Lecturer Bargaining Update: Potential LEO Job Action
Lecturers should have received the following information in an email from the Union Council.
“As many of you are aware, we have been organizing for several months for a potential job action to win a fair agreement.
In the event of a LEO strike, the administration has informed us they plan to take the following legal action against the Union:
Seek an injunction, or a court order that carries significant financial penalties, if elected leaders do not disavow the job action
File an Unfair Labor Practice with the state labor board
Stop collection of member dues
Start new raises in October rather than retroactively on September 1 (Major Review raises will occur as planned)
Withhold pay from participating lecturers (and other employees, including GSIs) for each day they are on strike
Management has the legal right to take such action against a union engaged in a strike. Workers everywhere have led successful job actions in the face of similar or worse threats. Nevertheless, the severity of the planned response is a definite change for this employer. We are disappointed that the administration has decided to embrace the aggressive boss tactics more commonly found in the private sector.
Of course, telling us in advance could be a tactic to get us to settle for less than we want.
Despite such threats, we continue to believe that a strike might be necessary to achieve a fair contract. There is safety in numbers and a large and powerful strike can achieve a fair return to work.”
In addition, we will file an Unfair Labor Practice in response to chairs polling lecturers on their potential participation in a strike. Our belief is that the question is unlawful. We suggest the following answer: “At the advice of the Union’s attorney, I respectfully decline to respond.”
In other words, our strategy does not change. Unless we have an agreement, a strike authorization ballot will go out to members on September 15. If successful, the Union Council will have the authority to call for a work stoppage if they deem it necessary. At the same time, we remain hopeful that we can win a fair agreement without a strike. As we have said all along, withholding labor is a tool of last resort.
We will have a chance to discuss the potential job action at our General Membership Meeting on September 14 at 7pm. Please register at bit.ly/LEOevents.
Please join us at the two bargaining sessions with the mediators this week. Member attendance at bargaining continues to be important for winning a strong contract. The first session is today, Tuesday, September 7, at 5:30pm. The second is Thursday, September 9 at 5:00pm. You can access the new negotiations Zoom at https://bit.ly/LEOMediation. The Zoom only permits 100 participants at a time, but you can follow the action via Slack. We will caucus using a link provided to us by the mediator. We will meet in the negotiations Zoom at 5:30pm today.
As a reminder, please do share the campaign slides with your students but only before or after class. Please do not take up class time.
If you have questions about any of the above, please write to office@leounion.org.
In Solidarity,
LEO Union Council”