Your health care premium increases and other news from the FSU
3/12/2019
Dear Colleague,
I hope you are having a great break. Here are some updates and reminders:
►Your Health Care Insurance Premiums Increased on Average 3.6%. For the amount of your particular health care premium increase, see here. Attached are the minutes from the meeting regarding these increases. The FSU does not bargain your health insurance premiums; these decisions are made by the Group Insurance Commission (GIC), attached.
►Let’s raise $43 million per year for UMB: With the MTA, we are rallying around the Cherish Act that will raise an additional $43 million for UMB per year and over $500 million for higher education in Massachusetts. Help us in this effort:
- Lobby your legislators for this and for other concerns you have on Thursday, March 21. Sign up for the free 11-1 bus and lunch from UMB here or for the 10 am -2 pm full day here (you also get lunch!).
- Free T pass if you register by this Friday for either time option. Let us know you signed up and need a T pass to get to the State House by this Friday, and we will provide you with one.
- Sign the petition for this Act and the Promise Act (which will raise over $1 billion/year for K-12 education) here.
► Meeting on sexual harassment procedures, Wednesday March 20: 12-1 pm: The administration is proposing changes to the sexual harassment policy and procedures to the FSU. Come discuss with the FSU team your thoughts and needs on this issue in Wheatley, 5th floor room 41. Pizza will be served. More information will follow.
► Fourth year/tenure review workshop: by the Office for Faculty Development and the FSU will be Thursday, March 28 at 2 pm in the campus center room 2545. Learn about the process and get tips on how to prepare for these and have successful reviews.
► Tenure track faculty: Our contract allows for up to $1000 in travel money per year for presenting research, scholarship, or creative activity at conferences (see Article 26.6.1(b) of the contract). We encourage you to use these funds. These are in addition to any funds your School or College Provides.
►Research and Educational Support money is available for all NTT and TT faculty who are 50% or more for teaching, research, and travel expenses. You should have received an email from your Dean’s office regarding the amount of money you should receive. Check with your Dean’s office for this amount and for your deadlines.
►For FSU/MTA members in good standing only: The Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) Annual Meeting will be held at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Friday and Saturday, May 3-4. Let us know if you want to be a delegate to this meeting. For more information, see here.
REMINDER ON YOUR RIGHTS
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Distance learning development fee: The FSU negotiated into our collective bargaining agreement payment of a $3000 course developmental fee whenever a faculty member creates or converts a regular course into a distance education course. There are additional rights, such as the right of first refusal, obtaining a $500 royalty fee each time you elect to not teach the course you developed and someone else teaches this, and keeping the intellectual property rights. See Article 35.6 of the Agreement. Be sure that you assert your right to these benefits whenever you are asked to develop a distance education course. Right to have a union witness present for certain meetings with the employer (‘Weingarten Rights’): Members who are asked to attend a meeting with a supervisor that may have disciplinary repercussions have the right to have a union witness present. Members must assert that right-- the administration is not obligated to inform you of this right. If you think you need or would like an FSU representative to be present for such a meeting please contact the FSU (see here for more details on Weingarten Rights). You have 60 days to file a grievance: Members who believe their contract rights have been violated have 60 days from the date of the infraction to file a grievance (see Article 25 of the contract as well as this info on the FSU website). Contact the FSU office if you have questions about your contract rights or if you think your contract rights may have been violated. |
Sincerely,
Marlene Kim
FSU President
Professor, Economics
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