Lecturer Bargaining Update: Bargaining Recap for 2/12/21
#UNIONLOVE
This Friday started with Dominick Fanelli introducing himself to LEO in his first session as administration’s chief negotiator. Dominick was on management’s team in the 2017/18 LEO negotiations and came to Friday’s session prepared to ask questions on several of our proposals. He said he hopes to move bargaining forward more quickly.
Next, Drew DeOrio (CompSci, AA) gave an overview and answered questions from management on the Teaching Professor proposal. You can find more about the proposal here.
Management stressed that the intent of their felony disclosure proposal was only disclosure not discipline, while Bob King (Residential College, AA) noted again the racial disparities of the criminal justice system and pointed out that existing contract language already addresses management’s concerns. In caucus, Nora Krinitsky (Residential College, AA), observed how “we are a part of a long narrative arc of fighting back on these policies.”
On Covid Impact, the administration requested we identify the circumstances we expect lecturers to be compensated for developing classes in a different modality.
Management asked us to clarify our intent in asking that units publish workload standards. We explained that the goal was transparency and accountability. Conversation in LEO caucus revealed how uneven and unclear workload expectations are across units and campuses. We hope with this proposal to take one step toward establishing fair and consistent standards for all non-tenure-track teaching at UM.
Valentine’s Card fan art by Jimmy Brancho (Lecturer, Sweetland Center for Writing, Ann Arbor campus) reminding lecturers to join their union.
During a special Valentine’s Day Lunch with LEO, members shared the reasons they love their union. You can check out their responses on Twitter and Facebook.
In our last public session of the day, management addressed our proposal for an international lecturer orientation by listing the services that the International Center is legally required and permitted to provide. LEO’s International Caucus is planning a deeper check-in with lecturers on work visas to address gaps and better support new international hires.
The day ended in a small group discussion of our request to add the English Language Institute to the list of units where summer teaching counts toward major review.
At the next session, on 2/19, management intends to present their first counter-proposal. Amy Dittmar, Senior Vice Provost of Academic and Budgetary Affairs, will also spend an hour with us at the table presenting management’s view of the U’s finances. Dittmar’s presentation will start at 10:00 am, and we hope to have a similar presentation for Flint and Dearborn in the next few weeks. Come listen and help shape our response by joining the conversation on the LEO Bargaining Slack. Here is a tutorial video showing you how.
One of bargaining team member John Buckley's favorite memories of the 2017-2018 contract campaign was regularly baking cookies for those who attended bargaining. Although we're now bargaining remotely, we'd like to recapture his experience by raffling off homemade baked goods from him and other volunteers! Each week, organizers will randomly select the name of someone who attended some of that week's bargaining session, and John will ship the lucky winner some delicious cookies. All you have to do is show up! RSVP for links at bit.ly/LEOREGISTER.
LEO General Membership Meetings will begin this week. You will get updates on bargaining and UM librarians organizing with LEO. You can RSVP at bit.ly/LEOREGISTER.
Ann Arbor: February 17, 7:00pm - https://fb.me/e/3nsif9dQr
Dearborn: February 18, 3:00pm - https://fb.me/e/3WEBN1bdz
Flint: February 24, 10:30am - https://fb.me/e/3X9EUKuWD
Lunch with LEO: Community Town Hall is also being held this week. We’ll hear from the LEO bargaining team, tenure track faculty, and current students. U-M community members are encouraged to ask questions about the LEO bargaining platform and learn how the LEO contract can create a better U-M for everyone. You can RSVP at bit.ly/LEOREGISTER. Speakers include:
Bob King, LEO member and former UAW president
Kentaro Toyama, Associate Professor of Community Information at UM-Ann Arbor
Heather Laube, Associate Professor of Sociology at UM-Flint
Labiba Qazi, UM-Ann Arbor student and former UM-Dearborn student
The workload committee is still looking for more testimonials from Lecturers I/II who would benefit from a stronger “bridge” to Lec III/IV. Fill out this form to let them know about the kinds of work you do (especially if you have been denied a special conference on promotion to III/IV).
Finally, take a moment if you have not yet had a chance to Send a letter to UM-Dearborn Chancellor Grasso. In 2020 UM-Dearborn saved 500k on campus energy expenses yet administration has increased class sizes and laid-off 38% of lecturers since March. Show your support for students and lecturers by signing and sharing this public letter: http://bit.ly/GrassoInvest