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In our last bargaining session on Friday, 5/6, the administration team presented most of their remaining financial proposals. This included counterproposals on Articles 11 (Release Time), 15 (Academic Classification and Rank), 16 (Notices of Appointment), 26 (Salary), and 32 (Leaves), and an unexpected proposal to eliminate Article 31 (Tenure Reduction Program). We have yet to receive a response to our Caregiving Article. Given the importance of these proposals and the necessary discussion at the table, your UA team did not present any proposals this week. Discussion began with the administration’s proposed Article 26 (Salary). Section 1 of the Article, as…

Bargaining Next bargaining session is this Friday, May 6 from 9am-noon via Zoom, followed by a debrief and social hour from 3-5pm at Falling Sky Pub at 1334 Oak Alley. We expect to receive the remainder of the administration’s financial proposals, so please log in to support your team and hear just how much your and your colleagues’ work is valued by UO administration. United Academics Outstanding Contributions Awards Nomination deadlines extend to Friday, May 6 United Academics has established awards for outstanding contributions to the university community. Details of each award can be found on UA’s newsletter. Please consider nominating a…

Last Friday, the UA bargaining and UO administration teams returned to the virtual table. We received the administration’s first financial proposals, but unfortunately ran short on time so didn’t get through everything on the agenda. Your UA team presented counterproposals on Articles 11 (Release Time), 12 (Facilities and Support), 15 (Academic Classification and Rank), 16 (Notices of Appointment), and 29 (Retirement Benefits). We also offered our initial proposal on Article 32 (Leaves). The administration team presented counterproposals on Articles 17 (Assignment of Professional Responsibilities) and 19 (NTTF Review and Promotion). While we didn’t get the chance to discuss them at…

Textbook Reporting We have been hearing some concerns about textbook reporting. Please contact UA at [email protected] if you have concerns surrounding having your course materials public. Interim President Call The role of interim president of UAUO is open! We invite members to express their interest in that position or other ways of participating more in your union. One or more members of the current Executive Committee will be happy to meet with anyone interested (or even just possibly interested, thinking about becoming interested, and so on) to help you learn more about the position and other ways to be involved. If you…

A message from the Chair of Grievance and Contract Administration I hope that people have been tuning into bargaining sessions over the last few months as there are proposals that will directly affect many aspects of our working conditions. While the negotiations have occupied a significant part of our time and energies, we have also been able to advocate for faculty in a variety of ways not related to our new CBA, and we wanted to take the opportunity to remind you that you can reach out to us with any issue, great or small. In addition to having informal conversations with…

Workspace Temperature Issues We are in the process of negotiating CBA language to address the situation of problematic temperatures (excessive heat or cold) in classrooms, labs, offices, and other workspaces. The administration team has asked us to provide examples of rooms where temperature issues have been reported but not remedied. If you have experienced this situation, please complete this short form. The data collected by early next week will be included in UA’s report to the administration. Contingent Faculty Survey Our affiliate, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), is seeking input from contingent faculty on their current work and personal life experiences….

In our first session of Spring term, your UA team presented counter proposals on Articles 20 (Tenure Review and Promotion) and 21 (Review Decision Appeals). The administration team presented counter proposals on Articles 12 (Facilities and Support), 15 (Academic Classification and Rank), and 16 (Notices of Appointment), and initial proposals on Articles 23 (Arbitration) and 29 (Retirement Benefits). Administration Proposals We kicked off the session with a brief return to Facilities and Support (Art. 12). We are close to agreement on this Article, with the remaining issue being faculty concerns around extreme temperatures in classrooms, labs, offices, and other workspaces….

United Academics has established awards for outstanding contributions to the university community. Please consider nominating a worthy colleague for one or more of them: Administration-Faculty Partnership Award – for UO administrators or department heads who demonstrate courage to stand for academic freedom and embrace the role of faculty in university governance. Outstanding Service and Contribution to United Academics – for United Academics members who have offered service to our union in multiple roles over many years. Strong Voice Award – for active United Academics members who have demonstrated sustained and committed activism on behalf of all faculty across our campus….

University of Oregon Union Town Hall with Sarita Gupta Wednesday, April 6, 6:30-8 p.m. 156 Straub Hall This event will bring together the presidents of each of the University of Oregon’s major unions to discuss the challenges and possibilities facing a largely unionized university workplace, now and in the future, with Wayne Morse Chair Sarita Gupta. Participants will include Avinnash Tiwari, United Academics of the University of Oregon; Stephanie Prentiss, Service Employees International Union 503; and Mel Keller, Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation. This event is part of the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics 2021-23 theme, Making Work Work….

Friday, March 18 marked our final bargaining session of the term. Your UA team presented Articles 19 (NTTF Review and Promotion) and 26 (Salary), as well as a new article focused on the needs of caregivers (Article XX – Caregiving). The administration returned counterproposals on Articles 09 (Union Rights), 20 (Tenure Review and Promotion), and 21 (Appeal from the Denial of Tenure and Promotion). We were able to reach two tentative agreements (TAs) – on Article 33 (Sabbatical), which the administration offered a counter on last session, and on Article 09. This brings us to a total of five TAs…