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UC-AFT Insider March 2018

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University Council-AFT Insider
March 13, 2018

In this issue:

  • 2003-2018…15 Years with the Fair Share Fee, and …15 Years of Very Solid Salary Increases
  • Janus v. AFSCME--A Threat to Our Public Institutions, by Mia McIver
  • Librarian Bargaining Kicks Off in April at UCB and UCI
  • Statewide Officer Elections April 7 Berkeley

2003-2018…15 Years with the Fair Share Fee, and…15 Years of Very Solid Salary Increases
The fair share fee became law in 2001 in California. It’s no coincidence that the very next contract negotiated by lecturers in 2003 included historic gains. For the first time, thanks to the fair share fee, our union had a financial contribution from every member of our bargaining unit to support our contract demands for professional development funds, job security provisions, third party arbitration and higher salaries.

In 2002, the starting salary for Unit 18 lecturers was $30,288, which equals $41,596 in today’s dollars. In July 2018, the starting salary for Unit 18 lecturers will be $54,737, which is a 31.6% increase in our entire salary scale, adjusted for inflation. The real wage growth for US workers from 2003 through 2017 has averaged less than 1% per year, while our wage growth for entry-level employees has been 2% per year. In addition, required merit increases of at least 6% in the fourth year, at the continuing appointment review and every three years thereafter result in significant salary increases within the scale for many lecturers. Our union has a very strong record of economic gains for our members.

Janus v. AFSCME—A Threat to Our Public Institutions, by Mia McIver
UC-AFT President, Mia McIver, has composed a fantastic essay on the impetus and potential impact of the Janus v. AFSCME case on educators and our students. Janus seeks to deal a double blow: to public sector unions, and then to the public school, college, and university students who are educated by unionized teachers. Janus has to be understood especially as an attack on teachers and students because more than 40% of public sector union members belong to education unions. At the University of California alone, 77,000 union-represented workers preserve and promote the research, teaching, and service mission of the UC. Our work directly and indirectly prepares students to fully participate in our democracy. By educating California’s students, we serve as the guardians of our future civic life. No wonder we’re such a threat to the oligarchs.” Read the full essay here.

Librarian Bargaining Kicks Off in April at UCB and UCI
Over the last 16 months, UC-AFT librarians have prepared for the negotiation of their full contract, which will begin with sessions at UCB on April 17 and at UCI on April 24. Many of our bargaining sessions will be held on the campuses and they will be open to supporters from UC-AFT, the campus and our communities. Please check out this incredible blog for updates, including information on ways you can support our librarians as they negotiate for competitive wages, academic freedom to protect their academic status, and professional development funds that cover the cost of staying at the forefront of their fields.

UC-AFT Statewide Officer Elections April 7 Berkeley
Our annual statewide officer elections will be conducted at our Council meeting at UC Berkeley on April 7. Nominees and candidate statements are posted to the UC-AFT website. Statewide officer elections are conducted in accordance with Article V. Section 5 of the UC-AFT constitution.

Join UC-AFT: Become a member of UC-AFT using our easy online membership form.

Already a Member and want to help defend our union, and our work as educators? The easiest thing to do is recommit to your union membership. You can also volunteer to be a UC-AFT liaison in your department or library.

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The University Council – American Federation of Teachers is an affiliate of the California Federation of Teachers, the American Federation of Teachers and the AFL-CIO.