Summary of Covid Bargaining MOUs

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Before the Fall term even started, we were back at the virtual bargaining table to negotiate COVID-19 related issues. Over several months of negotiation, we were able to secure a number of important guarantees to protect the well-being of faculty. These agreements will provide safeguards for faculty as we gradually resume in-person, on-campus work.

To read the full text of the MOUs, go here.

  • Faculty members have the right to continue working remotely until such time as vaccines and effective treatments are widely available and the infection rate declines. Individual faculty members are in the best position to assess risks to themselves and their families.
  • Start-up and discretionary funds for research, scholarship, and conference participation are protected.
  • Faculty members are expected to use their best judgement in situations where they may be called upon to enforce physical distancing and face covering policies. This is particularly important as these public health measures have become politicized and contentious.
  • Tenure-track faculty in the probationary period are guaranteed a one-year extension of their tenure clock upon request.
  • Faculty members may place in their review materials (P&T dossiers, annual reviews) a one-page statement describing the impact that COVID-19 has had on their work. This includes the recognition that some faculty have experienced greater health risks and work disruptions due to their race and/or gender.
Categories: bargaining