November 3, 2009
FSU EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING 11/3/09
Members Present: Marlene Kim Erin O’Brien Elizabeth Mock Catherine Lynde Phil Chassler
Others Present: Mickey Gallagher, MTA Consultant Lorenzo Nencioli, FSU Membership Coordinator Arthur Goldsmith, FSU Grievance Officer
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Contract Update
The administration and FSU continue to work on finalizing language so the new contract can be distributed. Funding for this year, while precarious, is pending before the state legislature. The Governor has assured public employee unions that collective bargaining contracts for this year will get funded.
Department Chairs Training
The FSU participated in a contract training session organized by Admin. The purpose of the training was to give chairs information to allow them to better comply with the contract, in particular with issues surrounding non-tenure track faculty. It was reported that the session was well attended and went very well. Another training session will be scheduled for the Spring.
Labor/Management Committees
All the committees called for by the 09-12 contract have been established and will convene soon. There is an All Committee meeting scheduled for Monday November 9th.
All-Union Meeting
The UMB all-union meeting will take place on November 4th. There will be discussion of what to do if the unions are asked for concessions from the Governor’s office, among other topics.
Newsletter
Dorothy Nelson, the FSU Communications Officer, is nearing completion of the FSU newsletter. The newsletter should come out at the end of November.
Budget
The UMB operating budget will see further 9C cuts this fiscal year but it was reported that federal stimulus money as well as a UMB rainy day fund should be able to cover the FY10 shortfall. It is unclear if such funds would be available in the face of possible FY11 budget cuts. The University will have to cover the cost of fringe benefits for any positions switched from state funds to federal stimulus funding. Therefore, the impact of the 9C cuts will be limited to those costs.
Workload Issues
It was reported that certain FSU members are concerned about a perceived increase in their workload related to writing proficiency exam grading and advising. It was decided that they should write up a detailed account and send it to the FSU where it will be examined further. There was discussion on whether or not this constituted a contractual, workload issue. It was noted that the FSU contract does not fully address the matter of workload issues and that the FSU should begin to address this issue via the contract rather than relying on past practices, which vary greatly from department to department. There was discussion on conducting a member survey or holding an all-member meeting to address this matter.
Treasurer Vote
A motion was offered to nominate Elizabeth Mock as FSU Treasurer. The motion was seconded. Elizabeth Mock was elected FSU Treasurer in a unanimous vote.
Research and Educational Funds (REF)
The 09-12 FSU contract stipulates that any REF monies left over from the prior fiscal year will be rolled-over and may be utilized this fiscal year with agreement from both the FSU and admin. It was reported that there is about $100,000 left over. There was discussion on how this money should be utilized. It was noted that, because of a prior agreement to divide REF monies between tenure stream faculty (TT) and non-tenure stream faculty (NTT), NTT would be eligible for more REF money than TT if such funds were applied in this manner. There was a comment that this money should be dispersed according to past practice (i.e. it should be distributed on an equal percentage with the amount changing only according to percentage of time). It was decided that there should be a deadline to apply for REF (at the start of next semester) and that the money should be dispersed according to the aforementioned principal. Any left-over monies will be given to a research and public service scholarship fund.
FSU Email Policy
Currently, FSU policy stipulates that all FSU communication (emails, newsletters, etc.) will only be sent to dues paying members (NOTE: This policy does not cover communication related to contract talks- the FSU is required to communicate such info to all bargaining unit members regardless of their dues status). There was discussion on whether or not to change the policy so that all FSU communications will be sent to all bargaining unit members regardless of their dues status. There was a unanimous vote to change FSU policy so that communication will occur for all bargaining unit members (NOTE: FSU communication re union elections or union bylaws changes will only occur for dues paying FSU members).
Health and Safety Committee
It was noted that the Governor will require all state agencies to have health and safety committees by the end of November 2009. There was discussion on whether or not the FSU should have its own H and S committee or have a joint committee together with the other campus unions.
GIC Dinner
MTA Vice President Paul Toner, who is a member of the State Group Insurance Commission (GIC), has invited union leaders to attend an informational dinner on Tuesday, November 10th. The purpose of the dinner is to discuss possible changes in GIC coverage. It was noted that the percentage split would be unlikely to change as it would require legislative approval. However, the GIC could seek to save money by increasing co-pays, etc. This will likely be on the agenda. Ex Com members who are interested in attending should contact the FSU office.
UPDATES
Grievance Committee: It was reported that the JCC voted to approve the arbitration case regarding a tenure denial case AG reported that tenure stream faculty grievances were relatively quiet. Updates were given on ongoing lecturer grievances.
Lecturer Retirement: MG expressed dismay at the slow pace of receiving information from HR on lecturer retirement. Admin has not responded to numerous phone and email requests for info as well as an offer of FSU funds to aid in the gathering of the needed info. There was discussion of whether or not to pursue legal venues for getting such info (i.e. via a Freedom of Information Act filing). There was also discussion of whether or not another strategy was needed to get this information. CL will talk with Jon Millman about other possible strategies.
CCDE Bargaining: MG reported the CCDE bargaining team provided the University with a comprehensive proposal. The Unievrsity is expected to respond at the next scheduled bargaining session An email update on the latest round of bargaining talks will be sent to members soon.
Bylaws
Discussion regarding the need to assure compliance with existing by laws resulted in the Ex Committee agreeing to extend the general membership meeting until April 2010 so the body can approve the next fiscal year budget at that time. Lorenzo and Mickey agreed to review existing by laws and bring forward a draft of necessary revisions to the Ex Com for their consideration and action.