The PSU administration bargaining team has had a lot of extra work due to the transition to remote operations that has been forced on us all. They approached us with a concern that they would not be able to come to our scheduled bargaining sessions sufficiently prepared to be respectful of all of our times, and requested that we explore an alternative schedule until the dust of the COVID-19 crisis, and its impact on our work, starts to settle. Our PSU-AAUP bargaining team met with the administration’s team to explore alternatives last Friday, April 17, and we agreed to the following:
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The main bargaining table takes a break for a month and we resume bargaining on May 15.
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Our bargaining subgroups and workgroups will continue working with an agreement to complete the details in several areas where both our teams have reached conceptual agreements before we return to the big table in May. These areas include things such as the AP reclassification process and flexible work schedules.
Impact of Economic Uncertainty on Bargaining
There are always unknowns involved in predicting the future of PSU’s budget, although the COVID-19 situation has further complicated existing financial projections. PSU-AAUP expects to have a clearer understanding of COVID-specific impacts by the end of this term, or as soon as the full impact of federal subsidy and stimulus funding is known, and the impact of additional funding coming from the state legislature during a special session. We are mindful of, and will be vigilant about, attempts to use uncertainty to postpone bargaining indefinitely. The Collective Bargaining Agreement between PSU-AAUP and PSU is a vital part of the University's good functioning, and any plan to stabilize the University must include a strong CBA.