UFF-USF

Agenda & Introductions.
Fourteen people were in attendance.

Membership.
We continue to attract new members. Discussion of possibilities for a membership campaign.

Bargaining.
The Chief Negotiator discussed upcoming bargaining.

Grievances.
Discussion of outstanding grievances, including arbitrations.

• Motion to recommend that the Grievance Committee look closely at the situation of assigning lab courses without compensation. Motion made, seconded, and approved unanimously.

Constitution.
An ad hoc committee is formed to study possible revisions of the Chapter constitution and bylaws.

• This committee will propose revisions for consideration during fall; said proposals due at the August 28 meeting.

This committee consists of Greg McColm, Kathleen de la Pena McCook, and Steve Tauber.

Calendar.
The remaining summer meetings are: June 5 & 19, July 3 will be skipped, and July 17. The subsequent meetings in fall will be on August 28, September 11 & 25, October 9 & 23, November 6 & 20, and December 3.

Treasury.
We have money.

These minutes respectfully submitted by G. McColm on May 26, 2009.

Attendance.
There were 12 people in attendance.

Agenda & Introductions
Agenda was approved and introductions made.

Membership.

• There will be a presentation to new faculty.
• The 3-for-3 program appears to be working.

Bargaining.
Last session, the Administration gave us ten proposals; Administration has told UFF-USF that it will give us a new salary proposal at today’s bargaining session.

Grievances.
Details confidential, but…

• Successes: one employee layoff rescinded; Chapter grievance on layoff notice resolved in our favor; one employee evaluation overturned; one employee grievance on academic freedom.
• Proceeding to Step 2: one grievance on non-reappointment; individual and Chapter grievances on mandatory annual leave, multiple individual grievances and Chapter grievance on academic reorganization.

Next Chapter Meeting.
The next chapter meeting will be on August 22 at a location TBA.

Reclassification.
Lines are being moved out of unit in the reorganization.

Instructors are being moved out of unit.
Discussion on how to proceed.

Survey on Regional Campuses.
President Dorn gave a progress report on the survey.

Relationship with the Faculty Senate.
Discussion on developing a relationship with the incoming Senate.

Meeting adjourned.
These minutes respectfully submitted by Mark Klisch on August 3, 2008.

Agenda & Introductions.
Sixteen people were in attendance.

Report on the Legislature.
UFF Executive Director Ed Mitchell reported on the Legislature.

Reports.

• Grievances.
  Discussion of grievances and potential grievances.

• Treasury.
  We have money.

• Communications.
  Under review this summer.

• Senate.
  USF Senate Vice President reported on some issues currently before the Senate Executive Committee.

• Bargaining.
  Discussion of the bargaining situation around the state.

Good of the Order.
There was a discussion of the climate at USF, and of the need to seek new members.

These minutes respectfully submitted by G. McColm on May 17, 2009.

A letter to all UFF members from statewide UFF President Tom Auxter:

Dear Colleague:

It worked! The campaign to contact legislators, which started in February and ended today, delivered results in funding for higher education. We know that cuts in higher education are always the first knee-jerk reaction from politicians when there is a recession. But faculty were ready and already contacting legislators about the funding crisis we faced a month before the legislative session began. We sent emails and made phone calls to deliver the message from constituents. We built a coalition, held rallies, and joined forces with students to expand the base for legislative contacts.

At the beginning of the session higher education was threatened with a half-billion dollar budget cut by the House, which would have meant at least a 10% cut in budgets already strained to the limits. At that point we focused on the House members who could be pivotal in creating change, and we got the result we needed: the House matched the Senate budget providing roughly the same funding we have in this year’s budget, when the stimulus dollars are added.

Special thanks to the government relations staff at the Florida Education Association for the coaching that enabled us to do this. Our success in the House was also due in large measure to help from the UFF members we helped elect to the House — Bill Heller, Keith Fitzgerald, and Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda. They used every opportunity to make the case to other legislators that cuts would cause severe and irreversible damage to the economic engine of the state and to the future of students in Florida.

Next year we will face another funding challenge from the Legislature. But we have learned how to win against seemingly overwhelming odds, and we have managed to educate enough legislators about the value of what we do that we will have a head start in the process.

Thanks for your sustained support through the last three months. To nail down our victory for next year, ask a non-union member to join UFF. With the full support of every faculty member, we will prevail in the difficult times ahead.

Sincerely,

Tom Auxter
President
United Faculty of Florida

In late April, the provost’s task force on faculty roles, responsibilities, and rewards issued preliminary recommendations. Sherman Dorn has written a response to the preliminary recommendations.