Proposals January 5, 2007 (.pdf)

(Text follows)

MSP/FSU CONTRACT BARGAINING PROPOSALS
Submitted 1/5/07
I. Agreement
Current language
II Recognition
• Delete “after two consecutive years of employment at the University, at the
beginning of their third consecutive year of employment” for Visiting Faculty, to
reflect current agreement.
• Note re the separate UMB/DCCDE unit contract : FSU proposals for a successor
agreement are submitted at the end of this document, also are proposed to apply
to work performed by “day” unit members performing UMB/DCCDE work, and
are intended to be bargained together.
III Affirmative Action
Add “gender identity/expression”
IV Management Rights
Current language
V Union Rights
Amend final sentence of 5.5: increase $3000 to $6000 and delete “state-funded”
and “on a nonteaching assignment.”
VI Dues Checkoff
Current language
VII Agency Fee
Current language
VIII Academic Freedom
Current language
IX Consultation
Current language
X Tenure
Current language
XI Faculty Roles and Responsibilities in Personnel Matters
Current language
XII Faculty Personnel Standards and Procedures
• Allow early tenure option for candidates hired with time at another institution
• Add provision to require that the faculty member/librarian and the
chair/head/director each be given a copy of each recommendation made by a
personnel committee or an administrative official as part of any 4.2, tenure,
promotion or PMYR review, or sabbatical request
XIII Faculty Roles and Responsibilities in Academic Matters
Current language
XIV Appointment and Reappointment Form: Terms and Conditions of Employment
Current language
XV Faculty Workload
• Amend 15.4 to reduce the faculty workload by one course (Boston campus).
• Amend 15.9 to require that faculty members receive a one-semester release from
teaching duties in the semester following the 4.2 (mini-tenure) review.
XVI Performance of Bargaining Unit Work
• Follow through on the Amherst 250 Plan:
o Require that all of the Amherst 250 money goes toward hiring faculty and
librarians (and for hiring necessary staff and TAs).
o Require that a minimum of 100 total tenure-track positions be authorized
each year of the contract (50 for replacements and 50 for new hires).
o Create a joint MSP-Administration Committee to monitor the progress of
the 250 Plan.
o Require September and May reporting from the Administration on current
number of hires and searches.
• Startup Funds: We propose the creation of a startup fund for new faculty as part
of the capital budget.
XVII Failure to Perform Minimum Assigned Duties
Current language
XVIII Suspension and Termination for Disciplinary Reasons
Current language
XIX Working Conditions
• Amend 19.1: propose improvement of working conditions and facilities (e.g.
maintenance of equipment and workspaces, filthy buildings, broken desks, sick
buildings, etc.)
• Amend 19.2 to provide that all contract faculty shall be provided access to a
phone, a computer, and adequate space to meet with students, and be provided
year-round library privileges and email accounts.
• Amend 19.5: FSU proposes joint negotiations with other campus unions
concerning all working conditions that relate to parking conditions and fees.
XX Librarians
Current language
XXI Non-Tenure Track Faculty (Contract Faculty)
• 21.4: Put a three-consecutive-year limit on the probationary period for main unit
per-course lecturers who have taught one course per year. (Boston)
• 21.10:
o at UMA: Extend reappointment and notice provisions to less than full-time
state-funded non-tenure track faculty members after a specified number of
semesters of employment (to be negotiated)
o at UMB: Any Senior Lecturer, or Lecturer II with at least 10 years of
service after hire, will be given 5-year renewable contracts that guarantee
at least two courses per semester for that period (while allowing for 3 or 4
courses in any given semester when they are available via the normal
priority list, under current practice). Those employed on a fulltime basis
after 10 years of either part time or full-time service since hire will be
given 5-year renewable contracts that guarantee full-time employment for
that period. Lecturer IIs with less than 10 years of service since hire will
be given renewable 2-year contracts with conditions as above.
• 21.11: Lecturer II (see also Art. 26.14):
o All lecturers who qualify for Lecturer II will receive a salary increase in
the amount of $5000.
o extend eligibility at Amherst campus to all lecturers after six year of
service after hire
• 21.12: Senior Lecturer:
o Include language of campus-based promotion processes, as amended
consistent with rest of proposal
o extend eligibility at Amherst campus to all lecturers with ten years of
service after hire
o allow all lecturers who are eligible for consideration for promotion to
Senior Lecturer to be promoted effective September 1, 2007, and
considered as they become eligible thereafter. [Delete second and third
sentences.]
• We propose a cancellation fee for late cancellation of courses for lecturers.
(Boston)
• All contract faculty should have access to Center for Teaching grants and teaching
awards. (Amherst)
• All contract faculty should be on the payroll by the start of the semester
• Research Faculty (Amherst campus)
o There should be a pool of “bridge money” to pay research faculty between
grants; or, alternatively, research faculty should have a portion of their
salary paid by the University
o Research faculty should be eligible for paid state-funded sabbaticals to
give them time to publish
o There should be a review of procedures and processes so as to minimize
delays in the campus’s grant process, the amount of time spent on
paperwork, and the likelihood of temporarily losing health insurance.
• If employed in more than one campus position or on more than one campus, time
should be added for purpose of benefit eligibility, retirement, etc.
• The Administration will conduct an annual orientation/training session for
chairs/heads/directors with representatives of the MSP/FSU to review provisions
of the contract concerning contract faculty/nontenure track faculty.
• Since MSP has just recently begun to represent all part-timers, we are proposing
the creation of a new union-management committee to discuss issues as they
arise. (Amherst)
• Language cleanup: Article 21.10 should read “continued to be performed by a
non-tenure track faculty member, not “lecturer”.”
XXII Retrenchment
Current language
XXIII No Strike
Current language
XXIV Personnel Files
Current language
XXV Grievance Procedure
Current language
XXVI Salaries
Salary, Floors and Promotion Increments:
• An initial 4% salary adjustment be provided for all unit members in order to
remedy the inflation-salary gap created during the past contract term.
• An annual cost of living adjustment and an appropriate performance incentive for
meritorious performance, starting July 1, 2007. Distribution of salary increases
among unit members to be negotiated before contract finalized.
• Non-unit Raises: If non-unit personnel were to receive larger increases OR
increases that go into effect at an earlier time than those we have negotiated, our
increases would be adjusted so we would receive the same.
• Salary minimums for each rank shall increase by the total amount of contractual
raises. Also, the minimums shall be raised as necessary to equal the rank
minimums contained in UMD and UML 2004-2007 agreements, whichever is
higher, eff. 7/1/07.
• Promotion increments shall increase by the total amount of contractual raises in
2004-07 contract, and adjust annually thereafter by amount of raises. Also, the
increments shall be raised as necessary to equal those contained in UMD and
UML 2004-2007 agreements, whichever is higher, eff. 7/1/07.
• We propose $3000 increases in base annual salary for :
CONTRACT FACULTY:

at the start of the 4th year and,

at each five-year mark after reaching ten years of service after hire
TENURE TRACK FACULTY:

upon completion of a successful mini-tenure (4.2) review and,

upon completion of each successful periodic multi-year review.
LIBRARIANS:

upon the granting of a five-year contract and,

at each subsequent five-year contract renewal.
• Art. 26.14:
o New salary floor for Lecturer (Lecturer I at UMB) to be $ 48,000
o Lecturer II: see proposal at Art. 21.11
• Art. 26.10 (b) and (c): Increase minimum per course rate paid to probationary
lecturers paid on a per course bases on the Boston campus to $3600 effective 7-1-
07. Increase minimum per course rate for probationary and post-probationary
lecturers annually by total amount of raises.
Professional Development funds:
• We propose that $3000 of professional development funds be made available to
each full-time bargaining unit member and on a pro-rata basis to each part-time or
later-hired bargaining unit member, to be expended over the life of this contract.
• In addition, each bargaining unit member will be provided with a new computer
(appropriate to the nature of work/research they do) during the life of this
contract.
• We propose the establishment of a travel fund to support conference trips for
bargaining unit members. This fund would provide $1000 per year for each
bargaining unit member who attends a conference at which he/she is a presenter,
and $500 per year should be made available for attendance at a conference at
which the bargaining unit member is not presenting.
XXVII Supplemental Compensation (Benefits)
• 27.4 For new faculty and librarians: Arrange for health and dental benefits
coverage immediately upon hire without waiting period, or start all new hires on
July 1 so that they have health insurance when the Fall semester begins.
• 27.9 Increase contribution to Health and Welfare Fund by $3 per FTE per week.
Provide an annual $250 contribution to tax-free Medical Expense plans for vision
care and dental costs.
• 27.10 Tuition Remission
The drastic increase in fees in the past decade has made the tuition benefit almost
worthless. For example, out of a total cost of $4797.50 for one semester at UMass,
the MSP/FSU tuition benefit accounts for $857 of the total.
We propose the following:
1. That the University will waive both tuition and fees for MSP/FSU employees
and their dependents. Currently only employees enjoy fee waivers.
2. That the University cover full tuition for Continuing Education courses for
employees and their dependents.
3. That the University join the tuition exchange program
(http://www.tuitionexchange.org/). Giving employees and their families access to
this program will increase the value of our current tuition benefit.
• Retirement:
Many unit members are being asked, after retirement, to return to the University to
teach one or more classes or to work in administrative posts.
o We propose that the University implement a graded retirement system,
where faculty and librarians could elect to move to a half-time
employment/retirement status during a 1-3 year period as they approach
retirement.
o We propose that additional compensation paid to faculty as summer
salary, etc, should be included in calculations made for optional retirement
plan contributions by the faculty member and the University.
• Curriculum Fees: We propose that the curriculum fee for graduate students be
reduced by $500 per semester in each year of the contract. (Amherst)
• MSP intends to make further proposals regarding faculty liability with regard to
off-campus excursions with students.
XXVIII Maintenance of Policies
• Sabbatical leave policy:
o Propose full year sabbatical at 75% pay
o Clarify that consulting allowed consistent with outside consulting policy
o Make full-time contract faculty eligible for sabbatical leaves
• Policy on tuition waivers for employees: see proposal for 27.10
XXIX Effect of Agreement
Current language
XXX Cost Items and Appropriation by the General Court
• Parties to negotiate which cost items shall be effective only upon supplemental
legislative funding
• Amend 30.2 to provide that non-state funded employees shall receive the benefit
of all cost items in the Agreement regardless of whether funds in the institute,
grant or contract budget are available;
o Cost items in the Agreement shall be paid from funds in institute, grant or
contract budget effective upon the signing of the Agreement
XXXI Seniority for Administrative Service
Current language
XXXII Separability
Current language
XXXIII Annual Evaluation of Full-Time Faculty
Current language
XXXIV Periodic Multi-Year Review
• Amend Article 34.2 to continue current benefits for each year covered by the new
Agreement.
o May propose further changes once UMB provost’s office provides
information requested about disposition of PMYR funds
XXXV Continuing Education and Distance Learning
We believe it is in the interests of the University to assure that courses developed
specifically for on-line and continuing education are given adequate resources to ensure
high quality. In particular, we are concerned that on-line continuing education courses
not be treated as a "course-in-a-can" with new instructors rotated in to teach a set of
lessons designed by other faculty. We reaffirm the intellectual property rights of faculty
over the course materials they have developed and offer these proposals to assure the
high-quality of on-line and continuing ed. instruction:
• When a new course is developed specifically for on-line or continuing education
outside of the traditional course-development process, the costs should include
two rounds of development: $6000 minimum before the class is taught to develop
the course materials and $4000 minimum after the class has been taught once to
redesign the course based on the first-semester's teaching experiences.
• Establish a union-management committee to oversee the use of online education
so that it does not undermine the hiring of faculty
XXXVI Successorship
Current Language
XXXVII Duration
Amend to provide that parties exchange bargaining demands on or before January
8, 2010, and that parties will commence negotiations for a successor Agreement no later
than January 8, 2010. Amend other dates to conform as necessary.
Appendix A/B
Current language, but see Art. 34 above
Memoranda of Understanding
Anomaly increases:
Especially at higher levels (Associate and Full Professor) and in some colleges, salary
compression is a significant problem; there is a need to ameliorate existing compression
and inequities and to reduce their occurrence in the future.
We propose that there should be an annual dedicated and independent pool of
anomaly monies to correct existing imbalances among the faculty and librarians and a
transparent process with faculty involvement to be negotiated with MSP/FSU for
determining how these anomaly allocations are made.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The above are general concept proposals only. Further, MSP/FSU reserves the unlimited
right at any time to make any additional proposals in the event that the Employer/
Administration shall propose to change any existing contractual language or past practice
(other than to improve salary and benefits) and until the parties reach agreement on salary
and related economic proposals.
We also note that the parties have agreed that certain proposals have been made, and
jointly authorized negotiations have begun with respect to those proposals, within the
Family Issues joint subcommittee. The resolution of those outstanding issues remains
part of the main negotiations, and these issues may be returned to main table negotiations
at the option of either party.
DCCDE CONTRACT PROPOSALS for three-year agreement:
• Increase standard course rate to equal the post probationary main unit
rate ($4,262 on 1/5/2007). Increase annually by total amount of raises.
• Increase the longevity bump by $100 to $250
• Add dues check-off for CE members not in the main unit.
• FSU to receive a list every semester, including winter and summer sessions, of
who is teaching how many CE courses and the amount of CE salary received