Lecturer Bargaining Update: Recap for 3/12/2021
“Solidarity Forever”: Lecturer Petition Delivered with over 430 signatures
Last Friday gave us plenty of reason to celebrate. The bargaining team was excited to share that we are ready for our first Tentative Agreement on Sick Pay! We were also able to “deliver” our Dignity, Parity, and Respect petition at the table with over 430 lecturer signatures. We presented those signatures through a video set to the tune of “Solidarity Forever'' performed by two lecturers' families. Thanks to the Goltz-Taylor & Ervamaa Kirschemann families for their performance! This incredible show of engagement from the membership and the ability to activate our structure lets us know that we are in a good position to increase the pressure to win a strong contract. There will be several opportunities in the coming weeks to support the work at the table. We need to keep the member engagement high and turn up the heat for Dignity, Parity, and Respect in this contract.
Although we are getting closer on both Article 12 and the MOU on Job Security, our MOU counter-proposal added that “interviews, if required, for identified work in non-bargained-for positions will be offered to Employees who meet the required qualifications.” We agreed with the admin that the bargained-for positions should not be included. Article 12 has a few more pieces to work out including justification for layoff being immediately available for lecturers. Our Professional Development counter was smaller but still requested a significant increase in funds available to each lecturer. Our team stressed the need for lecturers as professionals to have access to this funding and for the lack of accessibility to receiving funds to be addressed.
Management gave us 3 counters, as well. On the MOU: Pay Advance for First-Time Employees, there was an issue with the language of “new employees” considering GSIs who may be hired as a lecturer or those previously employed who may have moved away. We took the counter to caucus and generated some improved language and passed it back right away. On Spring/Summer Pay, admin would like the ability to change spring/summer salary within the life of the contract. They have tried doing this the past two years in Dearborn. We strongly disagree. They have tried doing this the past two years in Dearborn. Spring summer pay is a crucial part of the total compensation for many lecturers. Not to mention that lecturers are doing the same work and should not be compensated less. The Covid Impact counter-proposal from admin will go back to the committee to produce a counter. Admin is open to some lecturer choice of modality during non-emergencies, and they insist on retaining student evaluations during emergencies for use in promotion and retention as long as supervisors are “mindful and explicit.” Their proposed language was not super clear or explicit.
In the upcoming weeks, there are several opportunities to support the work at the table. We will hold our first bargaining session open to allies on March 19th. Tenure-track faculty, students and their parents, and community members are all welcome to attend bargaining on the 19th which will be held, as usual, from 9 am to 5pm. LEO’s SPACE committee will host Lunch with LEO, from 12 to 1 pm, to give lecturers the chance to meet allies and build the solidarity we will need to finish strong. Please invite LEO allies to RSVP for the 19th at http://bit.ly/LEOOpenBargaining. We have new Zoom Backgrounds for this week to help distinguish lecturers from our allies when we’re packed in the Bargaining Zoom.
Since lecturer working conditions are student learning conditions, we need to engage our students in the fight to secure a contract that will greatly enhance lecturer livelihoods. To that end, LEO’s Communications Committee has created slides that you are encouraged to post to Canvas or Blackboard. You can also set them up to play automatically at the start or end of class. You can access the slides at http://bit.ly/LEOAllySlides.
The Contract Action Team will hold socially-distanced in-person actions on each campus at the start of April where you can pick up custom-made LEO masks and yard signs to show physical support for the campaign. You can attend the event that is most convenient for you regardless of the campus you teach on. Please let us know you are coming at this RSVP link.
Dearborn: Monday, April 5, 11:00am
Flint: Tuesday, April 6, 12:30pm
Ann Arbor: Saturday, April 10, 1:00pm
Finally, join the All Campus Labor Council’s People’s Regents Meeting, March 18th, 7-8:30 pm: We’ll consider the University’s resources and a new budget in the interest of all campus workers, students, patients, and the communities we live/work in. The pandemic has brought hardship to many; extreme workload, loss of work, unsafe working, and living conditions. What should the U be funding? Where would the money come from? RSVP: bit.ly/PeoplesMeeting2.