fairly straightforward,
though not simple. PSU is the only OUS institution with a rise in
enrollment this year. When combined with the significant increase in
tuition; this increase in revenue should be applied to salary and benefits
for faculty and staff. An increase in enrollment is only possible
if faculty and staff are willing to absorb the accompanying increase
in workload. It appears that we have, at least tacitly, agreed to such
an increase, if we judge by Fall term enrollment and workload. Few of
us would proudly hail ourselves, now, as “Oregon’s Largest University.”
We know, first hand, the near impossibility of maintaining an educational
environment of quality in the face of rising workload.
True, our state
appropriation, from which salaries are budgeted, is down by approximately
$30 million. However, the state appropriation is only 30%-35% of PSU’s
entire set of budgets and it has been decreasing over the last 10 years,
at least. In a well-managed institution, the administration would develop
budgets which would automatically provide for at lease an annual cost
of living increase for employees; other budgets, such as those for capital
development projects would be adjusted to reflect lean times. But at
PSU we have charged ahead in growth, while being unable to afford the
“expense” of creating tenure-track appointments for which we could recruit
in the national job market or providing adequate salaries and benefits
for the 60% of our faculty off the tenure track.
The current administration
is thoroughly invested in developing a “managed university,” albeit
badly managed, and they are not interested in any shared governance
with the faculty. They have steadfastly refused to negotiate over issues
of governance; they are banking on their sense that many AAUP bargaining
unit members are not familiar with problems/disadvantages inherent in
the current Collective Bargaining Agreement and that many bargaining
unit members cannot share in governance of the university due to enormously
increased workloads. To ensure the crippling effects of workload, the
administration has refused to negotiate any restrictions on the rise
in workload. PSU-AAUP is currently the only AAUP collective bargaining
chapter without restrictions in workload mandated by contract.
In effect, we currently
have no shared governance at PSU. Members of the University negotiating
team gleefully acknowledged, during one negotiation session, that under
Article 12, Section 3, of the current contract, the University may freely
violate any part of the Faculty Constitution. The Constitution is a
part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, but the University’s decisions
can only be grieved and arbitrated if the University openly “abrogates”
the Constitution. They will never do this, of course, so any vote of
the Faculty Senate and any decision of a Senate committee is advisory,
at best. AAUP is proposing major changes in the governance structure,
calling for more decision-making power at the department and college
level, for more control over those decisions which affect faculty members’
professional lives and responsibilities. Essential to true shared governance
is the ability to grieve and take to arbitration, if necessary, any
administrative decision which affects these circumstances. Currently,
we have no such ability.
The University
has responded to nearly all of AAUP’s proposals with “no change.” AAUP
has countered with modest proposals designed to encourage an engaged
process which will make recommendations for change within the term of
the 2003-2005 contract. An example of such proposal is a task force
to create a plan to better the deplorable state of salaries at PSU.
The University has refused to acknowledge this proposal. AAUP has presented
a proposal to create a task force to make recommendations for reclaiming
shared governance at PSU. The University has refused to acknowledge
this proposal. They have refused to acknowledge our proposal for job
security, timely notice, and sabbatical leave for Academic Professionals.
They have refused to discuss our proposals strengthening academic freedom,
lowering the number of non-tenured faculty, awarding bereavement leave,
and asking for more accountability and openness in the promotion and
tenure process. AAUP has proposed that both the Faculty Senate and the
AAUP join the University in having the right to open for discussion
and possible revision the pay, promotion, and tenure guidelines as they
see fit. AAUP has proposed a change in the structure of the negotiations
process, supporting an earlier start date; this would allow budgets
to be planned with the inclusion of reasonable salary increases for
all bargaining unit members before the fight over the state appropriation
begins each year. The University has not countered this proposal. The
only substantive proposal the University has offered through the entire
negotiation process is the movement up in fixed-term faculty workload
from 36 credits a year to 45 credits a year.
During this week
before mediation members of the AAUP Executive Council, Unit Representatives,
and negotiations team will be asking you to wear buttons to provoke
discussion on all of these issues. Please support AAUP by wearing buttons,
speaking with your colleagues, and coming to bargaining unit member
meetings and/or rallies; our next meeting/rally will take place this
Wednesday, 12:30 to 1:30 in Smith 328. Please come and support your
negotiations team; bring a colleague, as questions and offer opinions:
AAUP VALUES YOUR SUPPORT. If you have not formally joined AAUP please
do so now. This is the time for solidarity and commitment to an improved
worklife at PSU.
December
12, 2003
At 5:00 pm on Friday,
December 12, AAUP and PSU signed a Letter of Agreement regarding fully-paid
insurance for the next six months.
PSU will fully
pay for medical and dental insurance to ensure no out-of-pocket costs
to AAUP- represented employees during the period of December 2003 through
May 2004 for the benefits period January 2004 through June 2004. In
addition, PSU will fully pay basic life insurance for AAUP-represented
employees.
Payments for medical,
dental, and basic life insurance coverage beginning July 2004 will be
subject to collective bargaining. AAUP will continue to negotiate for
fully-paid medical, dental, and life insurance coverage.
If you have any
questions, please contact Jacqueline Arante, Vice President for Collective
Bargaining, at 5-3574 or arantej@pdx.edu.
December
2, 2003
After months
of negotiations, the University has still offered NOTHING to AAUP. We
see little indication that the Administration intends to address major
concerns. We have received no substantive counter-proposals or responses
in principle to 24 proposals. Below is a summary of AAUP proposals during
the last two sessions and PSU's responses.
PSU-AAUP and PSU
met in collective bargaining sessions November 14 , November 24, and
December 1. During the November 14th meeting AAUP offered a proposal
on PROMOTION which places the ability to open the Pay, Promotion,
and Tenure guidelines for discussion and possible revision in the hands
of the Faculty Senate, and/or AAUP, and/or the University. The current
contract allows ONLY THE UNIVERSITY the right to alter, amend,
modify, and make additions and deletions to the P and guidelines (see
Article 14. Section 3 of the current agreement). The new AAUP proposal
also strengthens a bargaining unit member's right to grievance and/or
appeals procedures; AAUP has also proposed a change in position structures
for Research Assistants and Research Associates which would institute
a tiered system of Research Associates I, II, III, and IV and asks units
to develop criteria for placement and promotion into these rank
Academic Professionals:
AAUP is proposing multiple-year contracts, sabbatical leaves, Senior
Status after 6 years of employment, and the ability to grieve job placement
decisions. PSU's proposal re-offers the current agreement.
Salary/Benefits:
As of December 1, PSU has offered no counterproposal to AAUP's initial
proposal for a 6% ATB increase each year of this two-year agreement.
They have replied: "There will be no salary increase." (J. Sicotte,
negotiator for OUS) AAUP's proposal on benefits calls for the University
to pay an up-to-18% possible rise in the cost of premiums negotiated
through PEBB. NEWS FLASH: Administrations at the University of Oregon
and Oregon State University have assured their employees that they will
pay the 9% rise in health care through PEBB. Eastern Oregon is currently
negotiating its first contract; they report that OUS made an initial
salary offer to them which offered the 9% health care cost for both
years and a $350 "bonus" one-time payment this year to cover the possible
rise in health care costs next year. Western Oregon has filed for mediation.
Governance:
AAUP has proposed extensive changes in governance structures which create
a larger role for faculty in shared governance. PSU proposes no change
in the current contract.
Workload:
AAUP proposes maximum credit hour loads, a rise in the number of tenured
faculty to the AAUP standard of 85% of all SCH taught by tenured or
tenure-line faculty, and a mandate that all new growth will be absorbed
by the creation of new tenure lines. PSU has made no counter-proposal.
Tenure:
AAUP proposes conversion of fixed-term positions to tenured or tenure-line
positions to increase the ratio of tenured to contingent faculty. PSU
has made no counter-proposal.
Bereavement
Leave: AAUP proposes leave with pay for up to 5 working days following
the death of an immediate family member or significant other and an
extension of 5 days using accrued sick time or vacation leave or leave
without pay. PSU has counter-proposed with NO PAID BEREAVEMENT LEAVE.
Sabbatical Leave:
AAUP has proposed that resources are available to allow 10% of the bargaining
unit members to take sabbatical leave in any year (the current level
is about 3% in any year) and to increase the percentage of salary earned
during sabbatical. PSU has made no counter-proposal.
Fixed-term faculty:
PSU has proposed to raise the fixed-term instructional credit-hour load
to 45 credits/year. On December 9, AAUP will counter-propose with a
32 credit hour load, a proposal for mandatory multi-year contracts,
and many conversions of fixed-term positions to tenured and tenure-track
positions.
In general,
PSU has demonstrated a reluctance to negotiate over all of these issues
except raising the fixed-term teaching load to 45 credits. They have
made no move toward change in structures, monetary or otherwise. The
bargaining unit must demonstrate solidarity and support for change.
Soon AAUP will distribute a survey which will ask each bargaining unit
member to evaluate the importance of these issues to him/her. Please
respond promptly and communicate any suggestions you may have to the
negotiations team, the AAUP staff, or the AAUP Executive Council.
November
4, 2003
PSU-AAUP and PSU
continued negotiations on Friday, October 31. AAUP presented 7 significant
articles:
1. Salary/Benefits:
PSU-AAUP proposes a 6% across the board increase in salary during both
years of the 2003-2005 contract and an employee contribution to our
benefit package which would cover up to an 18% rise in the cost of health
care. It is our position that faculty should receive the benefit from
a 6% rise in enrollment and a 12% rise in tuition. We have proposed
the creation of a task force to investigate the deplorable state of
salaries at PSU and to make a recommendation to redress this problem
to the Oregon legislature, the State Board of Higher Education, the
Oregon University System, the PSU administration, and AAUP bargaining
unit members in January, 2005. We have also proposed a restructuring
of professional ranks for those now ranked Research Assistant, Senior
Research Assiatant, Research Associate, and Senior Research Associate
to Research Associates I, II, III, and IV. We have developed salary
minimums for these ranks and will propose that all units develop guidelines
for placement and promotion in these ranks by March 15, 2004.
2.A. Workload:
PSU-AAUP proposes a maximum of 18 credit hrs/yr for 1.0 FTE to be taught
by tenured/tenure-line faculty; this is instructional load for courses
with an enrollment larger than 6 and would allow all other faculty work
(e.g.thesis and dissertation direction, independent study, reading and
conference, advising, scholarship, governance, development, various
levels/kinds of service, etc) to be within workload.
2.B. PSU-AAUP
proposes a 32 credit hour/year maximum for 1.0 FTE for fixed-term faculty;
this allows fixed-term faculty to participate in governance and scholarship
(if desired, and agreed upon in the letter of hire).
2.C. AAUP
proposes that 85% of all student credit hours across the University,
or 75% of SCH in any department, be taught by tenured/tenure-line faculty
and that all new growth in enrollment be absorbed by the creation of
tenure-line positions. This workload proposal is a package; our first
concern is the protection of tenure and the reinvestment of faculty
in shared governance; the University must agree to re-create a tenured
faculty.
3. Governance:
PSU-AAUP proposes changes in governance which would require participation
from bargaining unit members in every decision which affects the mission,
educational policy, and worklife of the University.
4. Working Conditions:
PSU-AAUP proposes that every bargaining unit member has a right to clean,
safe, comfortable, healthy, and collegial working conditions.
5. Bereavement
Leave: PSU-AAUP proposes 5 days, paid leave, to be extended to 5
days without pay for the dealth of an immediate family member, significant
other, or loved one.
PSU-AAUP has also
proposed significant changes in the areas of dispute resolution and
retrenchment. PSU proposes the elimination of "Appendix E--Letter of
Agreement: TUITION BENEFITS" in the current Agreement which could ensure
that bargaining unit members at PSU will receive staff fee privileges
throughout the OUS system in the event that the Oregon State Board of
Higher Education decides to change its current policy in allowing these
privileges.
ALERT TO FIXED-TERM
INSTRUCTIONAL FACULTY: PSU proposes, in the name of "equity" a 45
credit hour maximum instructional load for all contingent (non-tenured/tenure-track)
faculty!!!!!! AAUP needs to hear from all of you who are teaching the
current 36 credit hour limit, participating in governance, service,
scholarly activity, etc.
PSU has not, thus
far, offered counter-proposals to AAUP proposals on Article 17, which
calls for multiple-year contracts and sabbatical leave privileges for
Academic Professional bargaining-unit members and on AAUP proposals
on Academic Freedom, Dispute Resolution, and Reserved Rights of the
University.
WHAT'S NEXT:
AAUP will propose change in Article 13: Non-discrimination. Article
19: Professional Development and Support, Article 33: Sabbatical Leaves,
Article 34: Library Faculty Development Days, Article 20: Intellectual
Property and Distance Education, and Article 14: Promotion and Tenure.
A note about Promotion
and Tenure. AAUP, both locally and nationally, is alarmed over the dismantling
of tenure. Over half of the student credit hours generated at PSU are
taught by contingent faculty. It is our goal to promote discussion among
the faculty community here at PSU by introducing SEPARATE articles on
Promotion and Tenure in the attempt to unbundle them and bring the discussion
of tenure as an institution back to its origins as the best protection
for academic freedom. It is separate from Promotion. Academic freedom
should be the right and responsibility of all research and instructional
faculty after a reasonable probationary period; if we evolve into a
system of primarily out-sourced labor, in which only a few "stars" participate
in governance and are assured academic freedom, then we rightly loose
the public trust, our right to call ourselves professionals and those
attributes which have, through the 20th century in the USA, at least,
kept us separate from government and business and have allowed academics
to hold the responsibility to pursue truth through inquiry.
In this spirit,
AAUP proposes a tenure system which allows all faculty, both instructional
and research, to be reviewed for tenure after 6 years of service, using
criteria which takes into account positive performance review based
on letters of hire and an affirmative decision from the department.
In the area of
promotion, AAUP proposes that both the Faculty Senate and AAUP have
the right to call for discussion and revision of the Pay, Promotion,
and Tenure guidelines; under the current contract, only the administration
has the right to amend these guidelines. AAUP proposes reasonable standards
for promotion and a process of appeal when those standards seem to be
hidden or unreasonable, within a system which rewards all areas of bargaining
unit work.
We understand there
will need to be much discussion of these subjects during the negotiations
process. The next negotiation session is scheduled for November 14,
12:00-1:30. Please call the AAUP office (5-4414) 24 hours in advance
if you would like to attend. We invite all bargaining unit members with
concerns or ideas to offer the negotiation team to attend the discussion
meetings we are planning through November and December. Anyone who can't
attend the meetings is encouraged to speak with negotiation team members,
Executive Council members, or AAUP staff.
A REMINDER:
This is the time to join AAUP!!! We need your show of support. Fair
share members are covered by the contract, but they do not have a vote
on its ratification.
October
27, 2003
Critical Issues
- Faculty, academic
professionals and research assistants working out of contract
- Rise in health
care costs may not be covered by PSU
- Open meetings
to discuss critical contract issues
- AFT (union for
part-time faculty) in Mediation
Negotiations between
PSU-AAUP and PSU will resume on October 31st from 12:00-1:30 in 333
SMU. We urge any and all bargaining unit members to attend the negotiation
sessions. Numbers are a show of strength and support. Please sign up
24 hours in advance to attend this session by calling the AAUP office
(5-4414). We now have a budget framework within which to work the PSU
state appropriation will be approximately $108 million, our enrollment
is up by approximately 6%, and we have raised tuition by 12%.
The 2001-2003 Collective
Bargaining Agreement between AAUP and PSU expired on August 31, 2003.
This means that all faculty, academic professionals, and research assistants
and associates have been working Fall term without a contract. Articles
having to do with salary, benefits, and working conditions in the past
contract remain in effect.
The University
has stated to AAUP that it has no obligation to pay the January 1st
rise in the cost of health care. This could mean that AAUP bargaining
unit members would have to pay up to $80 per month OUT OF POCKET, beginning
with the December 31 paycheck. PSU has settled its contract with SEIU
503, covering the rise in health care costs for their members.
AAUP Member meetings
will be held beginning October 28 to discuss collective bargaining issues.
The negotiations team is committed to settling as quickly as possible,
but in addition to undoubtedly difficult salary negotiations, we have
decided to pursue long-needed and essential changes in areas of the
contract which strengthen shared governance, protect academic freedom,
create job security, stabilize workload, and protect the educational
mission of the University. We will present many of these proposed changes
to the University at the negotiation session on October 31. We want
all bargaining unit members to be informed about the nature of the proposals
we are making; we will hold open meetings on Tuesdays and Wednesdays,
starting Tuesday, October 28, from 12:30 to 1:30 and Wednesday, October
29th from 1-2, both in room 407 in Neuberger Hall. In November, meetings
will occur from 12-1 on Tuesdays and 12:30-1:30 on Wednesdays in room
326 in Smith Memorial Union. If you cannot make any of the meetings,
please contact any team member, any Executive Councilor, or the AAUP
staff.
Bargaining Team
members
- Jacqueline Arante
(ENG)
- Connie Ozawa
(UPC)
- David Hansen
(SBA)
- Angela Rodgers
(CWP)
- Francis Bates
(XPD)
- Peter Nicholls
(PHIL)
AFT will enter
mediation with the University in early November. The contract between
the American Federation of Teachers and PSU (representing faculty who
are hired at less than .5 FTE) expired on September 15, 2003.
May
29, 2003
Negotiations between
PSU-AAUP and PSU on the collective bargaining agreement for 2005-2005
on May 20, from 9:30 to 11:30 in Smith 229.
AAUP presented
a 2nd proposal on Article 11: "Released Time" which would require the
recognition of service to the Association as viable service for pay,
promotion, and tenure under the University guidelines of May, 1996.
This proposal also allows for course release to carry on the work of
the Association as it is done by the President, Vice-President for Academic
Freedom and Grievances, Vice-President for Collective Bargaining, Key
committee chairs, and members of the negotiations team, regardless of
whether either the elected officers or the negotiations team are instructional
or non-instructional. PSU will counter-propose, a 2nd time, on June
3.
AAUP also offered
a counter-proposal to PSU's proposal to eliminate Article 37: "Human
Resources Information System Implementation." It is PSU's position that
this article should revert to an article which monitors administration
of the Human Resource system and leaves intact the Association's right
to grieve on behalf of its members.
PSU offered a slightly
revised version of Article 1: "Recognition" which further clarifies
our position that any instructional, academic professional, and/or research
employee of the University working at .5 FTE or greater, AT ANY POINT
IN EITHER THE 9-MONTH OR 12-MONTH YEAR, should be in the AAUP bargaining
unit and therefore, is eligible and responsible to participate in shared
governance decisions, will be paid the negotiated salary rate, and is
eligible for complete benefits. AAUP will go forward with a petition
for clarification of unit to the Employment Relations Board in the next
few months.
Article 25: "Parking":
This discussion has been tabled until June 3rd. See Bargaining update,
May 6.
Finally, AAUP presented
a revision of Article 17: "Academic Professional Faculty". This proposal
includes provisions for timely notice, timely hiring, multiple-year
contracts, the ability to accrue seniority, more AAUP agreement over
changes which affect the terms and conditions of employment, and increased
ability to grieve. PSU is unwilling to counter-propose on June 3; they
stated their position that they view this article as closely linked
to Article 18:" Fixed-term Instructional and Research Faculty". and
they are not willing to propose on Article 18 until September.
The next negotiations
session is June 3, 9:30-11:30, in Smith 236. PSU will offer counter-proplsals
on Articles 11 and 37; they will also propose new articles on Article
6: "Exchange of Information" and Aticle 24: "Working Conditions".PSU
also proposes a new article: "Employee Background Checks". AAUP will
offer proposals on Articles 3: "Rights of the Association as Agent",
Article 5: "Reserved Rights of the University", and Article 8: "Past
Practices".
These sessions
are open to anyone who wants to observe. Please call (5-4414) or email
(aaup@psuaaup.net) the AAUP office
by 9am, June 2, to sign-up to observe if you have an interest in any
matters under negotiation. Thanks from the AAUP team.
May
6, 2003
Negotiations continued
between PSU-AAUP and PSU on May 6, 2003
The University
offered a counter-proposal to AAUP's proposal on Article 11: "Release
Time". The University's proposal offered a small amount (.5 of what
is necessary) of compensation (of which they propose to pay only .5
!!) for release time for non-instructional members of the negotiations
team. AAUP will counter-propose on May 20th. We are firm in our position
that to carry on the work of the association for the benefit of our
bargaining unit members we must insist that we must share equally in
the service and scholarship time required of the faculty; this is a
shared governance issue; it is related to workload issues and our understanding
that a fair contract and a union which represents fairly all of its
members must have adequate time to do so.
The University
next offered a proposal which would eliminate Article 37: "Human Resources
Information System Implementation" from the collective bargaining agreement.
PSU's team argued that current Human Resources practice and Oregon employment
law would eliminate any future problem with HRIS processes and procedures.
AAUP will counter-propose on May 20.
PSU offered a proposal
which merges Article 25: "Parking" with Appendix F: "Letter of Agreement:
Parking." The University maintains it has met the requirements with
the creation of additional faculty/staff parking on the East side of
campus and the creation of department-controlled, flexible parking for
those required to leave and return to campus during regular working
hours. PSU has no plans to raise the parking fee during the 2003-2004
year. AAUP has asked for information on the disbursement of any profit
from parking at PSU; currently the administration maintains that "most"
of the profit goes to pay for assessments on the trolley line which
runs through campus. Oregon law requires that any profit made from parking
must be re-invested in transportation services and that a subsidy negotiated
for parking must be paid to all employees. Tentative agreement on this
proposal has been tabled until AAUP receives the information on profit
from the parking fees.
Finally, AAUP informed
the University that the Association will submit a petition for a clarification
of unit to the Oregon Employment Relations Board in the next few weeks.
Currently, those employees who are employed for at least nine (9) consecutive
months on a fifty percent (.5) full-time equivalent (FTE) or more are
in represented by AAUP. (ERB Case C-381, March 8, 1978) This unit definition
was created in an era in which the University employed few fixed-term
faculty, part-time faculty, research faculty, and academic professionals.
The demographics of employment at PSU are now considerably different.
Most employees would receive the most benefit from a simpler designation:
all non-excluded, non-classified employees at .5 at any time, or at
an average of .5 over the term of their contracts would be represented
by AAUP. This would provide clarity for the employees, ensure an understanding
of who has the right to participate in shared governance of the University,
promote as many benefit-eligible employees as possible, and allow any
union on campus to know exactly to whom they owe a duty of fair representation.
The University
has not agreed to go forward in partnership with AAUP to ERB with this
petition at this time.
The next negotiation
session is May 20 in 229 Smith Center from 9:30-11:30 am. AAUP will
offer the counter-proposals described above and continue with proposals
on Article 17: "Academic Professionals" and proposals on Articles 3,
5, and 8. Please feel to offer your suggestions to the AAUP staff, negotiations
team, executive council, and officers at any time. If you would like
to observe the session please call (5-4414) or email (aaup@psuaaup.net)
the AAUP office before 9:30 am on Monday, May 19.
The negotiations
team will be soon sending you a "Workload Survey." Please respond; we
know you are swamped, that's why we're asking!
April
24, 2003
The PSU-AAUP negotiations
team met with the University team on Tuesday, April 22, from 9:30-11:30
am in 236 Smith Memorial Student Union. The sides agreed on ground rules
for negotiation. The two teams are creating a workable negotiations
schedule.
Proposals
AAUP proposed a new Article 11: "Released Time" that strengthens the
ideas that:
- service to
the Association must be fully acknowledged as service to the University
and,
- those who choose
to participate in the on-going work of the Association will be fully
credited for service to AAUP upon review for tenure and promotion.
The proposed article
also requests course releases for the President, Vice-President for
Collective Bargaining, Vice-President for Academic Freedom and Grievances,
and key AAUP standing committee chairs. We also proposed course releases
for members of the negotiations team before and during contract negotiations.
If you would like
more information about this proposed article please feel free to consult
Julia Getchell, AAUP Chapter Coordinator (5-4414 or aaup@psuaaup.net)
or any member of the AAUP Collective Bargaining team. Bargaining Team
members are:
Jacqueline Arante,
ENG, Vice President for Collective Bargaining & Chief Negotiator
Fran Bates, PDC
David Hansen, SBA
Peter Nicholls, PHIL
Connie Ozawa, USP
Angela Rodgers, CWP
Next Bargaining
Session
We will be bargaining again on May 6, 9:30-11:30 am, 236 SMSU (call
AAUP to confirm location). The Bargaining Team expects a counter-proposal
from the University on Article 11: "Released Time." The University will
present proposals on Article 25: "Parking" and Article 37: "Human Resources
Information System Implementation." If time permits, AAUP will present
a proposal for the revision of Article 1: "Recognition of the Unit."
We invite any and
all bargaining unit members with an interest in these articles to attend
the May 6th session.