Present: Banach, Barker, Brewer, Domier, Gross, Levine, McDermott, McGinty, Phillis, Schmalzer, Smethurst

Staff: Wulkan                

Absent: Adams (on leave), Ash, Brandt, Brigham, Danai, Luce, Misra, Paynter, Phillips,  

1.         Approval of Minutes of February 3, 2010

            Approved unanimously

2.         PHENOM Update

            PHENOM Campaign “For a Great State of Mind” for long-term dramatic increase in state investment in public higher education so Massachusetts reaches the national average and lowers student costs to national average.  People are being asked to sign a statement, to attend a March 8 Rally and State House Day in Boston, and to allow a student to make an announcement and get signatures in classes.

3.         Contract Discussions

            a) Membership meeting affirmed rejection of original concession offer.

            b) MSP and other units were then offered choice of original offer or one without furloughs or GIC refunds (i.e. only raise delays)

            c) Each MTA unit rejected the original offer.

            d) MTA HELC (Higher Education Leadership Council) voted for units to stop engaging in concession discussions and to pursue full funding of the original contract.  This was motivated in large part by Randy’s discussion with Rep. Steve Kulik, Asst. Vice Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, who confirmed with Rep. Charles Murphy, the chair, that the concession demand was not coming from the Ways and Means Committee and that they recognized their obligation to include funding in a supplemental budget.

            e) It seems clear now that the concessions are coming from the Governor, who had previously pledged to never go back on an agreed-upon union contract.

            f) Randy then showed a slide show he is sending the Ways and Means Committee, upon Rep. Kulik’s request.  Come highlights included:

                        i) The average UMass worker earns less than $43,000 per year.

                        ii) a comparison of UMass raises the last few years with inflation and peer institutions

                        iii) A timeline showing how the contracts were negotiated at the depth of the recession, while concessions are being demanded as the economy is recovering

                        iv) Graphs showing how Massachusetts cuts to public higher education relative to other states, increases in student enrollment and cost of attendance

                        v) The large multiplier effect of investment in UMass

            g) The Board then brainstormed talking points to use in convincing the Legislature to fully fund the contract.  They included:

• Getting a better sense of the Committee and its members’ attitudes
• Thanking them for their dedication
• Danger to UMass’ standing and the value of UMass degrees
• Decrease in number of faculty and faculty:student ratio
• Workload survey data (some thought this was not helpful)
• Time and effort spent by faculty on revenue generation
• Focus on all UMass workers, not primarily faculty
• Pressure UMass administration to join us in the fight
• Higher ed contracts are a good investment - Multiplier effect, stimulus funds
• Pre-concessions already bargained (including increases in health costs)
• Integrity of collective bargaining
• Compare to contractors whose contracts are not being renegotiated
• Total changes in payroll and decrease in workforce (net -500 at UMA)
• Discuss contracts in context of funding higher education

            h) The Board discussed the need for MTA to organize a large grassroots lobbying effort and to not just rely on lobbyists.

            i) The House and Senate Ways and Means Committees are holding hearings around the state, including one at UMass Amherst February 22 which will focus in part on higher education.  MSP will try to turn people out and be heard at this hearing.