Negotiations Recap for May 10, 2013
This recap details the 17th bargaining session between the UW and AFT.
UW Counter-Proposals
- Grievance and Arbitration Procedures
- UW maintained its proposal to prohibit the union from bringing a claim to additional legal forums after arbitrating it, but clarified that an extension lecturer’s use of the grievance process would not preclude them from asserting a legally actionable claim.
- University Closure
- UW proposed language establishing that if the University closed due to a “force majeure” such as a natural disaster, the parties would jointly discuss the appropriate course of action with regard to making up class.
- Corrective Action
- UW proposed language that would allow for an employee to request removal of disciplinary materials from their department personnel file after five years. If removed, such materials would not be used in subsequent adverse action against the employee.
- Personnel Files
- UW proposed language to memorialize that materials will be subject to applicable retention schedules, and thus disciplinary materials removed from a personnel file may still be archived.
- Benefits
- UW proposed language memorializing that health care benefits for extension lecturers will be subject to the agreement reached at the State bargaining table.
- Complete Agreement and Conformity to Law
- UW proposed that all subjects not covered by the collective bargaining agreement be removed from the IELP Operations Manual, but that IELP may continue to publish the manual for use by staff and extension lecturers.
- Academic Freedom
- UW proposed language declaring its support for academic freedom, to the extent that it complies with legal precedent. In addition, UW proposed language establishing that course content and in-class conduct should be appropriate and respect the needs of international students.
Compensation
UW proposed a performance-based compensation structure, which included:
- Wage Increases
- IELP would allocate for 2 percent performance-based salary increases once per year during the contract. Such increases would be subject to contingencies, including other academic personnel and professional staff on campus receiving salary increases, and the extension lecturer having met performance-based standards.
- The proposed language provides for extension lecturers who have not met the established standards to receive a lower wage increase of 0-1 percent , while allowing for the possibility of wage increases higher than 2 percent for lecturers with outstanding performance at the discretion of UWEO.
- Initial Salary Determination
- UW proposed that the salary for a new extension lecturer be based on the instructor’s training and experience, and proposed establishing a minimum monthly salary of $3,500 for full-time and part-time regular extension lecturers.
- Retention Salary Adjustments
- UW proposed language to memorialize that salary adjustments may be made to address retention-related issues.
AFT Counter-Proposals
- University Closure
- AFT maintained its rejection of UW’s proposal to require extension lecturers in programs with defined class-time requirements to make up classes missed due to University closure.
- Job Descriptions/Workload
- AFT maintained its rejection of UW’s proposal to require that extension lecturers use their UWEO-provided email account for work-related emails and their UWEO-provided calendar system to reflect their availability.
- AFT maintained its proposal for lecturers opting to not work during summer quarter to still have benefits paid during summer quarter.
Next Steps
The next UW/AFT bargaining session is scheduled for May 17.