Friday April 3rd we tried our hand at bargaining via Zoom. This session was set up as a Zoom webinar to allow members to watch but not participate. Although the day started with a few technology glitches we were soon up and running. In some ways bargaining using Zoom was easier than in person; most importantly it was much easier and clearer to hear everyone talk. It was great to see the participant list during bargaining and feel the support of the members who were able to join us remotely.
We discussed options for paid family medical leave, although no significant progress was made. We also shared ideas on changing the NTTF post-continuous appointment review process from every three years to every five years to align with faculty senate guidelines, as well as post-tenure review timelines.
This Friday the leads for the PSU-AAUP and the PSU administration teams will meet to decide what bargaining will look like going forward during the COVID-19 crisis.
Our PSU-AAUP feels comfortable using Zoom to continue bargaining, but there are concerns with the capacity of the PSU management team to continue to be prepared for the arduous work of bargaining while also managing the COVID-19 crisis. And then there is the unknown around the University budget considering the impact of the pandemic on the economy in general, and higher education in particular.
We have signed extensions to our current contract, meaning the contract is still in force. Most aspects of the contract are still in effect, with the exception of any dated components (eg. COLA’s). Items in the contract with dates will have to be addressed whenever the new contract comes into effect. This means if you are experiencing anything that you think may be against the contract, the Union is still here to help you navigate these issues.