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UC-AFT Insider January 2011

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University Council-AFT Insider
January 3, 2011

In this issue:

  • New Year’s Message from UC-AFT Executive Director, Maria Elena Cortez
  • A Counter-Conference: Strategies for Defending Higher Education—January 8
  • MLA- January 6th Academy in Hard Times Sessions Free to Contingent Faculty
  • Bargaining Survey for Lecturers--Deadline January 15, 2011
  • Petition to Stop Executive Pension Increases

 

New Year’s Message from UC-AFT Executive Director, Maria Elena Cortez

Dear UC-AFT Librarians, Lecturers and Non-Represented Members: 

For the past two plus years I have been representing UC-AFT members at the UCLA campus and now, with the start of 2011, I am genuinely thrilled to be starting as the new executive director for UC-AFT.  We have a big year ahead of us with contract negotiations for the librarians (economic re-opener) and the lecturers (successor negotiations), as well as all the UC budget and benefits issues.  With our active statewide officers, our staff of talented field reps, our local activists and membership, we are well equipped to take on 2011 and everything it will bring. 
I look forward to getting out to all the campuses and meeting with local leaders and activists.  So far I've made it to Davis and Merced, and had the opportunity to meet some really great people. 

Welcome to 2011!  May our Union prosper and grow as we take on our futures and the future of higher education. 

In solidarity,

Maria Elena Cortez

MLA- January 6th Academy in Hard Times Sessions Free to Contingent Faculty

All sessions in the Academy in Hard Times series of panels Thursday afternoon and evening (Jan. 6) at the Modern Language Association Convention at the LA Convention center are free of charge to contingent faculty members.  To obtain a guest pass, just register at the main registration desk with your name and institutional affiliation indicating your part-time/non-tenure-track status.

Many well-known people in the contingent faculty movement will be speaking in this series: Michael Berube, Cary Nelson (AAUP Pres.), Maria Maisto of NFM, Barbara Bowen from CUNY/AFT, Chris Newfield from UCSB, Elizabeth Hoffman from CFA (CSU Long Beach), Bob Samuels of UCLA (UC-AFT Pres.), Ben Harder of UCR, Julia Stein of Santa Monica CC, to name only a few.  The names of speakers on the specific panels are on the print program, available at the registration desk.  Follow this link to the January 6th Academy in Hard Times session schedule:    http://www.mla.org/pdf/acadhardtimesweb.pdf

A Counter-Conference: Strategies for Defending Higher Education--January 8

This counter-conference will take place during the annual Modern Language Convention in Los Angeles, January 8th, 2011 from 1-5 at Loyola Law School (919 Albany St).  While thousands of people will be meeting at the traditional convention, we will hold a one-day event centered on discussing actual strategies for making higher education more just.  Speakers will be presenting short papers on topics like the death of tenure, the corporatization of the university, the possibilities of unionization, direct social action, the use and abuse of graduate students, organizing contingent faculty, and taking back shared governance.  Follow this link for the full list of panels and speakers:
https://ucaft.org/content/counter-conference-strategies-defending-higher-education

Bargaining Survey for Lecturers--Deadline January 15, 2011

The Unit 18 bargaining survey will remain open until January 15.  This survey will help our bargaining team craft initial proposals and prioritize bargaining issues.   If you have not yet completed this very brief survey, please do so at the link below.  

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/unit18bargainingsurvey

Petition to Stop Executive Pension Increases

As reported in the San Francisco Chronicle last week, thirty-six of UC’s highest paid executives are threatening to sue UC if the university does not raise the salary cap on their pension accrual. “Under UC's formula,” reports the Chronicle, “which calculates retirement benefits on only the first $245,000 of pay, an employee earning $400,000 a year who retires after 30 years would get a $183,750 annual pension. Lift the cap, and the pension rises to $300,000.” To read the original story click here:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/29/MNDC1GUSCT.DTL

To sign a petition against lifting the cap, click here:

http://www.gopetition.com/petition/41718.html

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.