We have been busy this summer planning events, meetings, and workshops to help bring us together to know our rights, organize around winning a fair contract, and build solidarity amongst our diverse membership.
Later this week there will be an update from Lead Contract Negotiator, Bret Benjamin, so please log in to the Members Only portal on the UUP Statewide website regularly for updates.
We have reviewed closely the State’s conceptual proposals that were made available for UUP members last month, and among the greatest items of concern are the proposals related to job security, specifically the creation of a new post tenure review process.
Our Negotiations team tells us that there is no reason at this point to believe that this proposal would go so far as to strip members of tenure or lead to termination, but it is nevertheless an erosion of tenure protections and likely a method to increase workload. This new provision could also impact our contingent members who are ineligible for tenure, possibly limiting work for adjunct faculty by increasing workload for ‘unproductive’ tenured faculty to teach more sections. UUP has a number of proposals trying to expand job security, particularly for contingent faculty with proposals for longer term guaranteed appointments and pathways to permanency.
We will need to work together to raise our collective voices to demand better pay, more secure working conditions for our contingent members, and to vanquish attempts to curtail our hard-won job security. Consider filling out this Negotiations Form for updates and to let us know if you’re willing to contribute to our efforts.
We can only win a fair contract if we all do our part. Perhaps consider becoming a department rep for your area. Without reps, we have no lines of communication to or from departments from members and UUP leadership, and I am truly grateful for the service of our current department reps.
We are collectively responsible for the success and failure of our union and contract negotiations. Together, through collective bargaining and action, we can win.
I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events this semester – see the full calendar below. UUP Statewide President, Fred Kowal will be joining us at our Welcome Back BBQ on September 6th, and we are eager to connect with all of you!