FSU Update on Impact Bargaining
4/9/2020
Dear FSU Members,
We write with an update about COVID-19 impact bargaining with the Administration. At our meeting on April 8th we reached tentative agreement on the FSU-specific portion of the larger union-coalition proposal (see attached). This will not become formal or official until we complete bargaining the larger portion of the proposal that we share with the other unions on campus. It’s all part of a single proposal.
We did not achieve everything we would have liked, but made some important gains (see attached for full description):
- Faculty will get reimbursed for cancelled travel plans.
- Junior faculty have the option of extending tenure clocks by a year.
- Recognizing the unprecedented nature of the semester, administration has agreed that teaching evaluations for Spring 2020 cannot be singled out as uniquely persuasive evidence of poor teaching. They must be contextualized within a holistic approach by Dept Chairs and DPCs – and flagged as unique.
- An ongoing task force of faculty, librarians, and administrators will be formed regarding the continued implementation of remote teaching (should that happen).
It is worth keeping in mind the obvious -- that this crisis is evolving and many issues will continue to emerge. For example, although there has been no official announcement regarding summer courses, we expect these will be taught online, and hence any changes to the current policy regarding the payment of stipends to faculty for developing online courses will need to be bargained. There will be many other issues as we move into the summer and fall.
FSU Coronavirus Info and Resources: For FSU news and resources with respect to all things COVID-19 please see here.
Expanded Bargaining: As the FSU moves into main table bargaining, and negotiates the ground rules for doing so, we will be insisting on expanding bargaining and developing the technological method for allowing all members to attend (virtually) bargaining sessions. So stay tuned for an invitation to bargaining.
Virtual Q and A: Likewise, please look for an invitation to a virtual Q and A about bargaining with the Core Bargaining Team.
We look forward to seeing you soon and hope you are all safe and well.
Sincerely,
Core Bargaining Team
Caroline Coscia, Senior Lecturer II, Political Science, FSU Vice President
Katie D’Urso, MTA Field Representative
Maria Mellone, Associate Lecturer, Mathematics
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
Tony Vandermeer, Senior Lecturer II, Africana Studies
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