PSU-AAUP Bargaining Update - July 2024

57 PSU-AAUP members attended yesterday’s bargaining session. Additionally, 1 City Council candidate, 1 PSU SEIU member, 1 student organizer, and 1 community organizer were there to show their solidarity with our contract negotiations.  

RSVP and invite your coworkers to continue the momentum at our August 8th bargaining session
Thursday, August 8 - 8:30am-4:30pm 
RMNC 316 
You may join for the whole day or any time(s) you are able
 
Layoff process:
One of your bargaining team's goals is to expand and secure meaningful benefits for any member experiencing a layoff. As the bargaining team is currently in Interest Based Bargaining, each side shared their interests in how the layoff process works. We also listed the data we would need to get a fuller understanding before moving into a discussion of options for resolution. Given the $3.9 million decrease in salaries and wages in next year’s budget, one of our interests is to have more consistency, regardless of whether the reason for layoff is curricular changes or retrenchment. For example, as it stands, if an Academic Professional is laid off because of a change in program needs, they are entitled to advance notice, from between 90 and 180 days, depending on years of service. However, if the layoff results from Administration declaring retrenchment, no advance notice is required.

The subject is complex, not only because of the different processes, but also the fact that tenured faculty, non-tenure track faculty, and Academic Professionals each have different job protections in the current contract.

Workload:
Your AAUP colleagues brought members’ workload experiences from bargaining and workload survey data and departmental listening sessions to the bargaining table. Bargaining team members framed the workload issue with examples of how as AP positions get cut, programs become short-staffed, and more work is required of fewer employees. As a result, student services suffer. In the ranks of NTTF, the contractual maximum for credits taught is 36, but that has become the norm, while at the same time classroom size has increased. Among tenured faculty, the typical credit limit is 24, but some departments require 28 credits. This higher requirement leaves faculty unable to participate in opportunities such as involvement with Faculty Senate.

As we go back to the bargaining table around workload August 8th, if you haven’t already, share your experiences with the bargaining team by filling out the workload survey here.

Retirement incentives:
In the afternoon we moved to early retirement incentives. The AAUP team explained that the current incentives have had limited effect and that increased benefits might convince more long-time employees to take advantage of the program. The administrative team explained that they’ve been having internal conversations about this topic, and it was decided to move the conversation to a joint sub-group to bring back recommendations, rather than spend more time at the table yesterday.

Lower levels issues: 
Administration brought up the subject of union-designated bulletin boards under Article 3. The contract currently requires that AAUP be provided with a “centrally located” bulletin board in Smith. It was determined that the parties need to get more information about the availability of bulletin board space in Smith, and where it is located.
Admin then moved to another part of Article 3, regarding the printing of the final contract. Currently, PSU is required to provide 100 printed copies, but the demand from our members for hard copies is not that great, so in order to save money and paper, we agreed to reduce the number of copies to 30, with an option to print 20 more in the future, if needed.

RSVP for August 8th’s bargaining session:
The bargaining team managed to make some progress on several topics yesterday, due to the number of AAUP members who showed support by being present on Zoom and especially in person. Your presence makes a difference. RSVP and invite your coworkers to the August 8th bargaining session.