PSU-AAUP members have expressed concern over our union’s demand to bargain over the All Gender Restroom policy, questioning our values of equity and inclusion. Executive Council is aware of the concerns and assures membership that we stand with our trans colleagues and students. We recognize that reconciling this policy is an urgent issue, and we are working with Administration to get this resolved as quickly as possible.
As we explained in our earlier communication, we put thought and consideration into this demand to bargain. We feel strongly that we must bargain over any policy change. University Administration often does not notify us when implementing policy changes. Being a union with a staff of three and a membership of over 1,100, we often rely on members to let us know when policy changes occur, as was the case with the All Gender Restroom policy.
When Administration implements new policies without state law mandated notification to unions, we must hold them accountable. If we do not demand to bargain over implemented policies, we face the risk of weakening our collective bargaining ability. Moreover, we feel that policies that speak to the needs of our members and the PSU community at large are best made when they are co-created with Faculty Senate, PSU-AAUP, and University Administration.
In order to make more transparent our PSU-AAUP values of equity and inclusion and to better communicate our nondiscrimination policies, we have posted our Equity and Inclusion Values Statement to our website. This statement was crafted by PSU-AAUP member leaders and included invaluable input from Caucus Leadership. It is reproduced, in whole, below.
PSU-AAUP
Equity and Inclusion Values Statement
PSU-AAUP has a long-standing commitment to promote equity and the inclusion of all of our members, union employees, and PSU students. We value the voices and contributions of all members of our community. PSU-AAUP leadership is committed to prioritizing inclusion and equity in all of its work from the bargaining table to member events, and in its recruitment of and participation by member volunteers and member leaders.
For more information about PSU-AAUP governance related to equity and inclusion, please refer to: Collective Bargaining Agreement - Article 13: Nondiscrimination; Association Policy 12 - Employment Policies and Procedures: Sections V and XX; Association Policy 3 - Code of Conduct Policy.
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