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April 23, 2024- FSU Annual Meeting

FSU Annual Meeting Minutes

Tuesday, April 2, 2024, 3:00-5:00 pm (Zoom)

  1. Welcome: Caroline welcomes attendees. The FSU is required by law to have one meeting per year where members vote on the annual budget.

     
  2. Introductions: Caroline introduces Executive Committee members, Lorenzo, and Maria.

     
  3. Past Year Activities:
  • FSU negotiated a one-year contract for 2023-2024 that included an eight percent raise
  • Coalition building with our sister unions and student government
  • Legislative activity: Cherish Act
  • International faculty: Sana led a caucus to understand and discuss issues related to green card and visas. FSU will have proposals on these issues for our next contract.
  • New UMB website: FSU demanded changes
  • Promotion to Senior Lecturer III MOA: we have extended this agreement through the current year
  • Faculty Council: Caroline attends as an ex officio member and submits a written report
  • Antiracism grant program: Our pool of funds is now $45,000. We have used Nuts and Bolts to advertise these grant-funded activities.
  • Social Security WEP and GPO: On April 18, FSU held a forum to provide information to those who have worked under Social Security and will also receive a state pension.
  • The gender designation X was added to HR Direct. FSU joined with the other campus unions to push for this change.

​   4. Contractual CLRs/Stipends: Caroline shares information about spring 2024 and fall 2024 contractual CLRs and stipends. Spring: CLRs for Caroline, Sana, Paul Dyson, Heidi Stanish. Fall: CLRs for Caroline and Sana, and $4000 stipend for Trei Martin. FSU budget stipends: spring 2024 – Caroline, Sana, Trei, and Laurie Milliken. Fall 2024 – Caroline, Sana, Paul, Laurie, and Heidi.

   5. Current and Upcoming Activities:

  • We have begun bargaining the 24-27 contract. In fall 2023 the Core Bargaining Team was formed.
  • Parking bargaining: The first meeting with labor relations since fall 2023 is on April 25. The FSU, CSU, DCU, and PSU are working together on parking bargaining.
  • Medical leaves: The UMass system will be outsourcing all aspects of medical leaves to a third party vendor. FMLAsource (an absence management system) is a subsidiary of CommPsych. We have seen signed UMass contracts that will also include ADA accommodations. A letter was sent from most of the UMass unions to system and campus administrations
  • We are finalizing the MOA between MGS and UMB Administration
  • Students’ chosen names on diplomas: We are continuing to push the university to allow students to have their chosen name on their diploma. University records will retain their legal name.

   6. Adopt FSU 2024-2025 Budget (includes JCC budget): Lorenzo leaves the meeting. Monique shows a summary of changes to this year’s budget compared to last year’s budget. Expenditures include administrative and operations expenses, and staff salary and benefits. FSU pays 35% of the JCC budget, which includes bookkeeping, billing, payroll, and auditing.

      Proposed decreases:

  • Reduced phone budget
  • Bank service charge is reduced to zero with the transfer to a new bank
  • Remove administrative assistant line item – Robert will not be replaced
  • Remove Election Buddy line item – Qualtrics cost covered by faculty volunteer’s license

Proposed no change:

  • Dues reconciliation
  • Postage budget
  • Officer stipends: grievance officers, president, vice president, treasurer, and clerk

Proposed increases:

  • New savings line item of $20,000 to increase our reserves
  • Meetings – more funding for on-campus activities; funding for ad hoc committees and faculty/librarian constituencies; funding for outward facing activities regarding legislation
  • Interest earnings
  • Travel reinstated – MTA/NEA meetings, mileage/travel reimbursement, lodging reimbursement
  • Organizational memberships reinstated – HELU
  • Office equipment
  • Office supplies
  • Printing

Monique shares proposed FY25 budget for FSU and JCC. Shows JCC tab first. Our share of the proposed FY25 JCC budget is $20,891.07 (35% of total JCC budget, which is $59,688.77). We need to take a vote to accept the JCC budget. Motion to accept proposed FY25 JCC budget. Motion seconded. Discussion of JCC expenses, including the work of the bookkeeper and the importance of staying connected with MSP for collection actions. Motion on the FY25 JCC budget carries.



Monique shares tab for proposed FY25 budget. FY25 local income is $227,950. MTA dues collection is $422,950. Total income (FSU local + MTA) is $650,900; up from $592,530 in FY24. The current full-time member dues rate is $1040. FY25 proposed dues rate is $1158 per member (an increase of $118: $80 for FSU, $33 for MTA, and $5 for NEA). Discussion about reserves, interest rates, various line items, and raising member dues. Discussion topics include concerns about the impact of raising dues on membership, raising revenue aside from dues, and our recent eight-percent raise. The proposed dues increase will be an increase of $11.80 per paycheck. Context: higher education and academic freedom are under attack and our union work is very important. We need to provide that context to members if we raise dues this amount. The union provides members with protections.



Motion: Reduce the reserves contribution from $20,000 to $5,000 for the next fiscal year. Motion seconded. 9 in favor, 10 against. Motion does not pass.

Motion: Pass the proposed FY25 budget as presented. Motion seconded. 15 in favor, 0 against, 3 abstentions. Motion carries.

     7. Steve Striffler – bargaining update: FSU has the Core Bargaining Team (CBT) + the expanded team, which includes everyone in union + the Contract Action Team (CAT). FSU is currently battling with the administration over the modality of bargaining. Admin insists that no one can be on Zoom and must be in person for every meeting. FSU initially proposed all-Zoom bargaining, listened to Admin’s concerns, and then proposed a hybrid modality for anyone who can’t attend in person. This would keep bargaining open, accessible, and transparent. The next bargaining session is May 1 from 1:00-2:30. We would love members to show up in person as a show of support. We will likely have this discussion with Admin again. Email the CBT email address to register. Maria Hegbloom introduces herself. She is the new MTA field rep who is working with us. She comes from being a faculty member at one of the state universities, was the president of the nine state universities union, and was the bargaining chair for them.

   8. Future Plans/Member Input: Caroline opens the floor for member comments and questions. Discussion of how much more difficult and bureaucratic things have gotten for faculty. FSU plans to have an ice cream social at the end of the semester.



MEETING ADJOURNS