Date: May 23, 2013
To: PSU-AAUP Members
From: Ron Narode, VP Collective Bargaining
Bargaining Report #3, Bargaining Session #3, May 21, 2013
Bargaining Report #3:
At our third Bargaining Session, May 21, 2013, the AAUP-PSU Bargaining Team gave oral response to the letter delivered to us by PSU Attorney, David Reese [see Bargaining Report #2 for a description and link to the letter].
The main points of our rebuttal are as follows:
• The Administration’s removal of ‘permissive’ portions of long-standing articles is bad for PSU. For 35 years, the Administration and AAUP have agreed upon numerous improvements to these articles to create a more efficient, just, and legally correct governance that results in fewer problems and fewer grievances.
• Removal of these articles amounts to a “take-back” of real rights and privileges that faculty have “paid for” in previous bargaining sessions. Collective bargaining always succeeds in an environment of compromise and ‘trading’. When we make sacrifices in salary and benefits (mandatory articles of bargaining) during times of fiscal crisis, we negotiate improvements in our rights and privileges in permissive articles. We trade real money for these ‘permissive’ articles. Eliminating these by fiat, as the administration has done, is a cut in our overall benefits at PSU, and it is unfair.
• The Administration is burning “good will” for no apparent reason. Two contracts ago, AAUP membership ratified a contract that brought a pay cut (furlough days). At a time of crisis, we came to the aid of our university, its students, the community, and our newly arrived President, Wim Wiewel. This is no way to repay our selfless actions, and it in no way encourages us to make any similar sacrifices going forward.
• The Administration is shattering a “culture of collaboration” at PSU. The use of legal powers to circumvent bargaining on issues that have been in our contract for years is contrary to their statements about “shared governance”. Until now, the three organizations for shared governance have always worked together at PSU: Administration, Faculty Senate, and AAUP. It is clear that the Administration intends to alter the balance and benefits of our collaboration in its favor.
Constructive Actions in Bargaining:
The Administration and AAUP agreed to extend our current contract to November 30, 2013 in expectation that we may address financial issues more completely in the fall.
We removed three letters of agreement from the current contract that formed task forces that are no longer needed since we are in negotiations about these topics. If we need to add task forces, new letters of agreement may be developed.
The administration proposed changes to Article 27, about progressive sanctions. We are considering our response to these.
SUPPORT AAUP BARGAINING: Come to bargaining on Tuesday, June 4, noon-3pm, in Smith 296. We will bargain for Article 17, Academic Professional Faculty, and Article 18, Fixed Term and Research Faculty. Stay as long as you can. Bring your colleagues, please. Your presence makes a difference.
Upcoming Bargaining Sessions:
June 4, noon-3pm, Smith 296: We present articles for Fixed-term Faculty and Academic Professionals
June 25, noon-3pm, MCB650
July 2, noon-3pm, Smith 338
July 16, noon-3pm, MCB650