Dear Colleagues,
Several areas of the new contract require the creation of committees to continue discussions with members of the administration. It is important for faculty and academic staff to be actively engaged in this work:
— Equity: The Equity Committee will address some outstanding issues which both parties at the table said they were committed to working on, including: setting guidelines for the Childcare Subsidy pool, pushing for a shared sick day bank, and addressing pay equity.
— Flexible Work Arrangements: A committee will review the pilot implementation of the FWA policy and make recommendations regarding its continuing implementation with regard to bargaining unit members. We are gathering an advisory group to help inform this work.
— Lecturer and Non-Tenure Track Faculty: Help define factors for a path to promotion for the new Assistant and Associate Professors of Teaching; ease the transition of Lecturers into new job titles, and look more broadly at issues specific to all Non-Tenure Track Faculty on campus.
— Online Teaching: A committee will be formed to make recommendations around online teaching post-pandemic.
— Evaluations of Teaching: Committees will be formed to make recommendations related to SETs.
Please indicate your interest in this work by filling out this Google form.
If there is someone else you think would be a strong advocate on behalf of other members in any of these areas, please send nominations and a brief rationale to office@aaupaft.org so we can reach out to them.
General Membership Meeting Recap
At the October 8 General Meeting, members spoke about Charlie Parrish’s work with the union over his many years as President. An in person event will be planned to recognize Charlie in late April/early May.
We had an energetic discussion about some of the top concerns we’re facing on campus and how we could use those to build the union. Among them: ongoing problems with facilities, widespread understaffing, and impact on workloads. Notes from breakout group discussions can be found here. Draft meeting minutes are in this folder. Any member who would like to see a copy of our local’s budget report can request that from office@aaupaft.org.
A resolution was brought to the membership to endorse Landis Spencer for the Detroit District 6 Board of Police Commissioners (BOPC) seat. The resolution passed with 92% in support. The BOPC is a civilian oversight committee founded in 1974. Wayne State’s campus is in District 6. Spencer’s priorities are “ending police brutality, protecting our civil rights and civil liberties, and preventing the police department from acting as a militaristic force in our city.” Spencer has also been endorsed by the Free Press.
Any member can bring a resolution to the General Membership meeting, but in the future — as a courtesy — please send resolutions at least 3 days in advance of a meeting so there is more time to share with the full membership for consideration. The next General Membership meeting will take place in early December.
Active Issues/Concerns: Contract Enforcement
When something comes up that impacts your working conditions, make sure to contact your Council Rep and/or the Contract Enforcement Team (CET) so they can be aware of the problem, possibly connect you with colleagues facing the same problem, and work to address it. Here is who to contact.
Executive Board
The next meeting of the Executive Board will be Friday, October 22. We will be discussing appointments to the above-mentioned committees. There will be a report on parts of our union Bylaws that may need revision.
Collective Action Reading Group
The reading group has met twice and had great discussions about how to make our union most effective. It’s not too late to join! The group meets biweekly on Tuesdays at 12:30 pm. Sign up here.
Labor Notes: Troublemaker’s School at Wayne State, Saturday Nov. 20
On Saturday, Nov. 20, 1–6 pm, Labor Notes will be leading a series of skill-building workshops at WSU around topics like, “Beating Apathy” and “Turning an Issue Into a Campaign." We need to build our skills to be a strong union! The event will draw unionists from across the region — from faculty, grad student workers and academic staff at U of M, Wayne State, and Oakland University to nurses, bus drivers, electrical workers, and auto workers. We hope to send a big group: Sign up here!
In solidarity,
Danielle Aubert
President, AAUP-AFT Local 6075 Wayne State University Chapter
