Bargaining salaries for 2022–2024: Help set our priorities
Dear United Academics,
As you may recall, we ratified our inaugural collective bargaining agreement in June 2020, during a period of financial uncertainty. Both parties agreed to set aside negotiations on salaries for fiscal years 2022–24 until Spring Term 2021. We held our first session on March 31, update below.
We are reopening the discussions over salary at a time when the vaccine rollout continues and enrollment for fall appears promising. Please help us set our bargaining priorities by taking a few minutes to fill out this survey. This survey will close Friday, April 16th at 5 pm.
We will also be scheduling lunchtime discussions over the next few weeks to share information about OSU finances and to gather your thoughts on what our priorities should be in this limited reopener. Your feedback is crucial as we go back to the table.
The UAOSU bargaining team and the administration team met 4–5pm on Wednesday, March 31 on Zoom. In this initial meeting, we confirmed that we will continue to use the ground rules from previous rounds of bargaining on Zoom. Beyond establishing logistics, discussion focused on timelines for budgeting and bargaining. We also discussed the existing practice of rolling out merit increases mid-year and possible alternative timelines.
The next bargaining session is 9:30–11am on Wednesday, April 14 on Zoom. We expect a presentation on the budget by Sherm Bloomer, and we will have questions for them. Even if you can only drop by for half an hour, your attendance matters: show the administration that faculty are watching this process. You can register here to attend.
Our strength at the bargaining table comes from you, our members, and we appreciate your support. If you haven’t joined your union yet, please consider joining here.
In solidarity,
Your bargaining team:
- Dan Andersen, Political Science
- Filix Maisch, Mathematics
- Kelly McElroy, Library
- Jan Medlock, Biomedical Sciences
- H Rakes, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
- Kathleen Stanley, Sociology
- Bill Thomas, Botany and Plant Pathology