Unit 18 Bargaining Update #6

Lecturer’s Bargaining Update #6

Colleagues:

The University and the Union met for three full days last week, 18-20 May. If these three days could be assigned a theme, it would be “technical.” Most of our time was spent explaining to each other how the grievance, arbitration, and discipline articles could work better for our various constituencies—but most especially affected members. By the end of these three days, we developed proposals that will have the affect of speeding up the grievance process, especially when it gets to arbitration, and also making sure that when the University endeavors to invoke discipline that it has a clear process for doing so. (The Union already believes such a process exists, so we simply reordered the article in a way that makes for a clearer read.) At this point, with these articles, one side has drafted a “supposal” for the other’s review.

In addition, we began working on the famous 7s—the appointment articles. We explained to UC why and how Article 7a has been abused, and we have given them what we think is a clearer statement of how we would like it to work, given their requirements. (This “supposal” includes, for example, a three-step increase following appointment to the fourth year, and a review for anyone being considered for reappointment, not just those who request a review.) UC’s team will share this draft with the members of their team who were not present (which is a significant number), and endeavor a rewrite before our next meeting on 2-3 June. In addition, they will give us some changes that they would like to see in Articles 7b and 7c. As we understand this, based on our conversations, these should not be controversial. In a nutshell, we are trying to change the language in these articles so that it is the “effect” of creating churning that is not permitted, rather than the “intent” of a University action that creates churning. At this time, we don’t have a clear sense of what UC sees their stumbling blocks to be.

Finally, we reached agreement on a couple of smaller issues—such as withholding dues from paychecks after someone leaves the University and then returns to employ within five years AND the way in which NSF should engage with their colleagues, which basically will mirror, if accepted, an AAUP document from1966 that is also part of the UC Faculty Handbook. I’ll expect that I will have more to say on these in the next update.

Our next bargaining sessions are at UCOP on 2-3 June. There will be continued discussion on appointments. We are also trying to get one of the campus Summer Sessions Directors who knows something about summer session to attend, so that we can have a productive conversation about both summer session and online education.

Following those meetings, I will write again—with more detail. Bargaining then will not take place until mid-July, just a few weeks before the contract expires. Details on that will follow.