UC-AFT Insider November 2010

University Council-AFT Insider
November 1, 2010

In this issue:

• Election Day- Vote for Public Education
• Unit 18 (Lecturers) Bargaining Announcement, Meetings and Survey
• President Yudof Recommends Changes to UCRP--UC-AFT Responds
• Know Your Rights- Article 7b Process for Initial Continuing Appointments 

Election Day- Vote for Public Education
This election will have big implications for the future of our state in terms of our commitment to the concept of the public good, and for ensuring funding for essential programs, including higher education. Please vote!  Click here for the CFT voter recommendations.  
Unit 18 (Lecturers) Bargaining Announcement, Meetings and Survey-

UC-AFT is preparing for negotiations for the full Unit 18 MOU beginning in early January 2011.  We will be holding member meetings on each campus to discuss issues, priorities and the bargaining process.  Member input at these meetings will be essential to our success at the bargaining table.  Please follow this link to a bargaining message from Unit 18 Chief Negotiator, Alan Karras, which includes the campus-by-campus schedule of bargaining meetings.

https://ucaft.org/content/unit-18-bargaining-set-begin

We have also posted a very brief bargaining survey on-line.  We hope that members will complete the survey in addition to attending the meetings. Please follow this link to the survey. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/unit18bargainingsurvey

President Yudof Recommends Changes to UCRP--UC-AFT Responds

UC President Yudof has announced his final recommendations to the UC Board of Regents regarding changes to the UC pension plan.  While many of the PEB Task Force’s worst ideas are not forwarded in Yudof’s recommendations, some critical issues remain unresolved.  The Regents will discuss Yudof’s recommendations at their meeting in November and a final decision is expected mid-December.  UC-AFT President, Bob Samuels, responds to Yudof’s announcement here:   https://ucaft.org/content/samuels-response-yudof-ucrp-recommendations

Know Your Rights- Article 7b-Process for Initial Continuing Appointments

In 2003, UC-AFT negotiated the continuing appointment into the Unit 18 MOU.  For the first time, lecturers were granted indefinite contracts with seniority, layoff and rehire rights.   Today, nearly 40% of our unit members have continuing titles.   Every year, dozens of our members go through the excellence review process.  UC-AFT provides excellence review workshops on each campus to educate members about their rights and help them prepare for the review.  For more on the excellence review process, including downloadable and printable materials, follow this link:   https://ucaft.org/content/sixth-year-excellence-review

Membership
If you have not already joined the union, please fill out the attached membership form, or download one from our website.  You are represented by UC-AFT, but representation and deductions from your pay do not mean that you are automatically a member.  You can mail the completed application to the address on the bottom of the form, or contact your local staff for assistance.  
https://ucaft.org/content/join-uc-aft

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.