UC-AFT Teaching Faculty Reach Historic Agreement

This contract revolutionizes the first six years of a lecturer’s career at the UC. This contract provides a robust system for moving lecturers from initial hire to continuing appointment. The first year is a one year contract with a review in writing, and a preference for being considered before new hires, as well as a raise going for the second year. The next contract is a two year contract with a review in the second year of that contract and a raise going into the fourth year. The next contract is a three year contract that leads to an excellence review for a continuing appointment. Unlike the current system of complete precarity through the first five years of a lecturer’s career with a requirement that lecturers apply for their jobs each year, after the first year all the contracts are multi-year. Unlike the current system of completely arbitrary decisions on rehiring, every contract includes a review process and a written evaluation.

Transition Plan to 2022-23 Appointments
Our new job stability provisions will take effect beginning July 1, 2022. All pre-continuing faculty teaching in AY 2021-22 will have preferential rehire for AY 2022-23 courses that will be offered and the instructor is qualified to teach.

Job Stability
We've secured multi-year appointments in the first six years, with reviews before reappointment and the right to be reappointed if deemed "effective" before an external hire could be considered. The first year would be a 1 year contract with a written assessment by the chair. If reappointed, a 3% merit increase will apply and a two-year contract granted. At the end of the third year, a review will be completed and if deemed effective, reappointment to a three-year contract would occur along with another 3% merit increase. All reappointments are based on courses being available for which the faculty member is qualified to teach.

Pathway to Senior Continuing Lecturer
We added a clear path to Senior Continuing Lecturer which allows continuing faculty to apply for promotion to senior at the third merit review after the excellence review. The increase is 9% and the standard for promotion is exceptional.

Statement of Interest for Available Courses
In order to ensure that existing teaching faculty are fairly considered for courses that will be offered in the following year, we have secured a process where a formal statement of interest submitted by the lecturer will be used as the basis for reappointment eligibility and consideration. We have established a form to submit and a clear date by which faculty need to submit the form.

Specific and transparent performance review criteria
We secured more specific review criteria and transparent standards for the excellence review, merit review, and the promotional review to Senior Continuing Lecturer.

Workload
Won the requirement that departments will post IWC values for all classes as well as the fulltime IWC load. Improved dispute resolution via a panel of academic evaluators.

Compensation
$1500 signing bonus upon ratification. Adjusted the salary scale to points with even 3% increments, which will be an average increase of 1.3% increase on January 1. 7% general range adjustment on January 1, 2022. 3% July 1, 2022, 3% July 1, 2023, 3% July 1, 2024, 4% July 1, 2025.

Timely and more specific appointment letters
Appointment letters will be sent by May 1 on semester campuses and June 1 on quarter campuses. In addition, the appointment letters will have increased specificity regarding pay amounts and pay periods, submission date for statement of interest, and a link to a welcome letter from UC-AFT.

Credit Toward Continuing for Summer Session Teaching
Summer Session teaching will be counted toward continuing when a lecturer does not teach in every term of the regular academic year immediately prior to the summer session.

Expanded Eligibility for Paid Medical Leave
The agreement extends paid medical leave to all bargaining unit faculty with appointments of 66% or greater. This is an improvement from the 100% eligibility threshold in previous contract language. We still believe this threshold is too high. UC admin’s pervasive use of part-time and unbenefitted appointments means that most UC-AFT members may never be eligible for paid medical leave, even under this improved provision.

Increased Support for Unit Members with Children
We secured a Paid Leave for Family Care and Bonding that is specific to our bargaining unit. This leave is in addition to all other existing leaves. Management’s refusal to bargain this policy was the basis calling the Unfair Practice Strike. Our willingness to take action resulted in management coming to the table with a proposal that fits our bargaining unit. The new contract language grants all teaching faculty in our unit the right to a fully paid leave of 4 weeks. And the right to return to work with the same protections as federal or state family medical leave.

Expanded retirement and health benefits for Summer Session Lecturers
All Summer Session earnings are now eligible on every campus for UC's Tax-Deferred 403 (b) Retirement Plan. This win builds on our previous victory that blocked management’s attempt to take summer session retirement benefits away on some campuses. In addition, UC will pay the employer portion of the health benefits premium during the time an eligible Summer Session Lecturer is on pay status.

Stronger Health and Safety Provisions
At our insistence, UCOP agreed to add a new Health, Safety and Emergency Conditions article to our contract, outlining the rights and responsibilities of management and workers in the event an emergency is declared.

Professional Development Funding
The university's will increase the Unit 18 Teaching Faculty Professional Development Fund from $200 per FTE to $250 per FTE. However, they refused to budge on instituting a new cap on year-to-year rollovers of unused professional development funds. Rolling over remaining funds from one year to the next allows for larger grants and projects to be funded, including course release for lecturers working on major scholarly projects. The rollover cap does not exist on most campuses now. The addition of a cap is a takeaway on most campuses.

Release Time for Stewards
One paid course release for one steward per campus for one term each academic year. This paid release will help us better enforce our contract.

Online Instruction
We more clearly defined online courses as those approved by UC Online or through regular campus approval processes. Teaching faculty cannot be laid off due to a need for training to teach an online course they would be able to teach in-person. The university must provide this training. We also secured workload protections in the case that revision of an online course increases work.