Family Friendly Funds now available

Last year's "re-opener" negotiations covered a variety of financial topics. Among them was the long-standing need for better support of caregivers, an issue made even more important by the many COVID pandemic impacts. As part of the settlement, a new article focused on caregivers needs was created: Article 29: Caregiver Recognition and Support.

While there's still a lot more work to do, this article does represent progress toward more comprehensive solutions. One element of this new article is the creation of a fund to assist caregivers who incur extra expenses due to either travel for conferences or professional development, or occasional or unexpected work demands. On January 1, 2023, $115,000 was allocated to this fund; an additional $175,000 will be added on July 1, 2023.

Earlier this month, AAUP representatives came to an agreement with Administration on process details (e.g., application process, deadlines). Now that these processes have been established, the fund will be administered directly by the PSU-AAUP Chapter. Many thanks to Anh Ly and Leanne Serbulo for their work on the joint task force that established these processes!

How to apply?
To apply for these funds, simply complete this short online form and attach your receipts.

Reimbursement requests for expenses incurred since September 1, 2022, are due to the Chapter's Family Friendly Fund Committee by June 1, 2023; approved reimbursements will be included in the June 30th paychecks.

Finally, I'd like to thank Elena Sokol, Jones Estes, and Matthew Chorpenning for serving on this important committee.

David Kinsella
Vice-President, Collective Bargaining