07/30/22 Message regarding the SOM Clinical Faculty

Message to Members on Clinical Faculty in the School of Medicine

Charles J. Parrish, President, WSU AAUP-AFT, Local 6075

On July 27th the Union sent a letter to the Administration that demanded to bargain the remarkable change in a personnel policy that had been followed for decades in the School of Medicine. The first concrete steps in implementing this new policy were taken today when letters of termination were sent to all members of our clinical faculty in the School of Medicine.

We understand that the next step will be to offer them a contract renewal that is not based on their present contracts, but will treat them as new hires who will be appointed at a half-time position at a severely lower salary base. The difference in salary is proposed to be made up for the monetary losses involved by the WSUPG, the principal faculty practice plan. This is contrary to past policies and will be destructive to the goals of the School of Medicine.

Further, it will constitute a subsidy to the WSUPG, the principal faculty practice plan. By keeping the appointment at .5 full-time equivalent, the faculty will continue to be covered at the same cost by the University health benefits program so that the WSUPG does not have to offer a similar benefit.

The Schweitzer proposal will not make up the 10% retirement salary match that faculty members presently receive from the University on their higher salary level. The base for the retirement match, given the much lower salary being offered, will also be much lower than it is under the present contract.

The Administration has responded to our letter demanding to bargain the policy changes we cited in our July 27th letter and has agreed to schedule talks with the Union. They also argue that there has been no change in personnel policy and that they have the power to proceed as they are now. We will meet with their bargaining representatives and keep you informed of the negotiations as they progress. We still have two months between now and the September 30th termination date. Let us hope that the Administration will be reasonable and we can come to a satisfactory resolution of this unfortunate situation.

Stay tuned.

Charlie

--
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

07/27/20 Demand to Bargain -- School of Medicine Clinical Faculty

Good Morning, Boris:

Attached please find a Demand to Bargain regarding Clinical Faculty in the School of Medicine.

Please contact me regarding this matter.

Sincerely,

Charlie

--

Charles J. ParrishPresident, AAUP-AFT, Local 6075, WSU ChapterVice President-at-Large, AFT MichiganPresident, AAUP Michigan ConferenceMember-at-Large, National Council, AAUP5057 Woodward Avenue, Suite 3301Detroit, MI 48202313.577.1750

07/14/20 Coalition of Unions Demands for Appropriate Policies During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Dear Wayne State University Board of Governors and President Wilson,

Please find attached [i.e. below] a letter written and co-signed by 12 Unions and students, including the Student Senate, regarding campus public health during Covid-19.

Faculty, academic staff and students join with building trades and grounds workers, engineers, dining workers, custodians, clerical staff and police officers to make the following requests during the Covid-19 pandemic: guaranteed paid leave, dropping disciplinary charges for absences related to Covid-19, continuing flexible work arrangements, training for supervisors in administering leave during Covid-19, and free rapid testing on campus.

Additionally, we respectfully invite members of the Board of Governors and the Administration to meet with the Coalition of Unions regarding our concerns related to Covid-19.

Sincerely,Tom Anderson, ChairCoalition of Unions at WSU

**********************************************************************

Wayne State University Leave Time During the Covid-19 Pandemic

DEMANDS FOR APPROPRIATE POLICIES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

BY THE COALITION OF UNIONS & STUDENTS at WSU

July 14, 2020

Building trades and grounds workers, engineers, dining workers, custodians, clerical staff and police officers are among the Wayne State workers who have returned to work—or who have remained on campus—since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

For everyone’s safety, it is critical that anyone who could possibly carry the deadly coronavirus not feel compelled to come to campus. The Wayne State University guidelines rightly instruct employees that, “If you have symptoms or have been exposed, stay home.”

It is, therefore, imperative to employee and public safety that the Wayne State University Administration provide appropriate leave policies, clearly articulated to all levels of management, that encourage, not discourage, possible carriers of the disease from coming to campus, particularly if they exhibit Covid-19 symptoms or have been exposed to someone who exhibits Covid-19 symptoms. Policies that do not provide adequate paid leave time put employees in an impossible position of choosing between risking their livelihoods or risking public safety.

United in our concern for the Wayne State University community, the Coalition of Unions at WSU requests the following policies be implemented immediately across WSU:

1. PAID LEAVE

All workers, both on and off campus, should receive “no questions asked” paid leave if they have been exposed to Covid-19, exhibit symptoms of Covid-19, or are caring for a family member with Covid-19 symptoms. This goes into effect retroactively to cover workers who have already given up vacation and/or accrued days to cover Covid-19 related absences.

2. DROP DISCIPLINARY CHARGES

Disciplinary measures against employees who report Covid-19 related absences are suspended, and discipline for past Covid-19 related absences is removed.

3. FLEXIBLE WORK

Flexible work-from-home arrangements should continue to be provided. Administration must show sufficient justification that an employee's presence on campus is essential before requiring them to return in person. Special consideration is given to those caring for children, as well as those caring for other family members.

4. TRAIN SUPERVISORS

All supervisors receive up-to-date training on all relevant sick leave policies.

5. FREE RAPID TESTING ON CAMPUS

Provide free rapid testing to identify Covid-19 as quickly as possible when it arrives on campus. Rapid tests would allow employees to either return to work or quarantine immediately, rather than waiting up to two weeks for results.

6. INVITATION TO MEET

Members of the Administration and the Board of Governors are invited to meet with the Coalition of Unions to hear recommendations from those who have been working and maintaining buildings on campus during the pandemic.

Elaboration on the above points:

1. PAID LEAVE

Although the Administration has implemented a number of Covid-19 related enhancements augmenting established and contractual sick leave policies, they do not cover all situations and all people sufficiently. The WSU Shared Sick/Illness Time Pool provides a maximum of 14 days of paid leave and is dependent on others donating their time. Employees in skilled trades are ineligible, since they do not have agreements that provide accrued sick time, which is one of the requirements. The federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) provides only two (2) weeks of Emergency Paid Leave. There is a provision for another 10 weeks through an expansion of FMLA, but this is limited to caring for a child under the age of 18. It does not include caring for a spouse, parent, and other family members. The federal benefits in FFCRA end in December 2020.

A guaranteed University-wide Covid-19 paid leave policy could be accomplished through expanding coverage and supplementing the WSU Shared Sick/Illness Time Pool with sufficient funding to cover all employees absent from work for Covid-19 related reasons.

2. DROP DISCIPLINARY CHARGES

Employees who report Covid-19-related absences should be believed, not threatened. Employment policies that discipline and terminate employees who accumulate more than a limited number of absences—even when caused by Covid-19 related situations—put the entire WSU community at risk. There should be no disincentive to staying home when sick with or when exposed to Covid-19.

3. FLEXIBLE WORK

With increased caretaking demands due to closures of child care centers, school buildings, and care services for family members because of the pandemic, many employees have relied on WSU’s Flexible Work Arrangement if eligible and, where available, paid family leave policies to maintain their employment. A number of employees required to come to campus struggle with managing caregiving during this time. Retaining these experienced and valuable employees is essential to the University’s continued success.

4. TRAIN SUPERVISORS

We have found that a number of frontline administrators are unaware of or not properly administering available options for paid leave. This creates both unnecessary stress for employees and risk to the Wayne State community. Some workers have been told to use vacation days when caring for others with Covid-19. Others with mild symptoms who were waiting on Covid-19 test results lost time from their regular sick day bank when this should have been covered by Federal Paid Emergency Leave. As more and more Wayne State employees return to work, this problem will intensify.

5. FREE RAPID TESTING ON CAMPUS

It is critical for workers returning to campus to have access to free Covid-19 testing. We support the efforts by the Public Health Subcommittee of the WSU Restart Committee to provide periodic testing and contact tracing for individuals residing on campus. We request that the same periodic testing and contact tracing be extended to all campus workers. When a case of Covid-19 is identified, we demand that a properly protected and equipped custodial crew sanitize all spaces.

6. INVITATION TO MEET

The Coalition of Unions has formed a Health and Safety Working Group because we know that not all campus workers are represented on the university restart committees. The restart committees are, for the most part, led by administrators. We extend an open invitation to members of the administration and the Board of Governors to meet with the Coalition of Unions to hear directly from Wayne State workers from across campus.

Respectfully submitted by the Coalition of Unions and students at Wayne State:

AFSCME Local 1497, Custodial Staff

AAUP-AFT Local 6075, Faculty & Academic Staff

Graduate Employees Organizing Committee, GEOC AFT Local 6123

IBEW Local 58

IUOE Local 325, Operating Engineers

Teamsters Local 337, Dining Staff

UniteHere! Local 24, Custodial Staff

UAW Local 1979 Professional & Administrative Staff (P&A)

UAW Local 2071 Staff Association

UPTF AFT Local 477, Part-Time Faculty

WSU Police Officers Association

WSU Skilled Trades

WSU Student Senate

WSU Young Democratic Socialists of America

07/08/20 Relations with the WSU Administration in the Context of Covid-19

This is to keep you informed of the progress of the efforts to meet the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis by the University. The Union leadership is still at the beginnings of a conversation with the Administration over the financial response to the crisis. It is as yet unknown how many students will register and pay the tuition that provides almost two-thirds of the University’s general fund during the current fiscal year. We will keep you informed as the discussions progress.

I want to commend the Administration for initiating the formation of the Restart Committee and its various subcommittees to address the University’s response to the various dimensions of the crisis we collectively face in our institution. The work of the Committee and its subcommittees has been for the most part sensible and helpful to meeting the challenges faced by the University in these difficult times. However, the process of forming the committees raised some important issues.

Representation on Restart Committees. Unfortunately, it was a struggle to get representation of the Faculty and Academic Staff in the membership of the Restart Committee and its subcommittees. The chief manner in which we have a voice in the operation of the University is through the organizations in which we elect our own leaders: our Academic Senate and our Union. In short, our instruments of academic governance and of our representatives who negotiate our terms and conditions of employment. The divergence between the interests of administrators, who have increasingly come to dominate colleges and universities and those of the people who actually deliver the services that justify their existence has become increasingly obvious. A recent book by Benjamin Ginsberg, The Fall of the Faculty: The Rise of the All-Administrative University and Why It Matters (Oxford University Press, 2011) is but one useful example of many examinations of this phenomenon. It is ironic that intellectuals wage their wars with the ever-burgeoning assemblages of higher education administrators by writing down their ideas. They often assume that their arguments, if made forcefully enough, will win the day. Their opponents, the administrators, for the most part, wage these wars of ideas by ignoring them and working every day to accumulate power memorandum by memorandum.

President Wilson Insists on His Right to Choose Senate Representatives. The COVID-19 crisis provided the grounds for yet another skirmish between these forces at WSU. The first impulse of President Wilson was to appoint members of these Restart Committees without consulting either the Senate or the Union. He maintained to the Senate President that he could appoint representatives of the Senate instead of them being appointed by the Senate itself. In the initial appointments of administrators to the Committees, those who held retreat positions on the Faculty were identified by an asterisk as Faculty representatives when memberships on these groups were initially published on the University’s website. For example, the Dean of CLAS, as with other such administrators, were identified as Faculty members.

Following protests by the Academic Senate, President Wilson added representatives chosen by the Senate and the Union with one significant exception. The President of the Senate was designated by the Senate Policy Committee for membership in the Finance Restart Subcommittee. President Wilson refused to appoint her to it. The struggle to get President Wilson to recognize the right of the Senate to appoint its own representatives to University committees continues.

For example, the President is in the process of establishing a “Social Justice Action Committee.” In a memorandum to the Senate President he stated: “Faculty representation will be important and I am requesting that you and the Policy Committee of the Academic Senate provide me with fifteen names of potential faculty from which I can select five to be on the various subcommittees.” It is clear that he is committed to the patronizing principle that the Senate cannot be trusted to designate its own representatives. On the five committees that make up the Social Justice Action Committee (no central committee was named), roughly half of those named as members are administrators, there were five unnamed Academic Senate slots on four committees and four student slots on one committee. The AAUP-AFT was not asked for names for appointment to any of the committees.

The charge to the committees from President Wilson is: “(1) examining internal policies, procedures, and practices to identify and eliminate bias throughout the Wayne State University campus that may disproportionately disadvantage historically marginalized peoples, and (2) recommend specific actions for consideration of immediate, short term, medium term, and long term implementation to advance social justice and equity for historically marginalized peoples at Wayne State University.”

Social Justice and Race at WSU. In establishing the Social Justice Committee, the President does not ask that it focus on the University’s obligation to the city of Detroit within which it lives. I would hope that the Committee would examine the issue of what we could do to raise the number of our Black graduates. President Wilson and his senior administrators have been celebrating the increased percentage of Black students graduating from the University. I have suggested that the effusive self-congratulations should be tempered by the fact that during his Administration, the number of Black students at the University has declined dramatically, and there are no policies in place to address this issue. When President Wilson came to Wayne State in 2013, we graduated 527 Black students. This year, we graduated 473 Black students, 10 percent fewer. My communication, slightly revised, to the Board of Governors that deals with this issue is attached. Also attached is a copy of Governor Sandra Hughes O’Brien comments published in Deadline Detroit on this same subject. The pertinent question is what should be the social justice action responsibilities to the community of a university situated in the heart of a city with a population that is 80 percent Black, with half of its children below the poverty level. Why is Wayne State’s Administration committed to a program that touts a higher graduation percentage based on a falling number of Black graduates and a dwindling number of Black students?

Conclusion. It would be much better for the University if President Wilson was a leader who welcomed criticism and was not resistant to the kind of vigorous debate that would be involved in a strong system of shared governance that is envisioned in the Annotated Code of the Board of Governors that states: “… [the] Senate has authority and responsibility for the formulation and review of educational policy affecting the University as a whole.” (2.26.04) Important questions, such as that of social justice and race, should be topics for robust debate within the Senate and between an independent Senate and President Wilson and his administrators. That would be good for the University.

Sincerely,

Charlie
--

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

06/22/20 Message Regarding School of Medicine Clinicians

Dear Colleagues:

Latest Administration Proposal.

It is difficult to imagine that physicians - members of a greatly esteemed profession, can be transformed into threatened and exploited employees. Yet, this is the case of the clinicians on the faculty of the Wayne State University School of Medicine (SOM).

The Failures of WSUPG Leadership.

The story of the leadership of the WSU SOM is not one of unvarnished success. In fact, it is the opposite. Most medical schools of the size of ours have over 1,000 clinicians who generate an income stream for their medical schools through their provision of services to patients. At Wayne, that number currently stands at around 300. The number of faculty clinicians at Wayne has decreased substantially over the past five years with a corresponding revenue decline that was a major factor in the bankruptcy of the Wayne State University physician practice plan, UPG. The departure of the overwhelming number of the faculty clinicians in Pediatrics to the medical school at Central Michigan has only worsened this situation. During the past five years, neither the WSU SOM nor the UPG have been attractive places for clinicians to work, and they have had problems recruiting clinicians and keeping them as employees. While the WSU UPG may have emerged from bankruptcy, its shaky financial situation has not been overcome. That Dean Mark Schweitzer announced cuts in the salaries of UPG clinicians of 20% in May, 30% in June and 50% in July is not an indicator of a stable financial situation. In any organization that finds itself in such a situation: the responsibility first falls on management.

Uncertainties in the Relationship between the SOM and UPG.

The situation of the faculty clinicians in the SOM is uncertain at best under the present situation and proposed changes. These faculty members have been paid until now from two sources: the University and the UPG (or one of the other smaller practice plans). They mostly have year-to-year term contracts with the University and a separate employment contract with their practice plans. Mostly, their contracts end in September, 2020. It was the Dean’s proposal that such faculty members be terminated on that date and be employed in the future solely by their practice plans. That plan has been superseded by a newly announced plan. The average period of service for the clinical faculty is almost two decades, with the dates of first hire going as far back as the 1970s. These faculty entered academic medicine due to a commitment to scholarship, teaching and service and have served the University for many years. The Dean’s proposals erases the basis for this and transforms our clinicians from faculty colleagues into ordinary employees of a business enterprise. Although alternative proposals have been generated in the past few days, each is likely to have the same outcome if allowed to be implemented.

Within the practice plans, employees have at-will contracts under which they can be terminated for any reason, or no reason, with only 60-days notice. In addition, there is a non-compete provision whereby if the clinician leaves or is terminated by the practice plan, she/he cannot be employed in the Metropolitan Detroit area. Moreover, the benefits in health insurance and retirement provided under the practice plans are in no way comparable to those provided by the clinicians’ present University appointments.

Latest Administrative Action.

Vice Dean for Financial Affairs, Douglas Skrzyniarz has announced that the Administration would unilaterally impose a new compensation scheme for members of our clinical faculty. There is no doubt that this would constitute a change in the salaries, terms and conditions of employment for these faculty members. There was no negotiation with the Union over these changes. The Administration has been notified that implementation of these new compensation rules cannot be carried out until they are negotiated with the Union. Our present Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) does not end until March, 2021. Our notice to the Administration is attached to this message.

Academic Governance.

The University gives lip service to the idea that it operates under constraints exercised by the operation of the structures of academic governance. In the WSU School of Medicine, there are regular elections to the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate, which is made up of all faculty members on at least one-half time appointments. The Senate elects the members of the Executive Committee, which is charged to: “advise the Dean on matters of policy pertaining to the functioning and organization of the School.” Article VII of the Bylaws lays out the committees of the Senate that deal with important academic governance activities, making decisions on salary increases, promotion and tenure, advising the Dean on the finances of the School through the Budget Committee, and on Curriculum, Technology, Graduate Affairs and Research. These committees are replicated in each department to carry out similar functions at that level.

Participation in such activities of academic governance is commensurate with being a faculty member. It provides responsibility and professional autonomy. If the Dean’s proposal is implemented, all of these professional activities on the part of the affected clinicians will be lost. In addition, their critical contributions to multiple activities within the broader University mission will likewise be lost. They may no longer be professors, but could become employees of the practice plan which has no structures comparable to those of academic governance that ensure participation in the formulation of the policies.

Who has power over what?

A consideration that one must always take into account when thinking about organizations is the structure of power within them. Power in the practice plans is overwhelmingly in the hands of management. The setting of the monetary value of work units (used to compensate clinicians), the administering of patient appointments, and the general management of the delivery of patient services are all in the hands of the managers. When there is a change in policies, there is no requirement that management consult with those who are most affected by them. The reality is that, while the rationale for changing the employment situation of our clinicians is that the SOM is in a financial crisis, the result is also that it further concentrates power in the hands of the Dean. If his proposal had been adopted, every clinician would be more under his personal power. He is already in a position of dominant power through his present control of the WSUPG. But, increasing one’s control over a shrinking organization may be self-defeating in the longer run.

What Solutions Are There?

Not surprisingly, our solution is to do what good unions do: organize and represent the interests of the organized vigorously. That is the intention of the Union leadership. We have filed our objection with the Administration. We are expanding our consultation with our clinical faculty members. If the Administration is not responsive to our demand to bargain we have a number of legal remedies, and we intend to employ all of those to which we need resort. The Administration is attempting unilaterally to change the salaries, terms, and conditions of employment without bargaining them with the Union as they must. We are opposing this action on behalf of the clinical faculty members we represent.

In Solidarity,

Charlie

--

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

 

05/21/20 Union's Response to "Serious Financial Distress"

Dear Colleagues:

Following is the response that both myself and Ricardo Villarosa sent this morning to President Wilson and the Board of Governor's regarding the University's "Serious Financial Distress" declaration:

*************************************************

Dear President Wilson and Board of Governors Members:

We understand that the Administration intends to ask the Board of Governors to invoke the following provision of our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which states (Article XII.4 p. 23):

“For a maximum of three (3) times during

the period of March 20, 2016 through

March 20, 2021, upon a vote of the

University’s Board of Governors that the

University is in “serious financial distress”

the University Administration may

prospectively void the contracted across-

the-board and selective salary adjustments

for the forthcoming contract year. The

Association shall have thirty (30) days to

submit this matter to binding arbitration.”

The Union is cognizant of a provision of the CBA, in the same Article, which states that (Article XII.A, p. 19):

“In the event of an Executive Order or a 

legislative reduction of the state appropriation,

at the University’s request, representatives of the

Association and representatives of the University

Administration to discuss the impact of this

reduction and possible solutions to the problem.”

It is the position of the Union that this provision of the CBA be followed before a declaration of “serious financial distress” should be invoked by the University. To our knowledge, the University has not yet received notice of a pending Executive Order, nor of a specific legislative reduction of our state appropriation. The Board of Governors should instruct the Administration to follow this provision of the CBA and not leapfrog directly to a declaration of “serious financial distress.” It is relevant that, at the present time, we do not have reliable knowledge of the revenue from the major funding sources for the University’s General Fund [Tuition (54%), State Appropriations (34%)], and those amounts will not be known until sometime later this summer. However, so far, projected enrollment figures for the Fall Semester suggest that they are holding steady, and we may find the degree of any “serious financial distress” may be mitigated by this, and such a declaration is premature at this point.

Nor do we have any indication of the Administration’s attempt to address the issue of administrative personnel costs beyond a limited adjustment to non-represented merit increases and a temporary diversion of high-level Administration salaries to a student aid fund. Significant reductions to administrative costs should be dealt with before the Faculty and Academic Staff are asked to make additional sacrifices to the ones they have already experienced in having to switch from face-to-face classes to online teaching in the middle of the Winter Semester, and the adjustments to having to adapt beyond the necessary work from home requirements. As the front lines of the core academic mission of the University, Faculty and Academic Staff initially made it possible for students to complete a Winter term by shifting to remote instruction and delivery of all academic and co-curricular support and engagement. They continue to contribute by preparing to meet the challenges of Spring, Summer, and Fall with all of the creativity and flexibility that are required to achieve a successful return to campus in whatever forms that entails.

We ask that the Board instruct the Administration to agree to begin talks with the Union after an Executive order or a reduction in our state appropriation takes place. These talks should be “to discuss the impact of this reduction and possible solutions to the problem.” Any further action related to the financial situation for the coming year should be deferred at this time pending further knowledge of the financial situation of the University. In addition, the sacrifices that have already been made by the Faculty and Academic Staff should be matched by the Administration before any request for further sacrifices be made to the Faculty and Academic Staff of the University.

I have attached this message as a memorandum, as well.

Sincerely,

Charles J. Parrish, President

Ricardo Villarosa, Chief Negotiator

AAUP-AFT, Local 6075

Wayne State University Chapter

--

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

04/20/20 Union Update to Bargaining Unit

Dear Colleagues,

In our last update, we shared Administrators may wish to adopt.

As we complete the Winter term, and move into the Spring/Summer and Fall terms, we face a new environment of rapid change bringing increasing levels of uncertainty. We will need to maintain a continuing strength and mutual support as a Union. This will be more critical than ever. Below is a brief summary of our ongoing negotiations with the Administration related to COVID-19 since our last update:

1. Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET)
Faculty have been notified that they have options, including opting out or waiving scores after receiving them. Exercising the waiver results in deletion of the scores for that class from the data set.

 

2. Tenure/ESS Clock
The Provost’s Office has been asking the Union for a clock stoppage for those Faculty or Academic Staff requesting such an accommodation due to COVID-19 related issues.

3. Academic Staff work-at-home
An abrupt shift to working from home created challenges for many Academic Staff related to expectations of schedule availability, hours, and productivity. While the negotiations with representatives from the Administration have been generally amicable, there were several areas that needed further clarification that have been resolved.

 

4. Remote Instruction
Challenges related to expectations, resources, and capacity needed to shift to remote instruction from campus classrooms continue to be an area of concern for our Faculty members. With the need to engage in contingency planning for the Fall semester, we continue to negotiate with the Administration.

 

5. Parking Fee Deductions
As of April 1, parking payroll deductions have been suspended. Some of our members requested cancellation of their semester parking agreements prior to the pause in deductions. Although parking policy for reinstatement includes a 30-day delay, our Union Council Parking Committee reported that the issue is being resolved for any member who submitted the cancellation request.

 

6. Return to Campus
This week, the Administration began forming a committee to plan the return to campus operations. The Union has a representative on that committee. However, we have made it clear to the Administration that mere representation on a larger committee is not a replacement for direct negotiations for matters that are mandatory subjects of bargaining.

 

7. UPDATED HR COVID-19 Page: Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the expanded Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Earlier we reported on an expansion of our Special Needs time available to use for child care during this time of school and daycare closures. As of April 1, the FFCRA and expanded FMLA provide an alternative that some members may wish to use. As there are several possible options to address a need for leave time related to child care, please contact our team to discuss the best options.

While conditions are changing quickly, we will work to provide updates on issues that will affect our members. Please continue to send inquiries and examples of issues that need to be addressed as you experience them personally or learn about them from other members. Many of the clarifications and updates to the evolving policies and practices being negotiated with the Administration are matters that our members have brought to our attention. We will monitor your messages and continue responding as promptly as possible to any inquiries that we receive.

In Solidarity,

Charlie Parrish, President
Ricardo Villarosa, Chief Negotiator
Michelle Fecteau, Executive Director

Union Prevails to Stop Reductions in Short-Term Disability/Were You Affected?

read about the short-term disability grievance and the Arbitrator's ruling here

Settlement of Article XXIV Grievance

and its signed copies (PDF) of "Final LOA Faculty Mentoring" and "Final MOU" are posted on the web site.

AFT Occupational Liability Insurance (OLI)

AFT provides 
Occupational Liability Insurance (OLI) to Union members.

Wayne State faculty file grievance against School of Medicine

"In a letter to members, Parrish described several examples of professors who have received job performance letters:"

• One professor was given a substantial raise for research by his unit's salary committee in each of the past two years.

• Another has published nearly 20 articles in the last three years. He was granted tenure in 2014 and in 2016 received a letter from the dean.

• A third professor, when asked the last time he met with his chair to discuss his work, said it was in 2012.

more at Crain's Detroit (google search for full article)

April 12th is Equal Pay Day!

April 12th is Equal Pay Day! This day symbolizes how far into the year women must work to earn on average what men earned in the previous year. The President's Commission on the Status of Women will be hosting a bake sale where goods will be sold for $1 for men and $.79 for women. All proceeds will go to charity. The bake sale will be held in Old Main from 11 AM - 1 PM. (events @ wayne)

Michigan Equal Pay Coalition and the MI-ACE Network are sponsoring Red Out symbolizing how far into the year women must work to earn on average what men earned in the previous year.

Five Money Questions for Women. Sponsored by the Gender and Equity Committees, this Edward Jones brown bag seminar in the Community Room,  3^rd floor of the Undergraduate Library explores differing considerations when it comes to long term financial goals. If you have not done so, please feel free to register on Academica now.

Don’t forget to stop by the Equal Pay Day Bake Sale 11 AM-1 PM in Old Main 2nd floor lounge. Sponsored by the Information & Research Committee, prices of baked goods sold at this event take the wage gap in account (men pay $1/women$.79) and proceeds will benefit the WSU HIGH program.

Union Rights for Graduate Employees

"The AAUP filed an amicus brief with the National Labor Relations Board arguing that graduate assistants at private sector institutions should be considered employees with collective bargaining rights. The brief responded to an invitation from the NLRB to file amicus briefs in addressing whether the Board should modify or overrule its 2004 decision in Brown University, which had found that graduate assistants were not employees and therefore did not have statutory rights to unionize. 342 NLRB 483 (2004). In the amicus brief the AAUP argued that the Board should overrule Brown, explaining that graduate assistants are employees with collective bargaining rights, and that collective bargaining promotes academic freedom and does not harm faculty-student mentoring relationships."

Read more at AAUP.org ...