Breaking News
State employees to pay more for health insurance in FY10
The fiscal 2010 state budget signed Daily Collegian Friday September 26, 2008
Because public employees cannot lawfully strike, they're turning to other options. Chancellor Search Committee Selects FinalistsFour 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 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. PLEASE TAKE THE ONLINE SURVEY CONCERNING WORKPLACE BULLYINGThe Campus Coalition Against Workplace Bullying has been meeting for a year and a half to plan the launch of an awareness/policy/education campaign to address workplace bullying here on the UMass/Amherst campus. The first stage in that campaign is a comprehensive assessment of the issue among our members. We need to hear from you. Have you experienced bullying? Have you witnessed bullying? The survey is voluntary, confidential, and anonymous. If you have not yet completed the survey, please do so TODAY by following the link below: Evaluating Contract Faculty Fairly -- NEW CONTRACT LANGUAGEAs part of the discussions around exceptional merit last May, MSP secured language concerning how contract faculty are to be evaluated for regular merit. The specific language can be found below but it basically assures that contract faculty not be penalized in the merit system for not contributing in each of the three areas (teaching, research and service) if they have not been contracted to do so. Additionally MSP has agreed to the creation of a joint union/administration committee to review all contract faculty merit recommendations to ensure enforcement of the new language. MSP reminds faculty to be sure to keep the new language in mind when deliberating over and making merit recommendations. CONTRACT RATIFIED!!!With a vote of 555 to 6, the MSP membership overwhelmingly approved the new two year (2012-2014) collective bargaining agreement. Our sister chapter on the Boston campus, the Faculty Staff Union, also approved the agreement with a vote of 185 to 5. |
