11/20/21 Labor Notes Workshop at WSU Saturday

Dear Colleagues,

AAUP-AFT 6075 is co-sponsoring an in-person workshop with Labor Notes on Saturday, November 20, 1–6 pm at the Student Center. Troublemaker’s School is a day of "skill-building workshops, education, and strategy discussions to put some movement back in the labor movement. The goal is to help workers get active in resisting management attacks—in other words, to make ‘good trouble.’"

Sign up for Troublemaker’s School here.

A special workshop will be geared toward college & university workers: “Fighting Austerity in Higher Ed.” We are constantly operating in a scarcity model — state funding has dried up, the demographic cliff is on the horizon, student tuition must be raised, our budgets must be cut. How do we, as union members, push back in this climate and win good contracts? We’ll hear about tactics and winning campaigns from other schools.

Join workers from all over the region—nurses, K-12 teachers, autoworkers, electrical workers, and others— to learn and share strategies to bring to our workplaces. Workshop topics include, “Race and Labor,” “Turning an Issue Into a Campaign,” and “Beating Apathy.”

Our union has reserved spots for our members to participate in the workshop, sign up here.

I hope to see you there.

-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 

Ratification VOTE for WSU-AAUP-AFT RESULTS

Wednesday September 15, 2021 3:00 PM through Tuesday 

September 21, 2021 11:59 PM EDT

This election has been closed for 11 minutes

__________________________________________________________

Do you vote to support ratification of the proposed tentative agreement?

 

Select no more than 1

714 votes - Yes

22 votes - No

____________________________________________

A total of 736 ballots were cast by 1256 eligible voters

09/13/21: Tentative Agreement for Collective Bargaining Agreement

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of your Bargaining Team, I am pleased to announce that we have pending Tentative Agreements (TAs) on the final articles of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) at the negotiations session this evening. The work across the table combined with the engagement and support of our members has led us to the type of fair and equitable compensation and healthcare provisions to complete negotiations for a strong renewal of our CBA after eight years and eight long months at the table.

Once the TAs are fully executed tomorrow morning, you’ll receive more communication about the coming week as we move toward the ratification vote of our members for the CBA. Please stay tuned in the coming days as there will be several announcements of critical importance related to the ratification information sessions and process.

With thanks and In Solidarity,

Ricardo Villarosa, Esq.
Chief Negotiator

August 2021 Newsbriefs: Bargaining Update #7 - ALERT

 

August 2021 Newsbriefs: Bargaining Update #6 - ALERT

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 

AAUP-AFT Local 6075 Endorses Prop P on the August 3 Detroit city ballot

The AAUP-AFT Local 6075 executive board has endorsed PROPOSAL P, a proposal to adopt the Detroit Charter Commission’s revisions to the Detroit City Charter. For all of us who live in Detroit, we strongly encourage a YES vote on Prop P in the August 3 city ballot elections.

Proposal P or “The People’s Charter” is a revision to the City Charter that safeguards the basic rights, the human rights, of all Detroiters, and increases transparency, accountability and residents’ engagement in Detroit city government. Some of the highlights from the revision include:

- prohibition on water shutoffs in case of harm, and establishment of a water affordability and assistance program,

- establishment of a public transit 'Fair Fare' for the most disenfranchised residents,

- establishment of a Commission and an Office of Environmental Justice and Sustainability,

- restricting police use of military equipment, acoustic and chemical weapons, surveillance technology, and reforms to the elections of the Board of Police Commissioners, Chief of Police and Fire Chief,

- new guidelines to qualify for affordable housing based on Detroiters’ median income,

- safeguarding immigrants’ rights by having City materials in multiple languages, prohibiting Detroit Police from assisting on federal immigration law enforcement, establishing an Office of Immigrant Affairs and an Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Commission,

- establishing an Office of Disability Affairs to provide advocacy on disability issues, safeguard protections, and ensure relevant services to disabled residents,

- a Recreation Advisory Commission for increased parks and green spaces,

- a Broadband Commission to advise on a public broadband plan,

- a Human Rights Commission and a Taskforce on Reparations to investigate vestiges of slavery and propose remedies,

- a system for resident to appeal over assessment of their property taxes,

- strengthening workers’ rights by creating job protections for contractors and City workers.

These are just a few of revisions that will happen if Prop P is passed. For more information, see: Charter of the City of Detroit proposed Revisions as of June 22, 2021

In 2018, the voters of Detroit voted to revise the City Charter and elected nine members to serve on the Charter Revision Commission. Since then, the Commission has held hundreds of meetings, engaged the community and heard from numerous groups to revise the Charter in ways that would address the needs of the residents of Detroit. The Commission has succeeded in crafting an important revision to the Charter that is a true safeguard for the needs of all the residents of Detroit.

Almost immediately after its release, Detroit Mayor Duggan opposed the revisions, and soon after, Governor Whitmer declined to approve the revised Charter. The basic argument from the Mayor’s Administration is that the Charter Revisions will cost too much. Despite the expensive advertising campaign financed by the Mayor’s corporate partners that Proposal P will drag Detroit into bankruptcy, not a single analysis or accounting has been provided by the Mayor’s team to show the basis of their dire cost assessment. The Charter Commission, on the other hand, enlisted a Michigan State University economist to evaluate the costs of the proposals, who determined that any costs associated with the revisions would be easily manageable by the City. In reality, the Mayor’s opposition has nothing to do with costs, and everything to do with protecting centralized power, maintaining a lack of transparency, and avoiding accountability.

As soon as the Detroit Election Commission voted to allow Prop P on the August ballot, the Mayor’s allies sued in an effort to prevent Detroiters from even being able to vote on the proposal. The argument hinges on whether or not the Governor needs to approve any city charter revisions, or whether cities have a right to determine their own charters. The Michigan constitution is not entirely clear on the issue. The case is now with the Michigan Supreme Court, which on July 7 heard final arguments on whether or not Prop P will be on the ballot.

We hope that the Michigan Supreme Court does the right thing, and allows the people of Detroit to determine their own city charter by letting residents vote on Prop P.

The AAAP-AFT Local 6075 encourages those voting in Detroit to VOTE YES on Prop P.

College of Education Grievance Appeal Vote Results

Dear Colleagues:

You were recently asked to vote as to whether or not to accept the final recommendations of the Hearing Committee with regard to a grievance filed by faculty members in the WSU College of Education. The result is as follows:

The membership voted to accept the final recommendations of the Hearing Committee.

The vote was:

236 votes - Yes

151 votes - No

Sincerely,

Deborah Ellis

Vice President

AAUP-AFT, Local 6075

Wayne State University Chapter

Please Review Recommendations from Hearing Committee Regarding December 2020 Grievance

Dear Colleagues:

In December of 2020, faculty members of the WSU College of Education filed a grievance with the Executive Board of AAUP-AFT, Local 6075 involving the Union President.

The AAUP-AFT, Local 6075 Bylaws in Article XI provide that a Union member’s complaint regarding Union matters that presents “possible justification” of a grievable claim shall be presented to a Hearing Committee for review and recommendation, with the recommendation appealable to the full Union membership. The Local 6075 Executive Board (other than the President, who as respondent in the grievance recused himself from this process) concluded that the College of Education members’ complaint met the standard of our Bylaws and appointed a three-member Hearing Committee charged with review and preparation of a recommended response to the complaint.

Although not required by the Union’s Bylaws, the Executive Board decided to exclude current Board members from serving on the Hearing Committee. However, the Union Executive Board did approve the engagement of an independent legal facilitator to support the Hearing Committee by acting as a neutral legal process expert. The Hearing Committee remained the sole decision makers in the matter of the grievance.

The Executive Board has received an appeal to the decision of the Hearing Committee. Due to the appeal and consistent with our Bylaws, the Board now presents the Hearing Committee report to the membership for a vote as to whether or not to accept the final recommendations of the Hearing Committee. The Hearing Committee final report and recommendation (with appendices) is attached here for review.

You will be asked to vote with regard to whether you accept the final recommendations of the Hearing Committee (Yes or No). You will receive a ballot from Ballots@ballotsonline.com; the 3rd party vendor who manages our electronic voting system for this vote on June 17th, after which you will have two weeks to complete your vote.

Executive Board

AAUP-AFT, Local 6075

Wayne State University Chapter

Job Security and Contract Negotiations

Dear Colleagues:

SIGN THE PETITION TODAY demanding guaranteed job security for all full-time faculty and academic staff at WSU.

Contract articles about job security will be addressed at today’s bargaining session. Your signature lets our Union send a strong message to the administration that our bargaining unit members stand united to protect tenure/ESS and to ensure lecturers, research, and clinical faculty earn real job security in our next contract.

In the last five days, hundreds of our members have signed on to tell the WSU administration that job security for ALL faculty and academic staff is important to us. If you are among those who have already signed, your solidarity is appreciated!

To add your name to the petition, go to http://shorturl.at/DOS23

Yours in Solidarity,

The Contract Negotiations Action Team

Take action to protect your job security and support our bargaining team

The Contract Negotiations Action Team asks you to sign a petition to tell the WSU administration that you support job security for all bargaining unit members. The administration is resisting extending job security to some members of our bargaining unit (lecturers, researchers and clinical faculty) and proposing to erode the tenure protections guaranteed to tenured and tenure-track faculty under our current contract. We have already taken collective action to protest the mass “non-renewals” of lecturers in several campus units, and we need to take action again to protect all faculty and academic staff members moving forward. If you haven’t done so already, watch the moving video from the Lecturer’s Steering Committee to learn how disruptive non-renewals are to the lives and livelihoods of our colleagues who primarily serve as teaching faculty, as well as to the students and departments who rely on them.

Sign the petition today to tell the administration that we will not accept attacks on tenure or ESS and we will fight for guaranteed job security for lecturers and clinical and research faculty. Once a majority (51%) of our membership has signed the petition, we will make the signatories public and deliver the petition to the administration.

We believe an injury to one is an injury to all, and we will not make trade-offs on fundamental job protections. Security in Solidarity!

May 2021 Newsbriefs: Bargaining Update #5

CORRECTION Union Bargaining Q&A

Dear Colleagues,

In our effort to keep everyone informed and engaged in the deliberations, your Bargaining Team is hosting another of our series of Question & Answer sessions (and our Happy Hours!). Considering that the academic year is over and that for many of us, having Friday afternoons free is important, we decided to move our Q&A to Thursday afternoons, and to extend it to an hour and a half. For this upcoming Q&A however, due to a conflict with another community event, we will keep to our original schedule and host the Q&A on Friday again.

This 1.5-hour Zoom session will update you on the current work of your Bargaining Team, encourage a Q&A, and facilitate a common discussion. And, of course, share a drink in solidarity.

So please join us for a conversation with your Bargaining Team, as well as with colleagues from across campus on a Zoom meeting, Friday, May 21, 2021, from 4.00p – 5.30p.

Bargaining Team
AAUP-AFT 6075
WSU Faculty & Academic Staff Union

05/21/21 Union Bargaining Updates Q & A Meeting 4-5:30 pm

Watch your email for Zoom info. Questions taken via this form (can be anonymous) or during the meeting, via chat

05/20/21 Faculty & Staff Self-Care Gardening Session

Reap the benefits of gardening! Discuss planning & building gardens, share your own garden stories, and get support from our WSU experts!

Join us on May 20th at 4 pm via Zoom

RSVP on Academica

Lecturers & Academic Staff have partnered to provide a series of stress relief & self-care sessions. Open to all WSU staff & faculty.

Spring 2021 Executive Board Officers Election Results

The results of the AAUP-AFT Officers Election are as follows:

President: Danielle Aubert
Secretary: Rachael Clark

The Member-at-Large position remains undecided. As noted in a previous communication, a runoff would be necessary in the event that Alicia Scheerhorn received more votes than the margin between Linda Beale and Clay Walker. This is, indeed, the case, with only three (3) votes separating Beale and Walker.

The runoff election will take place May 5, 2021 through May 13, 2021.

Obtaining Spring 2021 Executive Board Election Results

We are pleased to report that the result of the Spring 2021 Executive Board Election will be available to the membership immediately upon the closing of voting at 11:59 pm (server time) Friday, April 30. After midnight Saturday morning, members need only click on the link in their ballot email (subject line "VOTE: SPRING 2021 Executive Board Officers Election") and a display listing the votes received by all candidates will open. The following workweek an official announcement of the results will be sent to all members from the Union Office.

We are emphasizing after 11:59 pm (server time) because the server is set slightly off real time for security reasons. It is advisable to wait until a bit after 12:05 am Saturday morning to request results.

For those who have already deleted or lost their ballot email, on Saturday morning we will provide a nonfunctional ballot link, which will allow to display the election results.

April 2021 Newsbriefs: Bargaining Update #4

 

Open Forum on Layoffs in C&IT, April 14, 2021 at 5:30 pm

Coalition of Unions: Open Forum on Layoffs in C&IT

April 14, 5:30 – 7 pm

Join the Coalition of Unions for an Open Forum on the Layoffs that have taken place in C&IT this year. Members of the Board of Governors, President M. Roy Wilson, Interim CIO Rob Thompson and other upper-level administrators will be invited to come hear directly from those who have been most directly impacted by the chaotic consolidation taking place in IT at Wayne State.

Last Fall, IT staff were pulled out of Colleges and units all over the university and moved into Central IT. At the end of January, nine people were laid off. This set in motion a chaotic chain of events, where IT staff were given the option to either accept the layoff or “bump” someone else out of their job. Now, in the midst of a pandemic when we are all directly reliant on technology, our IT staff at Wayne is in disarray, long time Wayne employees who worked heroically to get us online last year have been let go, and others are having to take on new, unrelated job responsibilities.

Have you been impacted by the consolidation in C&IT? To get involved with activities on campus to save IT at Wayne, to share your experience, or to speak at the forum, fill out this form.

Read the letter from the Coalition of Unions to the Board of Governors.

Show your support for IT staff at Wayne by using these backgrounds in Zoom and Team.

Come on April 14 to support IT Staff at Wayne.

There is power in numbers!