Dear Colleagues,
As you may have seen, the 15 public universities in Michigan will see a 5% one-time state funding boost this fiscal year. This summer, tuition was increased by 3.9%. On Friday, the Wayne State University budget—which takes these new funds into account—will be presented at the Board of Governors meeting.
We should all watch carefully to see how the additional millions of dollars coming to Wayne State are allocated. We need these funds to support instruction, research, and our students—not outside consultants, administrative salaries, or major new building projects. We need funds to be transferred into our departments and units, our labs, classrooms, libraries, and studios. We need funds to go toward hiring faculty and academic staff, addressing pay inequity, filling vacancies in the many understaffed areas across campus, and fixing facilities issues that have arisen from years of deferred maintenance.
In solidarity,
Danielle Aubert President, AAUP-AFT Local 6075 Wayne State University Chapter
ANNOUNCEMENTS
General Membership Meeting: Friday, October 8, 4–5 pm
Come to the first General Membership meeting of the semester! We will discuss goals for the year.
Post-negotiations Follow Up Work
There are a few issues we will continue to work on now that the new contract has been ratified. An Equity Committee will be forming to establish guidelines for the childcare subsidy pool and continue to address work-life balance and pay inequity; the Lecturers Steering Committee will be focusing on the path to promotion for new ranked Teaching faculty, and on ways to support all non-tenure track faculty at WSU. Other committees will be forming to make recommendations around Flexible Work Arrangements, online teaching, and SETs and teaching evaluations.
Please indicate your interest in engaging with any of this work by filling out this Google form.
Executive Board Update
The last meeting was Friday, Sep. 24. An ad hoc committee was established to coordinate the formation of the various committees described above. We voted to support the Labor Notes Troublemaker’s School that will take place on the Wayne State campus on Saturday, November 20. There are 20 spots available for AAUP-AFT 6075 members to participate. Email office@aaupaft.org to participate. We voted to support the Anti-Bullying Statement of Values drafted by members of the Academic Senate. The next Executive Board meeting will be October 22.
Council
The next meeting of the Council of Representatives will be Tuesday, Oct. 5 at 12:30 pm. Know your Council Rep! If you’re in a unit or department without a Rep, contact Council Chair Kristen Chinery or email office@aaupaft.org to find out how to address that.
Support WSU Building Engineers
Urgent concerns have been raised by WSU Building Engineers about understaffing. Licensed engineers are being replaced by unlicensed personnel (if they’re being replaced at all), and it is affecting their ability to keep up with basic maintenance. See the attached letter from our WSU union siblings in IUOE Local 324.
Liaison to Curriculum and Instruction Committee
We are in need of a union liaison to the Academic Senate Curriculum and Instruction Committee. If you’re interested email office@aaupaft.org for more information.
Michigan AFL-CIO Convention
The Michigan AFL-CIO Convention will take place on October 20 from 10 am – 1 pm. We are apportioned 3 delegate spots to represent AAUP-AFT Local 6075. If you’d like to attend the Convention, email office@aaupaft.org.
