Impacts of Budget Cuts on UC-AFT Positions

UC-AFT has been closely tracking the impacts of recent budget cuts on our positions and on our members.  During January and February of 2010 we collected over 500 responses to our survey on layoffs and reductions in time within Unit 18.  The survey provided valuable information about the number of layoffs, but more importantly, respondents gave us detailed information about how the cuts have affected workload, quality of courses, and the quality of jobs in general.   

We have recently conducted a comparison of the size and composition of our units using data from April 2009 and April 2010.  The comparison looks at the overall size of our units both in terms of numbers of people working, and the number of full time equivalents(FTE).  Then, we compared each job title for total numbers and FTE.  For some of the larger titles like Lecturer Academic Year and Lecturer Academic Year 1/9, which together account for over 90% of our lost positions, we looked at the number of positions relative to percentage time. 

What the numbers show is that both of our units have sustained dramatic decreases both in numbers of people and FTE.  

Unit 17-Librarians

Our libraries are operating with 31 fewer librarians, and 26.8 fewer full time equivalent positions.  This is a reduction of 7.5% and 6.7% respectively. This number is particularly significant given that UC libraries were understaffed going into 2009.  One of the main bargaining issues in the last round of negotiations, which started in January 2009, was increased workload due to the number of unfilled librarian positions.  In fact, if you look at the April 2008 data, there were 10 more librarians and 5 more FTE than in 2009.  So, Unit 17 has endured a two year decline of 41 positions and 32 FTE.  Of the individual librarian titles, Associate Potential Career seems to have taken the largest hit with between 16 and 21 fewer positions  from 2009 to 2010.

Unit 18-Lecturers and other titles 

There are 339 fewer lecturers and 194.3 fewer FTE in 2010 than in 2009.  Unit 18 had a 10.7% reduction in the number of people and an 11% reduction in FTE.  The most significant trend in the data shows that continuing titles either gained slightly or stayed the same, while pre-six titles generally lost people and FTE.  This data reflects the relative stability of the continuing appointment.  We do anticipate reductions in our continuing numbers in the next academic year because many continuing appointee layoffs had an effective date of June 30, 2010.

 Pre-six lecturers in the Academic Year(1630) and AY 1/9(1632) titles lost the vast majority of positions and FTE.  1630 and 1632 combined lost around 190 FTE, including over 50 full-time positions.  It is unclear how many of these lost full-time positions were reductions in time rather than full layoffs.  The percentage of people working at a given percentage time within  these two titles stayed fairly consistent over the two years, which suggests that despite offering fewer courses, departments are selectively reducing time amongst pre-six lecturers.  1630 did have a 6% increase in the number of people working below 50% time, which corroborates several comments in the on-line survey about losing benefits due to a reduction in time below 50%.

About 30% of the 500 survey respondents indicated a reduction in time, or full layoff.  This data indicates that while our unit has shrunk by 10%, these cuts have been distributed across a larger segment of our unit.  This seems to be supported by the consistent distribution of percentage time from year to year.  Many of the survey responses mentioned increased workloads due to increased class size, reduced access to TA's, or both.  

Several of our members also reported reduced access to summer sessions courses, and reduced pay for summer courses.  Reduction access is resulting from courses being offered to senate faculty and graduate students first, and overall reductions in the number of courses being offered.  We are also hearing reports of summer courses being offered to new, cheaper, lecturers rather than available continuing appointees.

Two additional themes that were prevalent in the survey responses were that lecturers are often out of the loop with respect to information about programatic planning and budget projections.  This is directly related to the other theme where lecturers report a decreasing sense of security about their jobs.  

Click here to view the raw numbers used in this comparison.