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BARGAINING UPDATE
September 12, 2023

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Major progress on non-economics, getting closer to bargaining over economic issues

Takeaways:​
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  • Our last session was encouraging: the administration presented a substantial package of proposals that addressed many of our concerns including Grievance and Arbitration, Management Rights, FT/AS Faculty and Tenured Faculty.
  • We presented counters on Academic Freedom, Shared Governance, and Part-time Faculty. In the afternoon, we countered on all of the topics in their package proposal from the morning except Management Rights.
  • After we come to agreements on non-economic issues, the administration will have to respond to our economic proposals, which we presented to them last fall.
  • As we move closer to reaching a tentative agreement (TA) on the full contract, now is the time to sign your Union membership card so that we can build power as we enter into economic negotiations and you will be ready to vote on the final contract.
  • Remember, this contract will apply to everyone in the bargaining unit, but only Union members will be able vote. Reach out to a Communication and Action Team (CAT) member in your area or request to sign a card on our website.

Dear colleagues,

We met with the administration on September 8th and it was clear that our efforts together have demonstrated our strength as a faculty body! By expressing our voice at actions and university events, as well as the recent increases in the number of faculty who have signed a membership card, the administration has heard us and came to the bargaining table with meaningful proposals at our last session.

On September 8th, the administration presented proposals that included Grievance & Arbitration, Management Rights, Full-time Appointment-Stream Faculty, and Tenure-stream/Tenured Faculty. We are encouraged by their significant and good faith movements toward our proposed language. Their proposals addressed several of the issues around enforceability that have been sticking points. In particular, the administration's proposal would significantly strengthen tenure protections by making the faculty hearing committee’s recommendation, rather than the chancellor’s unilateral decision, the most important part of the process for tenure revocations. This also addresses the important goal of making faculty governance decisions enforceable, rather than merely advisory.

After hearing the administration’s counters, we presented our counters on Academic Freedom, Shared Governance, and Part-time Faculty. In the afternoon, we countered on all of the topics in their package proposal from the morning except Management Rights, which we are reviewing, and we presented a counter proposal on Intellectual Property.
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We are encouraged by this progress, which moves us closer to finalizing tentative agreements on non-economic issues and moving the administration to engage with us on economic issues like annual raises. We presented our economic proposals approximately one year ago. These proposals seek to raise the salaries of our lowest paid members, provide real cost of living adjustments that account for inflation, reward faculty for experience and promotions, and create a mechanism for faculty to receive salary adjustments.

Once we are able to come to an agreement on all non-economic issues, the administration will respond to our economic proposals which we presented to them a year ago. It is important that we continue to build power by visible participation in union actions and by growing our membership during this time so that we can effectively convey to the administration that we are united in our support for fair pay for all faculty. If you haven't yet signed a membership card, you can request one through our website or by reaching out to a CAT member in your area. We urge you to follow up with your colleagues and encourage them to sign a membership card as well.

In solidarity,
Your bargaining committee

Tyler Bickford (chair), Professor, English, Oakland
Nicholas Bircher, Part-time Professor, Nurse Anesthesia, Oakland
Chloe Dufour, Faculty Librarian, ULS, Oakland
Anthony Fabio, Associate Professor, Epidemiology (Public Health), Oakland
Lech Harris (secretary), Part-time Instructor, English, Oakland
James Hill (archivist), Visiting Assistant Professor, History, Oakland
Megan O’Brien, Master Teacher, Falk Laboratory School, Oakland
Sabrina Robinson, Part-time Instructor, Slavic, Oakland
Evan Schneider, Assistant Professor, Physics and Astronomy, Oakland
Paul Scott, Assistant Professor, Health and Community Systems (Nursing), Oakland
Jeffrey Shook, Professor, Social Work, Oakland
Stacey Triplette, Associate Professor, Spanish, Greensburg
Abagael West, Teaching Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, Oakland

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