Update on Budget Cuts and Information on NTT Fall 20 Appointments

5/13/2020

Dear Colleague,

Across the UMass System, because they are facing shortfalls in the 2019-20 budget (UMass Boston is not facing shut a shortfall), campuses are asking staff at Lowell, Amherst, Dartmouth, and UMass Medical to take furloughs (unpaid days of work; some have accepted these).  UMass Lowell laid off 60 out of 130 maintenance staff.  UMass Amherst and Lowell did not provide classes for fall 2020 to adjunct faculty whom they cannot re-hire. 

Unfortunately, this scenario has come to UMB.  The administration’s position is that to provide maximum flexibility in the budget for fall 2020, which is still unknown, UMB is providing notice to NTTs who are associate lecturers and lecturers without continuous appointments that they may not have classes in the fall 2020.  We are working with the other unions on campus and across the state to fight against the austerity budgets and cuts being proposed. 

The State of Massachusetts has a $3 billion rainy day fund; the UMass System has reserves.  A pandemic seems to be the time to use these.  

We will follow up with our NTT members and are here to answer your concerns and questions.  In the meantime, we recommend that NTT faculty familiarize themselves with the relevant language in Article 21 of the contract (21.8 speaks to appointment and non- reappointment language for NTT who are less than 50%; 21.9 speaks to appointment and non-reappointment language for NTT who are 50% or more; 21.9.2 speaks to language on continuing appointments- if you are unsure if you have a continuing appointment, please contact the FSU office).

What can you do? 

• Sign the letter to UMass President Marty Meehan and Chair of the Board of Trustees Robert Manning to not pay for budget shortfalls by cutting programs, people, or services, to use the saved reserves, and to secure federal and state funding:  https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/tell-umass-president-marty-meehan-no-cuts-to-personnel/

• Sign the letter to UMass President and the UMass Lowell Chancellor to stop the layoffs at UMass Lowell:  https://actionnetwork.org/letters/stop-layoffs-at-umass-lowell

If you have not yet done so

• Help adjunct faculty in Massachusetts: Support Sen. Anne Gobi’s State bill to provide access to health care and retirement for adjunct faculty in Massachusetts, eliminate the 60-day waiting period for access to that health insurance, and put a moratorium on student debt payments to MEFA (the Mass Education Financing Agency). 

Although this is an emergency bill, and is only related to the current emergency measures, the MTA’s goal is to win these now and make them permanent. Contact your State Reps, Governor Baker, and Health Commissioner Carlos Santiago to ask for emergency action for health care equity here:  https://actionnetwork.org/letters/emergency-action-for-health-care-in-mass-higher-ed

• We are hoping for another federal Covid-19 funding bill, which passed the House but may not pass the Senate.  If you have not yet done so, take action at the Congressional Level and ask your State Reps to support Rep Richie Neal’s “people’s bailout,” including
• Funding $200 billion for education, including higher education (including UMB)
• Canceling student debt
• A GI bill for veterans to take public college debt free
• Extending support to the neediest

Sincerely,

Marlene Kim

FSU President

Professor, Economics

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