03/29/22 Updating Our Union Bylaws

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last six months, members of our Executive Board and Council of Representatives have undertaken the project of reviewing and revising our Union bylaws. This is the first major update to our bylaws since 2003.

There will be time on the agenda at the April 8 General Membership meeting to discuss the proposed changes to the bylaws. After the meeting, you will receive a ballot by email to vote on the proposed changes. Bylaws amendments require two-thirds support of those voting. The bylaws amendment vote will be on the same ballot as the elections for Vice President, Treasurer, and Member-at-Large of the Union.

You can see the old bylaws here. The new bylaws are attached as both a clean copy and a redlined version.

Summary of Proposed Changes:

There are a number of minor changes to language throughout. We have defined a Member of the Union as someone who is up to date on dues. A Member is different from a bargaining unit member, who is represented by the collective bargaining agreement, but does not pay dues.

We have addressed irregularities in the roles of Executive Board members. There were a number of seats that had undefined term lengths and start and end dates. We’ve established term lengths for all seats, and start/end dates. Of the four Member-at-Large seats on our Executive Board, two have been elected by the General Membership, and two appointed. We are proposing that all four seats be elected, and, if the bylaws amendments pass, we will hold a special election in September. There were two ex officio seats on the Board that did not have voting privileges: Academic Staff Steering Committee and Lecturer Steering Committee chairs. They have long had a seat on the Executive Board, and we are proposing that all Executive Board members have voting privileges.

We have also clarified some procedures around the discipline and removal of elected and appointed Union members on committees. We do not expect this to be an issue, but last year, for the first time in 30 years, a grievance was brought to the Executive Board against a member and it was made clear that our existing procedures were inadequate.

The proposed revisions are the work of a committee that included members of the Executive Board and Council: Kristen Chinery (Bylaws Committee Chair), Paul Beavers, Kathleen Crawford-McKinney, Pramod Khosla, Tracy Neumann, Hayg Oshagan, Aaron Retish, and Danielle Aubert (ex officio).

We are putting forth this proposal with support from the Executive Board and hope to have your support in passing them.

In solidarity,

Danielle Aubert, President

Hayg Oshagan, Information Coordinator

AAUP-AFT Local 6075

02/15/22 Union Updates: Calling All Non-Tenure-Track Faculty

Dear colleagues,

All non-tenure-track clinical, teaching, and research faculty are invited to a discussion session on Wednesday, February 23 at 3 pm to look at ways to address common concerns, such as selective salary factors and representation on P&T committees charged with promoting non-tenure track faculty. Zoom meeting link: check your e-mail or call the union's office.

EXECUTIVE BOARD NOTES

The union’s Executive Board met last week. We set a date for the Winter semester General Membership meeting for Friday, April 8 from 4–5:30 pm. We discussed ways to update our bylaws, specifically with regards to the composition of the Executive Board, so that we might have more opportunities to elect officers from the union’s general membership. We voted to donate $500 to support miners who have been on strike in Alabama for months. Members of the Executive Board will be engaging in a two-day strategic planning session later this week to set longer term goals for the union.

GREAT LAKES COFFEE IS UNIONIZING: RALLY TOMORROW AT NOON

Join Great Lakes Coffee baristas at the corner of Woodward and Alexandrine in Detroit tomorrow (Wednesday) for a rally from 12–1 pm. They are unionizing with Unite Here Local 24, which also represents many janitors at Wayne State. Several of the Great Lakes employees are also Wayne State students, and they could use our support!

DETROITERS SPEAK: MAKING LABOR WORK

Join community activists and labor organizers, including several from AAUP-AFT 6075, for a series of panels on organizing for power in the 21st century. Events take place Wednesdays, 7–9 pm in February and March, streaming from https://tinyurl.com/GBIYouTube. March events will tentatively take place in person at the General Baker Institute at 15798 Livernois, Detroit.

Union member teachers in Northern Michigan have asked for our help writing to legislators to request support for high speed internet access for rural parts of the state.

In solidarity,

Danielle

10/12/21 Union Updates

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 

09/29/21 Updates

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.  

Vaccine Mandate: Statement of Support & Demand to Bargain

below is the "Statement of Support and Demand to Bargain" sent earlier today, August 04, 2021, by President Charles Parrish to the Administration 

Letter of Solidarity with LEO AFT Local 6044

 

07/27/20 Governor O'Brien's Response to President Wilson-Demand to Bargain

Dear Colleagues:

The following is Governor Sandra Hughes O'Brien's message to President Wilson regarding the Demand to Bargain and the situation with the Clinical Faculty in the School of Medicine.

============================================================

Date: 07/27/2020 11:39 AM

Subject: Re: Demand to Bargain -- School of Medicine Clinical Faculty

Roy, what in the world is going on? By my calculations, this is the 3rd time I've asked why your Dean is moving forward with this plan. My requests have been met with silence. The governing board has not been advised as to the strategy behind this move, despite requests. This is totally unacceptable. Perhaps my prior requests were unclear; so I'll make this quite plain...What is the purpose or strategy of a move like this? 

A Dean of a college or school has neither the power nor authority to unilaterally change the faculty salaries of an entire school/college by purposefully sidestepping the Union; ignoring the negotiated collective bargaining agreement; and deliberately concealing his intentions from the governing board. I sincerely hope that your Dean is not trying to sidestep the Union and the Board concerning faculty salaries. Schweitzer was not hired to undermine University policy and process. Violating University policies and process and attempting to sidestep or undermine our rules and regulations around the salaries of our faculty would be the surest way for a dean to find himself on the bad side of the Board and that never ends well.

Schweitzer trying to force this unilateral move makes me think that you're trying to balance the university's books on the backs of our revenue-generating clinical faculty. But I wouldn't know, because you've not kept us informed.

No compensation documents should be sent to any of our represented faculty without a negotiation with the Union under the Collective Bargaining Agreement followed by approval of any compenstaion action by the Board. No faculty member should feel obligated to sign any document that has not been transparently negotiated with the Union on their behalf under the Collective Bargaining Agreement and then submitted to the Board for approval.

Non-transparency does not work. You need to fix this now.

Thank you!
Sandy
Sandy Hughes O'Brien, Esq.

==========================
Charlie
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Charles J. Parrish

President, AAUP-AFT, Local 6075, WSU Chapter

Vice President-at-Large, AFT Michigan

President, AAUP Michigan Conference

Member-at-Large, National Council, AAUP

5057 Woodward Avenue, Suite 3301

Detroit, MI 48202

313.577.1750

05/18/20 Bargaining Unit Update

Dear Colleagues,

It is seems like much longer than just two months since our first message about our Demand To Bargain the changes that have been necessary to adjust and adapt to the challenges presented from COVID-19, and the rapid move to remote teaching, learning, and other operations. Our members have helped ensure completion of the Winter term, grading, advising, and other vital student support, and celebrating our most recent graduates. Through our members’ collective efforts and willingness to go above and beyond in countless ways, we ensured the core mission and activities of the University were effectively served.

With the announcement of the nine Restart Committees by President M. Roy Wilson, many expressed concerns over the lack of Faculty and Academic Staff representation on the committees. President Wilson’s approach was to appoint, overwhelmingly, administrators as the members of these committees. A few Faculty members were appointed by the Administration to represent the Faculty and Academic Staff. This continuing pattern of picking the representatives of the Faculty and Academic Staff, rather than asking the Academic Senate and the Union to appoint their own representatives to these bodies, is deeply troubling. The Union and the Academic Senate objected to this. During the May 6th meeting of the Academic Senate, President Wilson acceded to their demands, and representatives appointed by them eventually became members of these committees. The complete listing and rosters for the Restart Committees, with your Union representatives identified, are available at the following link: https://wayne.edu/coronavirus/campus-restart.

While representation of the Union on these committees is an improvement to the process, it is not a substitute for the direct bargaining that we are ensuring continues with the Administration as we move through the Summer and approach the Fall. As the Restart Committees attempt to establish broad guidelines for phased return to campus in the coming weeks and months; they must also address the complex array of uncertainties for health, safety, enrollment, and external regulations that continue to evolve rapidly. These circumstances will call for continued extraordinary efforts on the part of our individual members, and the Union collectively. For Faculty, the need to plan for the flexibility to teach in one of the many options from limited face-to-face, remote, hybrid, with synchronous or asynchronous components--and being able to shift during the semester if conditions change again. Academic Staff continue to shoulder increases in scope, quantity, and complexity of their advising and support of current and incoming students throughout the Summer and into the Fall.

Although the charge of the Restart Committees is to set broad guidelines for campus, the detailed planning and implementation will rely on schools, colleges, divisions, and departments. To be successful, this structure requires local shared governance participation by Faculty and Academic Staff members who are most knowledgeable about the specific needs and solutions for each area and discipline. Please reach out to chairs, supervisors, and deans to ensure that your voices are heard in those local decision processes. 

The Administration leadership has publicly acknowledged the significant contributions and sacrifice that our members have made and continue to make. However, it needed strong action by the Academic Senate and the Union to get a place at the table in the process of setting the restart policies for the University. As your Union representatives, we continue to work on your behalf to ensure safe and equitable conditions for our shared work; and to assure the preservation of the hard-won benefits and rights in our Collective Bargaining Agreement. We cannot do this effectively without your support and personal efforts in your own units. Please continue to reach out to your Union Council Representatives or directly to the Union Office team with questions, concerns, or successful practices that may be shared. As stated previously, we offer opportunities for small 'pop-up" membership Zoom meetings. Several departments and other groups have participated in the past month. As always, our strength comes from our collective efforts and support for each other.

In Solidarity,

Charlie Parrish, President

Ricardo Villarosa, Chief Negotiator

Michelle Fecteau, Executive Director

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AAUP-AFT, Local 6075

Wayne State University Chapter

5057 Woodward Avenue, Suite 3301

Detroit, MI 48202

313.577.1750

office@aaupaft.org

AAUP-AFT Local 6075 Council Communication Statement

AAUP-AFT Council
Statement on Communication
February 6, 2020

Union members raised questions regarding the December 17, 2019 distribution of a
member’s concern intended for the Executive Board to the full membership list. The
AAUP-AFT Council offers the following statement in response.

The role of the AAUP-AFT Council is outlined in Article IX of the AAUP-AFT Bylaws.
Duties of the Council include:

• Making recommendations about issues facing the Union;
• Providing review and assistance during the negotiating process;
• Facilitating communication for all members.

Communication is of particular consequence, as members depend on Council
Representatives to relay information to and from Union leadership, and Council
Representatives serve as a central point of contact for member questions and concerns.
Ensuring trust between Council Representatives and those they represent is paramount.
To every extent possible, requests for confidentiality and anonymity will by respected by
the Union leadership.

As we move into bargaining season, it is important that members feel confident that they
may contact their Council Representatives under any circumstances and through
whatever channel (in-person, email, etc.) they choose. As an additional vehicle for
communication, the Council requests that Executive Board members’ contact information
be easily accessible on the Union’s website.

Solidarity, AAUP-AFT Local 6075

Call for Nominations -- 2020 Spring Officers Election

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

Nominations for Local Union Vice President, Treasurer, and Executive Board Member-at-Large are now being accepted.

Nomination forms must be submitted to the AAUP-AFT Union Office by close of the General Membership Meeting on Wednesday, March 25, 2020. Forms may be faxed to (313) 577-8159, scanned and e-mailed to office@aaupaft.org, or mailed or dropped off to the Union Office, located at 5057 Woodward Avenue, Suite 3301, Detroit, MI 48202. Nominations will also be accepted from the floor of the AAUP-AFT General Membership Meeting on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, scheduled from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., in Ballrooms A&B of the Student Center Building.

Nominators and Nominees must be active AAUP-AFT, Local 6075 members. The Membership Meeting is only open to Union members.

Please note: Nominations require two (2) signed nominators, and the signed approval of the nominee. Please be sure to include a 250-word (1/2-page) bio, which includes a description of your accomplishments, and a statement on why you are running for Union Office.


The Call for Nominations, as well as the Nomination Form are attached.

Sincerely,

Nominations Committee
AAUP-AFT, Local 6075
Wayne State University Chapter

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Office Descriptions


The Vice President acts in the absence of the President, as the presiding official of the Union and the Executive Board, and shall assist in the duties of the President.

Term: Two years, Fall 2020 – Fall 2022

The Treasurer is responsible for the collection of all Union monies, and for the discharge of all financial obligations of the Union. The Treasurer presents an annual financial report, and in consultation with the President, prepares an annual budget for consideration of the Executive Board. The Treasurer makes available the financial records to any member, provided that adequate notice is given. The Treasurer annually presents the books of the Union for an audit or review by a Certified Public Accountant, who is not a member of the collective bargaining unit. The Treasurer may delegate any of these duties to the Executive Director of the Union, but such delegation does not vitiate the Treasurer’s responsibility to ensure their proper discharge.

Term: Two years, Fall 2020 – Fall 2022

Executive Board Member-at-Large acts for the Union in carrying out its purposes - to promote the interests of higher education, to advance the standards, ideals, and welfare of the profession, and to serve as the collective bargaining agent for the faculty and academic staff of the University. The Executive Board regularly meets to review and vote on Union policy in the interests of Union members.

Term: Two years, Fall 2020 – Fall 2022

2019 Spring Officers Election Results

The 2019 Officers Election has concluded and the results are as follows:

President: Charles Parrish
Secretary: Rachael Clark
Member-at-Large: Linda Beale

They have been elected to serve terms beginning with the Fall Semester 2019 through the Summer Semester 2021.

Congratulations to all!

2018 Officer Elections Results

The following were elected:

Vice President: Rita Casey, Associate Professor,
Psychology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Treasurer: Paul Beavers, Librarian IV,
Library Computing & Media Services, Library Systems

Member-at-Large: Deborah Ellis, Professor
Family Medicine, School of Medicine

The new officers have been elected to 2-year terms which begin the Fall 2018 semester. We would like to congratulate them and give our sincere thanks all who participated.

Charles H. Gershenson Distinguished Faculty Fellow

Congratulations to Donal O'Leary for receiving this distinguished award,

an honor established by the university’s Board of Governors to recognize and provide support for faculty whose continuing achievements and activities in scholarship, research ... are nationally distinguished. 

Additionally, Donal is a member of the Executive Board for AAUP-AFT Local 6075, Wayne State Chapter - here, after a meeting:

via Prognosis E-News