UAOSU Proposes Solution for FY20 Raises

Published by Megan on

At Wednesday’s bargaining session, we presented counterproposals on Compensation and the administration’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) from the October 28 session regarding the salary program through 2020. We proposed a solution for wages that would address major gaps in the administration’s proposed salary program.

Our proposal would:

  • Extend 3% salary increases to all faculty under 0.50 FTE who were employed in any faculty position as of January 1, 2019, remedying their exclusion from the previous program;
  • Guarantee faculty above 0.50 FTE who have not yet received a review will receive a review in time to be included in the salary program for FY 2020;
  • Allow faculty who transitioned between faculty positions since January 1, 2019 to be included in the FY 2020 salary program; and
  • Provide for the raises as outlined in the administration’s salary program for all other academic faculty (1.8%-6%, depending on merit, for all faculty above 0.5 FTE with a satisfactory review).

We have asked the administration to respond to our plan to provide equitable access to the salary program for all faculty by our November 26 bargaining session. If they agree, we will accept the framework and other terms of the Administration’s proposed salary program, which will be distributed in January and February 2020. We will continue to negotiate for cost of living, merit, and equity raises for subsequent years of the collective bargaining agreement.

Join us for bargaining for our next session Monday, November 18, 9am-1pm in LaSells Stewart Center Agricultural Sciences Room when we hope the administration will respond to our proposal on FY 2020 salaries.

We are bargaining for an agreement that respects the voice & expertise of academic faculty and makes OSU a better place to work and learn. Our union is run by us and the more of that are involved and stand together for a fair contract the more effective we can be. Join with us and sign our petition for A Fair Contract for a Better OSU.

A fuller summary of the bargaining session is below.

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The UAOSU bargaining team and the administration team met 10 am to 1 pm on Wednesday, November 13, in Cascades Hall. Forty-one faculty members observed the session.

We presented counterproposals to the MOU on the faculty salary program and compensation for subsequent years of the agreement. Our counterproposal on Compensation restored much of our language that the administration had stricken from their October 28 counterproposal. We re-asserted our commitment to a compensation package that is equitable and inclusive for all faculty, and invited the administration team to engage with us on our proposed salary structure, rather than simply striking all of our language. We continue to seek discussion on pressing issues such as childcare, sea pay,and salary changes when transitioning between positions at OSU.   We hope that we will be able to work together through the bargaining process to arrive at a compensation package that acknowledges the fiscal concerns of the administration while meeting the needs of the faculty.

The administration team brought counterproposals on Union Rights and Leaves. The administration’s Leaves counterproposal was actually a response to our initial proposals on LeavesFamily and Medical Leave, and Sabbatical Leave. They eliminated much of our language regarding sick leave, including a proposed Sick Leave Transfer that would allow faculty to donate their sick leave to other faculty members, while at the same time acknowledging that faculty continue to request it. The administration struck all of the language from our Family and Medical Leave proposal, replacing it with a single sentence avowing that they will “abide by state and federal laws concerning family and medical leave.” We find ourselves disappointed—again—by the administration team’s use of this tactic, in which they respond to a detailed, well-thought-out proposal with a single terse sentence. As we pointed out in the session, recent changes to the Oregon FMLA will require the administration to significantly enhance paid family and medical leave, and it makes sense for both parties to work toward an agreement as to how this implementation will occur before the legally mandated deadline. Certainly, some of our proposed language, such as the expansion of the definition of “family member” for the purposes of family leave, could be implemented now with little or no real cost to the university. The administration largely accepted some of our other language around leaves, including jury duty, personal and professional leaves, and language affirming that faculty are not required to use vacation time for university closures.

Our website provides a table with links to all articles for which we have presented proposals, along with the administration’s proposals and counterproposals.

Our next bargaining session is Monday, November 18, 9am-1pm in LaSells Stewart Center Agricultural Sciences Room. We plan to present proposals on professional development, facilities, and more. The administration’s team plans to counter our proposed preamble. Even if you can only drop by for half an hour, your attendance matters: show the administration that faculty are watching this process.

We appreciate your support. You can find a full calendar of Fall Term bargaining sessions on our website.

In solidarity,

Your bargaining team

Categories: bargaining