UFF-USF

Attendance.
There were fourteen people in attendance, including thirteen of the Chapter Council, insufficient for a quorum of the Council.

Minutes & Agenda.
The minutes and agenda were approved.

Membership.
Discussion.

Legislative Session.
Current priorities: SB 6 / HB 7189 “Relating to Education Personnel”, and the cluster of bills relating to the Florida Retirement System, primarily HB 1319, and SB 1902.

Officers and Representatives of the Chapter.
Under Article IV, Section 3 of the UFF-USF Constitution, the Chapter Council consists of elected officers, senators and alternate senators, and committee chairs (although it is not clear if the latter have voting status).

• Following past practice, write-in candidates for Senator were reported as Alternates (when they failed to gain sufficient votes to qualify as Senators). It was proposed that all such candidates be asked if they wish to serve, and those that will be USF employees and give a positive answer shall serve as Alternates and as members of the Chapter Council.
• The following were the results of the spring chapter election:
  • The Chapter Officers are: President Sherman Dorn, Vice President Sonia Wohlmuth, Treasurer Paul Terry, Secretary Gregory McColm.
  • The Senators are: Kevin Archer, Heide Casteneda, J. Lynn McBrien, Gregory McColm, Patricia McHatton, Jerry Notaro, Eric Odgaard, Victor Peppard, Ella Schmidt, Arthur Shapiro, Paul Terry, Bob Welker, Keith White, and Sonia Ramirez Wohlmuth.
  • The Alternate Senators are: David Allsop, Nancy Anderson, C. David Frankel, Susan Hurley, Celina Jozsi, Marvin Karlins, Mark Klisch, Mile Krajcevski, Sang-Hie Lee, William Murray, John Napora, John Noonan, Steve Permuth, Nancy Tyson, and Harry Vanden.
  • The FEA Delegates are: Sherman Dorn, Gregory McColm, Jerry Notaro, Eric Odgaard, Arthur Shapiro, Paul Terry, and Keith White.
  • The Alternate Delegates are Steve Permuth and Harry Vanden.
• The President shall endeavor to set up meetings of the Council. One may be scheduled for Friday, April 23, at 10 am.

Reports.

• Treasury: We are solvent.
• Grievances: Discussion.
  • Motion made and seconded: that the USF/UFF maximize exposure of the ULP settlement and PERC ruling regarding Dr. Paul Terry to include, but not be limited to, formal notice to all unit employees and all appropriate legal entities on all campuses of USF. Without objection, motion carried.
• Bargaining: Discussion. Requested entry in the minutes: It is requested that each campus be represented by at least one member of the Bargaining Committee. Note: this is a consideration for the Chair of the Bargaining Committee and the Chapter Council.
• Communications:The Communications Committee will be reviewing all aspects of communications, and requests that the Chapter and the Chapter Committees and Council attend to the process.

These minutes respectfully submitted by G. McColm on April 10, 2010.

Attendance.
There were ten people in attendance, including eight of the Chapter Council, insufficient for a quorum of the Council.

Agenda.
This meeting is to consist of a discussion of the legislative situation.

The Legislative Session.
In addition to the budget, there are two items of great concern now before the legislature:

• HB 1543 and SB 1902 would increase employee liabilities and reduce employee benefits as participants in the Florida Retirement System. It would also affect Optional Retirement Plan participants.
• SB 6 would impose terms and conditions of employment upon school districts across the state, these being to make teachers more subject to administrative caprice and background noise of student assessments. It would also impose considerable burdens on the colleges of education.

Discussion of efforts to show legislators the dangers of these bills, including virtual Rally in Tally on Thursday, March 25.

Reports.

• Communications: There will be an Extra on March 24 on Rally in Tally; discussion of upcoming Uncommon Sense.
• Grievances: Discussion of a recently resolved grievance.
• Treasury: We are solvent.
• Services: Preparing for fall.
• President’s Report: Instructor track MOU ratified by faculty but not yet by BOT.

Good of Order.
Problems with the tenure process.

These minutes respectfully submitted by G. McColm on March 20, 2010.

Attendance.
There were twelve people in attendance, including eight of the Chapter Council, insufficient for a quorum of the Council.

Agenda & Minutes.
The Agenda and the minutes for February 19 were approved.

Next Meeting.
The meeting schedule was adjusted:

• Motion made and seconded: That the March 19 meeting be at Tampa, to be announced in a Biweekly Extra, and that the March 26 meeting be canceled, and that the Election meeting be on March 26 from 1 pm to 2 pm in SOC 384 to count ballots. Motion approved.

Membership.
One new member, and one left for financial reasons.

Workload as a Legal Issue.
Last October, Senior Vice Provost issued a directive stating that no class assignment can be made with over 8.33 % FTE per credit hour. Disscussion.

Reports.

• President’s report: Current draft of House budget has a 3.5 % cut for SUS.
• Grievances: Discussion of outstanding grievances.
• Bargaining: Discussion of bargainng.
• Treasury: We are solvent.
• Communications Discussion of reports that administrators are telling faculty that the CBA is foisted on university by UFF.

Good of Order.
Two issues:

• Some faculty are not receiving central administration broadcasts.
• Motion made and seconded: That the president of the chapter request in consultation for a seminar or presentation regarding the use of accumulated sick leave, in reference to FMLA, from Human Relations. Motion approved unanimously.

These minutes respectfully submitted by G. McColm on March 13, 2010.

Attendance.
There were ten people in attendance, including eight of the Chapter Council, insufficient for a quorum of the Council.

Agenda & Minutes.
The Agenda and the minutes for February 5 were approved.

Membership.
We have new members.

Elections.
Because of a delay in receiving information from the FEA, packet assembly is postponed to noon on Friday, February 26, in a room TBA.

Meetings.
Three issues were discussed:

• Motion moved and seconded that the default meeting time for summer Chapter meetings be on alternating Fridays, starting 12:30 pm, at CDBs.
  • Amendment moved and seconded that the Chapter meet on payday Fridays as needed.
  • Amendment approved, and main motion approved.
  • Thus the summer meeting dates penciled in are on May 21, June 4, June 18, July 2, July 16, July 30, and August 13.
• Motion moved and seconded that the default meeting time for Chapter meetings be on alternating Fridays, at a place TBA.
  • Amendment moved and seconded that the Chapter meet on Friday, August 27, at noon, to set the time, place, and schedule for chapter meeting times for the remainder of the semester.
  • Amendment approved, amendment substitutes language for the main motion, and the main motion is approved.
• Motion made and seconded that the Chapter President explore the possibility of holding our fall and spring semester chapter meetings in SOC 351, the Mitch Silverman Memorial Conference room. Without objection, motion approved.

Report on Grievances.
Discussion of outstanding grievances.

Report on Bargaining.
Discussion of Bargaining issues.

Report on Communications.
We will soon present nominations to the Council.

Report on Treasury.
We are solvent.

Report on Political Action.
Report on upcoming elections.

Report on Services.
We will soon present nominations to the Council. Making plans for fall activities.

Report of the Chapter President.
The Council made no objections to nominations to the Bargaining or Grievance Committee, so the nominees are approved.

Good of the Order.
Discussion of problems with Administration communications to faculty.

These minutes respectfully submitted by G. McColm on February 20, 2010.

Draft agenda, February 19, noon, SOC 384:

1. Minutes
2. Membership
3. Meeting schedule for fall
4. Ballot preparation/compilation (may be delayed)
5. Reports
6. New business (nothing currently as a new business item)
7. For the good of the order

Attendance.
There were ten people in attendance, including nine of the Chapter Council, insufficient for a quorum of the Council.

Agenda & Minutes.
The Agenda and the minutes for January 22 were approved.

Standing Rules.
Standing rules adapted from those of the UFF Senate were proposed.

• Motion made and seconded: to adapt the following standing rules for chapter meetings:
  1. All motions shall be submitted to the Secretary or presiding officer in writing at the time the motion is presented on the floor.
  2. Each speaker during debate will be permitted two minutes of floor time.
  3. No one may speak twice on the debate item unless all who wish to speak have spoken at least once.
  4. At the close of debate on the item, if only one side has been heard, if a person wishes to speak on the other side, he/she will be recognized by the chair.

  Motion to amend made and seconded: to strike items # 2, 3, 4. Motion to amend defeated. Then main motion approved.

In discussion the President observed that with unanimous consent, the standing rules can be waived, and lacking unanimous consent – with or without support of the chair – a participant can request a vote on a waive by the body.

Membership.
Report on membership.

Elections.
At the next meeting, we will be stuffing envelopes

Report on Grievances.
Discussion of outstanding grievances. Also a discussion of USF’s feral cat policy.

Report on Bargaining.
We are waiting on the BOT team.

Report on Treasury.
We are solvent.

Report on Communications.
We are working on the site.

Report on Political Action.
Discussion.

Report of the Chapter President.
Discussion.

Good of the Order.
Discussion of the tenure clock.

These minutes respectfully submitted by G. McColm on February 6, 2010.

Attendance.
There were fifteen people in attendance, including ten of the Chapter Council, insufficient for a quorum of the Council.

Agenda & Minutes.
The Agenda and the minutes for January 8 were approved.

Scheduling of meetings.
Possible meeting days for the Chapter were discussed.

• Motion made and seconded to hold Chapter meetings at noon. Motion approved.

The following schedule was determined: the Chapter will meet at Tampa on February 5 and 19, March 5 and 26, April 9 and 23, and May 21. The Chapter will meet at St. Petersburg on March 19 and at Polytech on May 7. Locations TBA.

Report on MOU ratification.
The MOU was ratified by 94 % of the voting members of the UFF Bargaining Unit, and by the BOT, with one negative vote. Discussion of Polytech’s non-involvement in the retirement plan.

Blackboard and lecture-capture survey.
Discussion of Blackboard upgrade and resulting support problems.

INTO.
USF has entered into a 30-year contract with INTO to recruit and provide preliminary English language instruction to foreign students. We will seek information on the contract and the arrangements.

David Caton, Oracle, academic freedom in teaching.
Discussion of recent controversy over a course in Queer Studies.

• Motion made and seconded that the Communications Chair compose a draft of a letter on Academic Freedom, with reference to the Queer Studies course controversy, to be vetted by members of the fac-activism list, and once approved, to be submitted to The Oracle. Motion passes 6-4.

Reports.

• Grievances. Outstanding cases were discussed.
• Bargaining. Discussion of the Administration’s proposed language for Article 13.
  • Motion made and seconded that the Communications Committee will broadcast some kind of special alert regarding the posting of a Bargaining Page. Motion passed.

These minutes respectfully submitted by G. McColm on January 24, 2010.

Draft agenda, chapter meeting, January 22
Noon, SOC 384, Tampa campus

1. Minutes of last meeting
2. Scheduling of meetings
3. Report on MOU ratification
4. Blackboard and lecture-capture survey
5. David Caton, Oracle, academic freedom in teaching
6. Reports
7. New business
8. For the good of the order

Attendance.
There were seventeen people in attendance, including thirteen of the Chapter Council, making a quorum of the Council.

Agenda & Minutes.
The Agenda and the minutes for December 4 were approved.

Chapter Elections.
The Election Committee proposed the following schedule:

• Nominations open effective immediately, close on February 12
• Ballot materials preparation, completed February 19
• Ballot mail-out February 22
• Last day for ballots to be received March 24
• Ballot counting March 26

It is noted that this presumes that the Chapter will meet on the Fridays February 19 and March 26.

• Schedule approved.

Chapter Meetings.
The schedule of chapter meetings this semester is to be determined.

• Motion made and seconded: that the meetings shall occur on alternate Fridays. Motion tabled to January 22.
• Motion made and seconded: that motions be written down, with makers and seconds noted. Motion fails.

Chapter Council Meeting.
The Chapter Council is to approve chairs and members of standing committees.

• Motion made and seconded by council members, noting the presence of a quorum of the council, that the council meet today. Content of motion approved by the President.

UFF Senate Meeting.
The UFF Senate will meet in Orlando over the February 13, 14 weekend.

Grievance Committee Report.
Grievance moratorium in effect.

Treasurer’s Report.
The Chapter is paying out new member refunds. The President notes that as the Chapter now has over 400 members, there will be 16 UFF Senate seats.

Bargaining.
Discussion of Bargaining items.

• Motion made and seconded: that the USF Administration proposal for Article 13 be sent to the Bargaining Unit. Motion passes unanimously.
• Motion made and seconded: of approbation for the excellent work that Bob Welker has performed up to this time as Chief Negotiator. Motion passes unanimously.

Communication Chair’s Report.
Communications still being overhauled.

Recess into meeting as a Chapter Council.
The Chapter Council held an open meeting, and reports the approval of the following chairs of standing committees:

• Bargaining Committee: Mark Klisch
• Communications Committee: Greg McColm
• Grievance Committee: Mark Klisch
• Political Action Committee: Bob Welker
• Service Committee: Paul Terry

These appointments are for terms ending the first Chapter meeting at or after April 1. The Chapter Council will meet again jointly with the Chapter on January 22.

Good of the Order.
Discussion of the situation of contingent faculty.

These minutes respectfully submitted by G. McColm on January 9, 2010.

Draft agenda, UFFUSF chapter meeting
January 8, 12-1:30 pm, SOC 384

1. MOU ratification
   1. Q&A
   2. Opening of voting for 12-2 slot
   3. Distribution of materials to polling volunteers (thank you, volunteers!)
2. Future scheduling
   1. Chapter elections
   2. Regular chapter meetings in February (please head to meeting times input page if you have not yet!)
   3. Chapter council (Greg coordinating)
   4. UFF Senate meeting
3. Reports
   1. Grievances
   2. Treasurer
   3. Bargaining
   4. Communications
   5. President’s report
4. New business
5. For the good of the order