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UC-AFT Insider September 2016

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University Council-AFT Insider                    
September 12, 2016
 

In this issue:

  • Librarian Bargaining Update--Slow Progress with 1% Offer from UC
  • California Can’t Go Back--Yes on Prop 55
  • Long Island University Faculty Lock Out--Students Walk Out
  • UC-AFT Member Spotlight: Raj Singh--Management Lecturer, Engineer, Dem Party Delegate and UC-AFT Organizing Fellow

Librarian Bargaining Update—Slow Progress with 1% Offer from UC
After waiting nearly four months for UC’s initial proposal on Salary, the administration’s team delivered a sorry proposal for a 1% total increase for the remaining two years of the librarian contract. This is an initial proposal, so it’s not shocking they started with an unreasonably low offer. Though it is troubling that they made us wait four months for it. Fortunately, librarians were not idle while we waited. During August we gathered signatures from a large majority of our members on a petition demanding that UC come to the table prepared to negotiate. Their offer didn’t indicate much preparation, but it did finally put something on the table. Let’s hope the next session yields a serious response to our proposals for a 5% salary increase and minimum Professional Development funding of $2000/year for every UC librarian. In the meantime, UC-AFT librarians will be organizing.

California Can’t Go Back--Yes on Prop 55
In 2012, Californians passed Proposition 30, which brought education back from the brink after years of declining budgets, increasing class size and tuition, and annual layoff notices for teachers. Prop 30 stabilized all of this, but it will begin to sunset this year and it will fully expire in 2018. Proposition 55 will extend for twelve years the progressive income tax on California’s top earners in three tiers of 1, 2, and 3 percent in tax brackets over $250,000, $300,000 and $500,000 per year. Prop 55 will not renew the regressive sales tax that was included in Prop 30.  Check the CFT website for up-to-date information and actions you can take in support of Prop 55.

Long Island University Faculty Lock Out--Students Walk Out
The day before classes started last week at Long Island University in Brooklyn, the administration locked faculty out of their offices, blocked their e-mail access and informed them that they would be replaced. This was an unprecedented move in higher education contract negotiations, and some argue that it wasn’t a wise move by the administration. Negotiations stalled when 226 of the 400 faculty voted to reject a proposed contract. Only ten voted for it. The proposed contract would have reduced per course compensation and payment for office hours, capped credit hours, and eliminated a health benefits trust. The administration claims that they need to reduce costs, and they seem to be doing so without regard to the faculty or the quality of education they provide. The connection is not lost on LIU students, who walked out en masse last Thursday.

UC-AFT Member Spotlight: Raj Singh—Management Lecturer, Engineer, Dem Party Delegate and UC-AFT Organizing Fellow
Dr. Raj Singh teaches in the School of Business Administration at UCR, where he recently received the Golden Apple Award for Teaching Excellence. He holds several advanced degrees from universities in India and the U.S., including a Ph.D. in Policy Planning and Administration from USC. He teaches courses in organizational behavior, introduction to business, human resource management and leadership development. Raj is a past Chair of the Unit 18 Professional Development Committee at UCR, and he’s recently accepted a position as a UC-AFT Organizing Fellow.  Click here to find out more about Raj, his teaching and his work with UC-AFT.

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