UT-AAUP Negotiations Update #1

Harvey Wolff, UT-AAUP President

 

There have been three negotiating sessions this year and the going has been slow. At the first session, the BOT presented their version of the ground rules. These were the same as had been presented at the beginning of the last year's negotiation. We also talked about the possibility of discussing health care first, but data is needed from the administration. The decision to discuss health care has been put off pending the receipt of data. This issue is further complicated by the pending Supreme Court healthcare decision to be published in June 2012.  

 

At the second session we presented a response to the BOT's proposed ground rules. Because the BOT's chief negotiator was not able to attend the second session, this was all that was accomplished. At the third session, the BOT presented a response to the UT-AAUP version of the ground rules. We appear to be very close to finalizing a set of ground rules.

 

The BOT also gave us a list of articles in the tenure/tenure-track contract that they do not want to amend.  

 

These are:

           Article 6.0 Conflict of Interest

           Article 17.0 Discoveries, Inventions, Patents and Copyrights

           Article 23.0 Entire Agreement

           Article 24.0 Separability

           Article 25.0 Labor-Management Meetings

 

There may be others, but the BOT is not ready to make any further commitment.  We may want to discuss the above or other articles as the negotiations continue. 

 

The BOT has indicated that they want to separately negotiate the Lecturers' contract. They have presented some proposed changes for the following articles:   

 

Article 1-Definitions

 

Article 2-Recognition and Description of the Bargaining Unit:

The changes for Articles 1 and 2 were minor.

Article 3 Non-Discrimination:

The BOT proposal for Article 3 is not clear and will be revisited at the next meeting.  

 

Article 4-Management Rights: 

In Article 4 -Management Rights, the BOT wants to insert wording concerning the duty to bargain  about employment effects of policies adopted by the BOT "if its managerial prerogatives have a material affect on wages, hours or working conditions".

Article 5-Faculty Rights and Responsibilities:

In Article 5 the BOT wants to insert a new section concerning academic freedom being subscribed to "controlling legal precedence, as well as First and Fourteenth Amendment Constitution guarantees that apply at state universities and impact the rights and responsibilities of faculty, students and the University."

The BOT also wants to change Article 5 Section 2 from Professional Obligations to Professional Conduct.  They want to require faculty to "... conduct themselves in a manner reflective of the University's core values"; to   "... consistently demonstrate professional conduct"; and "... be collegial with all members of the University community".  They also would add a sentence that says   "Failure to demonstrate professional conduct may result in discipline..."  which would include discharge.

 

The next negotiation session is scheduled for Friday, May 11, 2012.  The negotiations will continue throughout the summer.  Your input to the UT-AAUP will be appreciated and held in confidence.  Please send your comments to Mary Jane Erard, UT-AAUP Executive Director at ut-aaup@mindspring.com.