8.26.20 COVID Bargaining Update
The UAOSU bargaining team and the administration team met from 2:30-4 on Thursday, August 20th on Zoom. Most of our session was dedicated to a counterproposal from administration regarding faculty choice in returning to onsite/in-person work. There has been some real progress in terms of guaranteeing that faculty who can do their work remotely will not be forced to return to in-person work. We’ve also begun to sketch out a process for resolving disagreements, which places the burden on the administration to demonstrate the work cannot be done remotely.
We remain far apart, however, on how long this agreement would remain in effect, with administration continuing to push for the agreement to end prior to the beginning of Winter Term irrespective of the status of the pandemic.
We also passed two additional memorandums of understanding, one regarding testing for faculty, and the other seeking some additional benefits to help mitigate the impacts of COVID on faculty. We were alarmed at administration’s response to our proposal to cover health care costs associated with contracting COVID for those returning to in-person work. They suggested that they could not tell with certainty whether such faculty had contracted COVID from working in person, or from behaving irresponsibly outside of their work.
Our next session is this Thursday, August 27, 2:30-4pm (register here). Even if you can only drop by for half an hour, your attendance matters; show the administration that faculty are watching this process.
Over the next few weeks, we are hosting several information sessions on key provisions of our collective bargaining agreement. If you have questions, we encourage you to attend these events. Below is the schedule with links to register.
COVID and Reopening – Thursday, August 27, 1-2pm
Extension and Remote Research Issues – Thursday, September 3, 4:30-5:30pm
Leave Provisions – Tuesday, September 8, 12-1pm
To join with us and become a UAOSU member, click here.
In solidarity,
Your Bargaining Team