A message from outgoing FSU President Marlene Kim plus additional updates

5/28/2020

Dear Colleague,

I hope you are having a good end to the academic year.  It would be remiss of me not to tell you that it has been my pleasure to be your FSU President for six years.  I have enjoyed getting to know many of you, helping many of you, and problem-solving the many problems in the university.  I have enjoyed involving more members in the FSU, working with other unions across the state, and fighting for you.  I will be meeting with the in-coming FSU President next week for a smooth transition.  I hope you will stay in touch even after this transition next week on June 1, 2020. 

Here’s the latest news:

CORONAVIRUS AND BUDGET NEWS

►UMB unions, including the FSU, will be planning an action on Wednesday, June 17 protesting layoffs, non-reappointments, and austerity budgets.  Stay tuned for further information. 

►Recommendations on reopening universities: This report to Governor Baker by University Presidents, including Marty Meehan, is attached.

►UMass Lowell successfully fought back against layoffs.  But they are expecting these or further cuts in the summer.  Please take action to help higher education colleges and universities (including UMB) here:   https://massteacher.org/about-the-mta/who-we-are/higher-education/take-action-for-public-higher-education

►The HEROES Act (see here) passed the House and is stuck in the Senate.  If you have not yet done so, send a letter to Congress on the Heroes Act. This bill:

• Allocates $900 billion for state and local fiscal relief.
• Provides $100 billion in emergency aid for public education, from pre-K through college.
• Provides $10K in student debt relief

► Sign the NTT Petition on non-reappointments of over 300 NTTs here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeJPvg2uLUCPdkLNgw1KiMJZJWsi3ykyu46KT5vNCtIsc4Nbg/viewform

OTHER NEWS

► Annual Election of Health Insurance Benefits:  Ends this Monday, June 1.  For further information, go to the Group Insurance Commission website at www.mass.gov/gic.   

► Distance Learning (DL): The FSU signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for some DL classes and also created a distance learning committee that is broadly examining distance learning issues to provide input to the FSU Executive Committee and the Core Bargaining Team on these issues. Let the committee know if you have any concerns or comments regarding DL issues by contacting the FSU office; see here  for the MOA and other operative distance learning documents). 

Sincerely,

Marlene Kim

FSU President

Professor, Economics

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