October 22, 2014

FSU EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING 10/22/14

Present: Ursula Tafe Marlene Kim Tina Mullins Loan Dao Amy Todd Mary Oleskiewicz Doreen Drury Peggy Walsh Linda Dumas

Others Present: Larry Kaye, FSU Contract Compliance Officer Al Leisinger, FSU NTT Grievance Officer

Announcements

Posters on Office Doors- Posters against the proposed Admin concessions are still available in the union office.

ORP-SERS Transfer-Need to send in notice of interest quickly (deadline is 10/27/14). This notice would give ORP members the possibility of transferring to SERS (a final decision on whether or not to transfer would occur at a later date).

Phone Banking- Coakley is MTA endorsed candidate. MTA is organizing phone banking sessions for Coakley. Interested members should contact the FSU for details. Doreen Drury and Mary Oleskiewicz agreed to do phone banking.

Committees on Senior Professor, Research and Grant Funding, NTT Merit- There was discussion of the proposed rank of Senior Professor (this rank will be negotiated after main table bargaining is done), including the criteria for promotion. It was noted Admin’s desired criteria for promotion has a much higher threshold than the union’s. Question asked as to why the current Distinguished U Prof title can’t be applied in situations when Admin wants a high threshold for a new title.

Marlene Kim: In bargaining, we pressed for a Research and Grant Committee to be formed. Admin said no but that such a committee could be formed by via Faculty Council and/or other academic bodies, should the latter opt to do so. FSU will facilitate this process with Faculty Council. It was noted that the grant/research needs on campus are serious and unmet. FSU needs people to serve on three committees (Senior Prof, NTT merit, and Research and Grant). Steve Levine interested in Senior Prof. Mary Oleskiewicz interested in research committee. Ursula Tafe interested in NTT merit committee. There was discussion of current criteria for NTT merit (i.e. evaluated on assigned work only; issue of service and workload).

Business

New Computer for Admin Asst- Motion was made to purchase new computer for FSU Admin Assistant (current one is to slow). Motion is seconded. Motion to purchase new computer for FSU Admin Assistant passes.

Video Conference Equipment for Union Conference Room- Motion was made to purchase video conferencing equipment for union conference room (about $1000 total; to be split between FSU and PSU). FSU would contribute up to $500 to this amount. Motion is seconded. Motion to spend up to $500 to purchase video conferencing equipment for union conference room passes.

PHENOM- Discussion of whether or not donate money to them. Concerns expressed re PHENOM attitude toward NTT. ‘If we knew what they accomplished it would help us to decide if we should give them money’. Ex Com members will wait to discuss proposal to donate money to PHENOM until they receive copy of current PHENOM request.

Grievance Officer- Marlene Kim, Al Leisinger, and Larry Kaye interviewed applicants for the vacant NTT grievance officer position . All thought Caroline Coscia should be the full-time officer and Tracy Wallach and Ellen Frank as part-time officers. They recommend giving Caroline the full course release and giving a small stipend to the other 2 candidates to do more limited grievance work. Discussion of grievance training, terms of office, etc. and the need for a PT tenure track grievance officer. Discussion of a broader training, committees, and/or info sessions for potential grievance officers or any member interested in grievance issues. It was suggested that the FSU bring back old grievance committee. Discussion of need to bring in members to do grievances, etc. for down the road (i.e. to ensure organizational continuity). Motion made to appoint Caroline Coscia as second FSU NTT Grievance Officer, to have 2 other NTT applicants serve as part time grievance officers (Tracy Wallach and Ellen Frank) with a stipend from the FSU, and to have a part-time tenure track grievance officer with a stipend from the FSU. Motion is seconded. Motion to appoint Caroline Coscia as second FSU NTT Grievance Officer, to have 2 other NTT applicants serve as part time grievance officers (Tracy Wallach and Ellen Frank) with a stipend from the FSU, and to have a part-time tenure track grievance officer with a stipend from the FSU passes. Lorenzo Nencioli will check with MSP- FSU accountant re the FSU budget and whether what amounts are possible.

Report: Bullying Workshop
Peggy Walsh: There is an anti-bullying law in pipeline. Need to ensure that higher ed issues are included in language. We need stories explaining what happened. Stories will be for MTA to present to legislators. There was a discussion of climate of bullying at UMB. Send stories to Peggy Walsh.

Bargaining Update
NTT’s meeting today (10/22/14) to finish looking at proposals. Marlene Kim: Admin asking for many take backs but are now realizing that they need union help to get the supplemental appropriation and may drop concessionary proposals. HELC met last week and decided not to settle this week (wanted to see if concessions would be retracted first). MSP-FSU bargaining team met yesterday (10/21/14). Discussion of proposed sick and vacation leave proposals and whether or not to accept them in lieu of other unions’ requests. Discussion of issue of how to track sick leave. Discussion of concern over supplemental budget appropriation timelines (i.e. if FSU-MSP waits to long to ratify contract, is there a risk that the supplemental appropriation

would be given to new governor who could refuse to sign them). Amy Todd noted that the proposed Article 21 (NTT) is very much revised; closer to UMA version. Discussion of concerns over NTT bargaining issues. May need to do lobbying if contract is not funded.

Report: Union Protests at UMB 50th on the Common and the Reception at Campus Center Amy Todd: the unions had excellent presence. Members lined the street as procession came by and protested silently. It was that there were as many union people at the 50th Birthday Party Reception at the Campus Center as there were Admin people.

Chairs Organizing Update
A few new chairs have signed cards to join the union. A number of Ex Com members still need to talk with the other chairs re signing.

Parking Impact Bargaining Update
A bargaining session took place a week ago. Marlene Kim: Admin not doing much about the parking crunch. Unions pushed for short term parking but were told it ‘was to hard to do’. Admin said there would be no parking fee increases this AY.

Report: NTT Caucus
Amy Todd: Many people coming (more than 30, including many new faces). Caroline Coscia is now running the meetings and doing a great job.