Lecturer Bargaining Update: LEO Summer Bargaining Roundup
On 8/27 & 8/28 LEO and allies held Move-in Day pickets in Ann Arbor and talked with students and parents about why we’re still fighting for a fair contract.
LEO’s contract negotiations with U-M administration have been going on since January, and although we have gotten tentative agreements on many articles and memoranda of understanding (MOUs), Admin has moved very little in some areas, namely use of the Teaching Professor title in the Ann Arbor CoE, governance, felony disclose, childcare, professional development funding, and salary—including addressing leapfrogging and longevity pay, as well as raising median pay for current lecturers and increasing starting pay for parity across campuses.
If you’ve seen messages from Admin about their great salary offers, or that LEO is at fault for the disparity in pay between campuses, or that Dearborn and Flint can’t afford to pay lecturers fair salaries, or that LEO is responsible for hurting students if we don’t agree to their insulting offers (instead of U-M Admin being responsible to treat its employees fairly and to attend to student success by investing in faculty)... here are some resources to help you get more of the story and understand why hundreds of lecturers and our allies are fighting for a fair LEO contract that will benefit lecturers, students, and all of the UM campuses.
Get up to speed with our issues!
FAST FACTS: LEO, BARGAINING, & THE FUTURE OF U-M
Earlier in the summer, we were having internal one-to-one conversations about the necessary steps that lecturers would have to take to get a fair contract. Simultaneously, our SPACE committee and campus allies started an ally outreach committee. The escalation continued by having more conversations through house visits with lecturers. Allies and elected officials started to reach out and put pressure on the admin through emails and phone calls.
Among many strong allies, some tenure track faculty have spoken out on our behalf, because they know how important lecturer labor is to all of the UM campuses: Public letter of support.
Later this summer we’ve had a presence at student involvement like the Blue Bash in Flint, Dearborn, and next Festifall in Ann Arbor. And in the month of August, we had more public action like our well-attended “Rally to Quit the Contract” on August 9th, which produced $2 million of movement at the table. That day LEO gave notice to quit its contract with the University, meaning that in less than 2 weeks the union would no longer be in violation of its no-strike clause should union members vote to authorize the leadership to call a strike.
On Aug 9, 2021 Lecs and allies came out to a “Quit the Contract” Rally on State St. in Ann Arbor.
LEO has got Admin’s attention, they just aren’t willing to offer any real equity for Dearborn and Flint or to treat all U-M lecturers as faculty who are on the front lines of student success. In order to create discord within LEO, the Provosts have even sent out emails with some questionable messaging, and so we felt we needed to respond and clarify:
LEO's Response to the Provosts - August 16, 202
[RESPONSE] to "Update on LEO Negotiations" Email from Admin AUGUST 15, 2021
WE ARE ONE UNIVERSITY AND WE ARE GETTING TIRED OF ASKING NICELY
TAKE ACTION
Send an email in support of LEO & to demand more funding for the Dearborn & Flint campuses with this easy template: bit.ly/LEOemailzap
Share the Fast Facts and slideshow below with students and colleagues. FAST FACTS: LEO, BARGAINING, & THE FUTURE OF U-M & LEO Bargaining Slideshow for Students and other Allies. (Only before or after class. Please do not take up class time).
Or use this LEO Ally Linktree: https://linktr.ee/LEOAlly (you can write this on the board in your classrooms).
USE THIS TOOLKIT to add the LEO logo to your syllabi and class Canvas sites, get LEO zoom backgrounds… and more!
Join the LEO Listserv
Sign up here: bit.ly/act4lecs
Follow LEO and share our posts on social media:
Twitter, Instagram, & Youtube: @LEOUnionUmich
Facebook: @LEOLecturersEmployeeOrganization
And find more info at LEO2021.org and Leounion.org
Attend the LEO Labor Teach-In on Wednesday, September 8th, 7-8:30pm via Zoom. Speakers from LEO and sibling unions will provide updates on LEO bargaining, background on recent victories in organizing new unions at the University, and a brief history of labor power and strikes in Michigan. Allies are welcome to attend. You will need to register at bit.ly/LEOTeachIn.