FSU Executive Committee Meeting Minutes December 14, 2022

FSU Executive Committee Meeting Minutes December 14, 2022 (hybrid: ISC 1-1400 and Zoom)

Executive Committee Members Present: Caroline Coscia (President); Jeff Melnick (Vice President); Chris Barcelos; Lynne Benson; Dana Commesso; Monique Fuguet; Sana Haroon; Jessica Holden; Meghan Kallman; Linda Liu; Brian White

Others Present: Lorenzo Nencioli (FSU Senior Staff Member); Katie D’Urso (MTA rep); Christine Elliott; George Kelley; Suzanne Morris; Heidi Stanish

1. Approval of Agenda: Motion to approve the agenda. Motion seconded. Motion passes unanimously.

   2.Approval of Minutes: Motion to approve the minutes of the December 2 Executive Committee Meeting and the December 8 evotes on the spring 2023 elections schedule and the appointment of Jill McDonough to the     Health and Safety Committee. Motion seconded. Motion passes unanimously.

    3. International Faculty Group: Sana provides an update on the FSU International Faculty Group. The group held their second event today. There is a need for a coordinator at the university who will take responsibility for    each international faculty member’s progress through the immigration pipeline and will provide access to HR and university counsel resources. The coordinator should be someone in the Provost’s Office and would be charged with the welfare of international faculty and coordinating immigration efforts. There is also consensus that international faculty want to articulate concerns regarding bargaining and the FSU contract. Discussion of a meeting between the Core Bargaining Team and international faculty, and of formalizing Sana’s role as international faculty coordinator for the FSU.

    4. December 15 Forum: The FSU and DCU will jointly host a forum on the Provost’s proposed academic reorganization on December 15 at 2:00. Discussion of the framing, moderating, and process of the forum. Lorenzo will speak to the basics of impact bargaining.

     5. Stipends for spring 2023: Discussion of stipends paid from the FSU budget. The President and Vice President will split a stipend: Caroline and Jeff will each get $2500. Grievance officers will each get a $1200 stipend: Paul Dyson, Ellen Frank, Trei Martin, Laurie Milliken, and Heidi Stanish. Motion to approve spring 2023 stipends. Motion seconded. Motion passes unanimously.

     6. Proposal to Change FSU Policies on Bargaining: Proposed changes include lessening the role that the President plays in selecting a bargaining team, broadening the timeframe for approving the core bargaining team, adding language regarding the creation and dissemination of a membership survey, and clarifying the role of the Contract Action Team (CAT). Motion to approve proposed policy changes. Motion seconded. Motion passes unanimously. Jeff will draft job descriptions for the CAT. We are looking for people with different specializations, strengths, and areas of interest. [See the end of these minutes for the text of the amended policy.]

    7. Labor Management: Caroline provide an update on Labor Management meetings. The Administration has stated that there is no rush on the RES funds process. The Chancellor is forming a committee for the ombudsman position; the FSU will follow up on this. There has been discussion of service for Senior Lecturer IIs; the FSU will get follow up and get clarity from the Administration on this. Other discussion topics include the investigation of Africana Studies, the CLA Dean’s sabbatical, and lack of governance in Academic Support. The head of UMass’s Administration and Finance has been appointed by Governor-Elect Healey as the new head of Administration and Finance for the Commonwealth.

    8. Nuts and Bolts: Discussion of $3000 development stipend for developing online courses. Faculty should not complete this work until receiving confirmation of their stipend. Discussion of NTT courses being assigned to graduate students. Graduate students can contractually be assigned FSU bargaining unit work as long as it does not reduce the workload of an FSU member with continuing appointment. We may need to address this issue in bargaining.

    9. Communications Committee: Discussion of the charge and processes of the Communications Committee, including frequency of communications and bringing on more guest columnists. Consensus to temporarily put the Communications Committee on hold. Jeff will author The Point going forward.

    10. Website: Caroline will speak to Travis Johnston regarding updates to the FSU website.

    11. By-laws Committee: We will resurrect this committee in the spring. We need an extensive look at FSU by-laws and policies and determine if we need to make any changes. By-laws changes need to be approved at the FSU Annual Meeting.

     12. Spring schedule: Discussion of spring 2023 Executive Committee meeting schedule. One possibility is Tuesdays from 3:30-5:00.

Motion to go into Executive Session. Motion seconded. Motion passes unanimously. EXECUTIVE SESSION

APPROVED BY EX COM 12/14/22

FSU Policy on Bargaining.

1. General Information on the Core Bargaining Team
   
   1. Language from Article VI, Section 9 of the FSU bylaws is provided here for informational purposes: ‘A core bargaining team shall be established as the need arises. The President shall recommend, for approval of the Executive Committee, members to serve on the core bargaining team to negotiate a successor Agreement or to negotiate agreements on any other subject of bargaining as agreed to by the FSU and the Administration. The core bargaining team for the successor agreement shall usually consist of four to ten members, but can be comprised of more, if needed, and its membership shall be open to all members of the chapter. Bargaining teams empowered to negotiate any other agreements shall be populated according to need. Membership on these teams shall be open to all members of the chapter. Term of office shall cease upon execution of a new Agreement’.
   2. Core Bargaining Team members for the successor agreement shall be recommended and approved no later than mid fall semester prior to the end of the contract, except under unusual circumstances.
   3. The constitution of the team should allow for proper representation of tenure stream and non-tenure track faculty members as well as librarians.
   4. The Core Bargaining Team shall draft and administer a bargaining survey for all members.
   5. When feasible, the Core Bargaining Team will solicit input on the development of the content of the survey from various FSU constituencies prior to drafting the survey.
   6. The bargaining survey will be sent out no later than one month prior to the start of bargaining for the successor agreement, except in unusual circumstances.
   7. Prior to sending out the survey to members, the Core Bargaining Team will allow the FSU Executive Committee time to review the draft survey and provide feedback. Executive Committee members should not disseminate the draft survey without explicit approval from the Core Bargaining Team.

1. The results of the survey will be shared with the Executive Committee and some aspects of the survey will be shared with the membership. These aspects will be determined collaboratively by the Executive Committee and Core Bargaining Team.
2. Based on the results of the survey, feedback from the Executive Committee and other FSU members and/or constituencies, the Core Bargaining Team shall develop topics, proposals, and if decided, principles, for bargaining.
3. When bargaining starts the Core Bargaining Team shall:
   
   1. When feasible seek input from the Executive Committee regarding major developments.
   2. Provide updates to the membership on the status of different proposals being negotiated with the administration through emailed updates and as necessary, through scheduled meetings open to all members (this work may also be designated to the Contract Action Team, see below).
4. When the bargaining cycle ends, prior to ratification, the Core Bargaining Team shall:
   
   1. Report to members the changes that were agreed upon with the Administration, prior to ratification, consistent with the stipulations of the MGL Chapter 150E. This can be done via e-mail.
   2. Organize informational meetings in which the proposed changes to the contract are shared, and in which members can ask questions about how those changes might affect their labor conditions. This should be done prior to the end of ratification of the contract (this work may also be designated to the Contract Action Team, see below).
5. General information on the Contract Action Team
   
   1. A Contract Action Team will be created with the purpose of providing support to the Core Bargaining Team in regards to: communicating with members on bargaining developments (with approval from the Core Bargaining Team), mobilizing members for actions in support of bargaining and the Core Bargaining Team, conducting research and gathering information for the Core Bargaining Team, providing logistical support to the Core Bargaining Team, and any other actions deemed necessary in support of bargaining and the Core Bargaining Team.