Hi All!
I know that some of you are still trying to take advantage of not being on contract until Sept. 16th - and more power to you! -
but we'll be bargaining again on Tuesday, Sept. 10th, from 12 - 3 in SMSU 296.
OK, the PSU Administration never wants to talk money until October - never mind that the contract is structured to expire at the end of August and we always have to extend it, or that they manage to make all of their OTHER commitments year-round…
STILL, we've put forward several proposals, and heard very little back, to
- increase job security for fixed-term faculty members
- incorporate pay raises into the evaluation process for APs and Fixed Term Faculty
- set benchmarks and goals for academic quality, so that we think more strategically about budget cuts and make progress on class size, work load, salaries, faculty size & profile, research support and evaluations of administrators!
- implement PAID family leave and a catastrophic sick-leave bank, as they have at other Oregon campuses
- and more!!
Come join us if you can! We'll be in open caucus from Noon to 12:30, most likely.
No More Winter Closure!
Did you see VP Rimai's Aug. 26th message saying that "PSU will not close between the Christmas and New Year's holidays" this year, as it has since we all took furlough in the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash and Great Recession? This is a victory for 12-month faculty and APs who have been fighting ever since not to have their pay docked that week without having to use up their vacation time. Next year, if the Administration decides they DO want to close the University to save heating bills, great, but that's no reason to cut people's pay.
SEIU to Vote to Authorize a Strike, Sept. 10th & 11th
Our co-workers in PSU's clerical, administrative and facilities positions have made progress in their negotiations with OUS, but not enough. They'll be voting on Sept. 10th and 11th on whether or not they wish to authorize the bargaining team to call for a strike, if need be.
We've pledged our support for their goals, including ensuring that all members earn salaries adequate to keep their families from qualifying for Food Stamps.
We'll keep you posted as to what you can do to support our PSU colleagues, if it comes to a strike.
Best,
Mary King,
President, PSU-AAUP