The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday dealt a limited blow to public-sector unions when it ruled that thousands of home health-care workers in Illinois cannot be required to pay union fees that help cover the cost of collective bargaining, the Associated Press reported. read more >

The Council meets every Thursday from noon to 1:30 p.m. All bargaining unit members are welcome to attend Executive Council meetings. read more >

"If students learn that adjunct faculty are earning less than the minimum wage while the university president earns a million dollars, that practical lesson may trump the other values the institution promotes," writes AAUP past president Cary Nelson. read more >

Talk of a faculty strike was everywhere. Posters of an impending strike were taped to walls in the restrooms and on the entrance doors to various buildings, and in other unauthorized locations. Something was about to happen. The posturing was over and the message from professors was clear. Pay us a decent and livable wage, with better contract security, or we will strike. read more >

The First Amendment protects government employees from retaliation for giving truthful testimony that was not part of their job responsibilities, a unanimous Supreme Court ruled Thursday. read more >

Here are a few important announcements as academic year 13-14 comes to a close read more >

This member update includes: Update on Bargaining New Ranks, Executive Council adopts revisions to PSU-AAUP Bylaws, Welcome Emily Wiant, new PSU-AAUP Office Coordinator, PSU administration grants remedy on TSUSP Guideline contractual grievance; Association avoids arbitration costs, Agreement reached with administration on revisions to PSU Consensual Relations Policy, Agreement reached with administration on revisions to the PSU Acceptable Use Policy read more >

BREAKING NEWS: Interim bargaining for Non-Tenure Track Faculty (NTTF) is now scheduled for Friday, May 30 at 9:00 a.m.!!!!! Please be in touch with Leanne Serbulo, VP of Collective Bargaining, if you have any questions. read more >

You are getting this message from the Steering Committee of the Campaign for the Future of Higher Education because you have attended CFHE events or expressed support for the principles of CFHE. As you know, the goal of CFHE member organizations has been to change the national conversation about higher education by including more voices in the debate, especially those of faculty, staff, students, parents, and others from the communities surrounding our campuses. Toward that end, CFHE has authored research and working papers on a variety of topics and is actively looking for additional ways to reach out beyond just the ranks of faculty and staff. We are writing to ask our supporters for help in getting the word out about a new project, a short video based on a series of working papers we recently released. read more >

Our new contract was ratified on the very day we were prepared to strike. We can take pride in our efforts and there are so many people to thank, including all of you. Please follow the link below the bargaining update to the 13-15 Collective Bargaining Agreement and remember...our work is never finished. We have to remain strong and keep ourselves at the ready for our next steps. read more >

A letter sent to President Wiewel last week on behalf of 25 Department Chairs at PSU. They simply state that quality public higher education is their top priority and that the highly skilled and superb faculty of PSU would be almost impossible to replace during a strike. read more >

Funders begin to bring the heat to Wiewel for failure to settle a fair contract. A family that funds a trust for the PSU Library filed a letter to Pres Wiewel in support of AAUP. read more >

New Offer Fails to Meet PSU-AAUP Student-Centered Priorities Portland, OR: Spring term began today at Portland State University with the possibility of a faculty strike still looming. The faculty union, the PSU chapter of the American Association of University Professors (PSU-AAUP), and the Administration continue to be significantly apart after a year of negotiations. read more >

The newest letter of support is from AFSCME Local 2505 read more >

More than 60 AAUP members attended a Spring Break Strike training. read more >

Portland, OR: The American Association of University Professors of Portland State University (PSU-AAUP) rallied today for a fair contract that defends quality, affordable higher education. Nearly 1000 people attended the rally, including students who organized a class walkout, community members, and other campus workers. Faculty declared impasse on Monday after 10 months of stalled negotiations with the Administration, allowing for a potential strike in the Spring term if no agreement is reached. read more >

Friday, 1/24/14 Over 100 students, faculty, and academic professionals of the Portland State community gathered for a presentation on the budget by Howard Bunsis, Professor of Accounting and Chair, National AAUP Collective Bargaining Congress. read more >

On January 20, The PSU Vanguard ran an article titled “Strikes on the Horizon?” gathers local unions and student organizations to discuss potential strike read more >

News: Will We Have to Strike? Current Status of Bargaining read more >

We are resorting to a provocative ad in the Vanguard because we haven’t been able to obtain answers to our questions about the apparently flawed case for a structural deficit in PSU’s budget, despite weeks of asking in multiple forums. President Wiewel has been calling for big academic cuts for Fall 2014, asserting a structural deficit of $15 million, including recently at the City Club on Dec. 13th. The case presented for a structural deficit is questionable, based on * Figures that differ from those reported by the Oregon State Board of Higher Ed, and * A budget that fails to prioritize academics, spending too much on administration and “auxiliaries.” read more >