FSU Nuts & Bolts: FSU Annual Meeting, April 25th 3:30 – 5PM, Meeting Materials
4/10/2023
Dear FSU member,
This issue of Nuts & Bolts contains the agenda and materials for our upcoming April 25th Annual Meeting.
FSU Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting is held for the purpose of hearing committee reports, be updated on FSU activities, adopt an annual budget, adopt bylaws, establish dues rates and other business as needed (source: FSU bylaws and FSU policies). Organizations such as unions are required by law to hold an annual meeting. All dues paying members can attend, participate, and vote on items before the annual meeting.
(contact FSU or Caroline Coscia for Zoom information).
Agenda:
Welcome
Review of past year accomplishments
Adopt FSU FY24 budget
Current projects/initiatives
Member feedback/input for upcoming year
FSU Budget Adoption
The FSU FY24 budget is being recommended by the FSU Executive Committee (contact the FSU office or FSU President Caroline Coscia for a copy of the budget).
Budget Notes: Dues Increase
Member dues are via payroll deduction which occurs once a month over ten months, September to June. Your dues rate is determined by your Full Time Equivalent (FTE).
Although you pay your dues to the FSU, we do not keep all your dues money. Both the MTA and NEA take a portion. Example: 100% FTE faculty: MTA receives 49%, NEA receives 20% leaving the FSU portion at 30%. 50% FTE faculty: MTA receives 46%, NEA receives 25% leaving the FSU portion at 29%.
The MTA and NEA are proposing a combined $24 dues increase. The MTA and NEA portion increases from $700 to $724. The proposed FSU budget includes a $12 increase to cover a portion of the $24 MTA and NEA increase. In this time of inflation and for several years with low pay raises, the Executive Committee is cutting expenses to keep the dues increase as low as possible.
The FSU will pay MTA and NEA $405,440. We will be collecting $398,720. This is because we are only asking you for half the increase.
Budget Notes: Salaries/Stipends
Two expenses are being reduced in the FY24 budget. For several years, we have had a fifteen-hour-per-week administrative assistant. For FY24 we are reducing the position to five hours per week (Cell E21). The current staff person is on leave. We are unsure when they will return. We will reevaluate the need to fill this position in the Fall.
Some grievance officers receive a stipend for their service. For FY24 there will be one less officer receiving a stipend. We are leaving the line item at level funding but knowing most likely we will spend $11,600 rather than $14,000.
If we do not fill the administrative assistant position and do not replace a grievance officer, (which we are keeping in the budget), then there is a possibility expenses will decrease by almost $8,000.
Course Releases and Stipends
According to FSU policy (check under Financials), FSU members are to be informed of all course releases, Admin paid stipends, and FSU paid stipends granted to FSU officers and/or members. Contact the FSU office or FSU President Caroline Coscia for a copy of the document.
We look forward to seeing you on the 25th.
Sincerely,
Caroline Coscia
FSU President
Senior Lecturer II
Political Science Department