Bargaining Update: Salary, Course Caps, Academic Freedom
10/2/2020
Dear FSU Members,
On Wednesday, the FSU Core Bargaining Team, along with our 30 member Expanded Bargaining Team, received proposals from Administration (attached) that would eliminate raises for three years, curtail academic freedom, explicitly require unpaid work during the period of non-responsibility, and potentially increase course sizes significantly. Quite simply, the administration wants us to do more work for less pay and with diminished autonomy.
There is good news. We did not receive proposals asking for furloughs or increased parking rates – and hence have something to look forward to in future bargaining sessions (lol). Administration is on a roll.
We are perplexed that our own Administration is proposing no raises for the next three years – at a time when enrollments look good and we do not know what state funding will look like two months from now, let alone two years (the state level-funded Higher Ed through October). We were also surprised, if not exactly shocked, that Administration’s first proposals call for an increase in unpaid work while giving Administration even more discretion to increase course caps.
Please review the attached proposals and let us know what you think. And stay involved in your union.
An invitation to participate in our next bargaining session on October 14th will be coming soon to FSU members. The Core Bargaining Team will respond to Admin’s proposals and present some of our own for librarians and faculty on the 14th.
Sincerely,
Core Bargaining Team
Caroline Coscia, Senior Lecturer II, Political Science, FSU Vice President
Katie D’Urso, MTA Field Representative
Jessica Holden, Librarian III, Healey Library
Maria Mellone, Non-Reappointed (i.e., laid off) Associate Lecturer, Math
Alex Mueller, Associate Professor, English
Lorenzo Nencioli, FSU Membership Coordinator
Jason Rodriquez, Associate Professor, Sociology
Heike Schotten, Associate Professor, Political Science
Steve Striffler, Director of the Labor Resource Center and Professor, Anthropology, FSU President
Tony Vandermeer, Senior Lecturer II, Africana Studies
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