MSP News

Save the Date! Annual MSP Reception for New Faculty & Librarians is Thursday 09-25-08 4pm-6pm

Meet your new colleagues, enjoy refreshments, and get to know your union at this informal get-together at the lovely Lord Jeffery Inn before it closes for renovations!

No More Pay Cuts! MSP Greets Governor Patrick in Amherst

Governor Patrick heard our message loud and clearGovernor Patrick heard our message loud and clearAmherst gave Deval Patrick 84% of the vote -- his biggest majority of any city or town in Massachusetts -- when he ran for Governor in 2006. MSP hailed his early pronouncement that he would be the Champion for Public Higher Education. But on July 17, MSP and other campus union members picketed the Governor when he came to Amherst.  See the quiz we handed out.

 

 

Governor Patrick Wants to Increase Your Health Insurance Premiums!

Tell Governor Patrick (617-725-4005) and your state representative and senator that there are better ways to balance the state budget.

As you know, despite claiming to be on the side of workers and public higher education, Governor Patrick has indicated that he intends to solve part of the budget crisis (caused in large measure by the failure to raise revenues by more progressive means) on the backs of state employees. He has included in his proposed FY09 state budget a plan to shift more than $51 million in costs to state employees by increasing the premiums you pay for your health insurance coverage.

Chancellor Search Committee Selects Finalists

Four names have been put forth to President Wilson from the Chancellor Search Committee: Martin Hall, Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Town; Robert C. Holub, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the Knoxville campus of the University of Tennessee; Harris Pastides, Vice President for Research and Health Sciences at the University of South Carolina and Executive Director of the University of South Carolina Research Foundation; and Satish K. Tripathi, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT THE CANDIDATES ONLINE TO MSP

MSP Welcomes New Chancellor

Dr. Robert C. Holub is next Chancellor of UMass/Amherst
President Wilson has selected Robert Holub, Provost at the University of Tennessee's flagship campus, as the next Chancellor at UMass Amherst. The MSP is pleased that UMass will gain a scholar and administrator of such great stature to lead the flagship campus in Amherst to new heights. And we are pleased to welcome a leader who understands how to build and support a great faculty, and respects the long tradition of unionization and faculty governance on the campus.

GREAT NEWS!! MSP's 2007-2008 Contract Funded

The legislature voted on Friday, December 28th to fund the collective
bargaining agreement ratified by our membership last September.

Retroactive Pay from 2007-2008 Contract

MSP members received, on average, over $1,600 in retroactive pay in their March 21, 2008 paychecks.

The Shrinking Professoriate (Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher Ed, 13 March 2008)

Every other year, data released by the Education Department’s National Center for Education Statistics provide a snapshot of the growth of part-time positions in the professoriate. This year — an off-year for that data — the federal statistics provide evidence for another shift, in which the majority of full-time professional employees in higher education are in administrative rather than faculty jobs.

Enough Proclamations -- How About Fulfilling Some Promises?

Governor Patrick has issued a proclamation declaring this Public Higher Education Week in the Commonwealth. Proclamations are fine, but how about fulfilling some promises?

….like being a “champion of public higher education” as he promised us here at UMass just weeks after he was elected?

Successful Union Presence at Founder's Day Celebration on April 29th

Members of the MSP, PSU (Professional Staff Union), and USA (University Staff Association) distributed hundreds of flyers and stickers outside the Fine Arts Center prior to festivities being held there to mark the 145th birthday of what is now UMass/Amherst. The flyer and stickers were created to get the message to Governor Patrick and President Wilson (who spoke at the event) that faculty and staff cannot tolerate any more pay cuts and that we deserve fair contracts that truly equal the real increase in the cost of living. Click HERE to view the flyer.