Unit 18 Bargaining Update #2 6-1-12

Colleagues:

UC-AFT met with the University's team for reopener bargaining on
Friday, June 1. Each side opened two articles in addition to salary.
The Union opened Merit Review, in order to increase the size of
successful merit reviews. We presented some information to the
University about this, but there was no significant conversation about
what actually could be done. The same is true of the salary article.
The University claims that it is waiting for some additional budget
information before it can discuss the issues with any certainty.

The University opened the article that discusses the process for the
initial continuing appointment, and it presented its case to the Union
about why it would like changes in the case of those NSF where need
goes away before the excellence review is completed. The information
that the University provided was largely a rehash of the last time we
bargained this article. The University also opened up the grievance
article, in order to fix what it considers a technical flaw in the
language that we negotiated last time. We do not believe that this is
a technical flaw, and each side explained its position. (This has to
do with appeals to arbitration and Step 3).

The Union also opened the layoff article, in which we will try to
achieve better notice for lecturers who are reduced in time but not
completely laid off AND also to achieve a longer period of rights to
rehire after being laid off. We presented our case, and the University
heard us. But this too is familiar ground, as we had extensive
discussion in the last round of bargaining.

This is really all that happened. There were no substantive proposals
exchanged, but we agreed to share some information about the
composition of the lecturer population as we have it. We meet again at
UCI on 25 June, where we will continue our discussions. I'll write
with more information after that session.

Best wishes for a productive summer,

Alan Karras