Your all-star bargaining team was back at it last week, negotiating for a great contract for all PSU adjuncts on Friday, 4/18! We had both adjuncts and students in attendance in person and on zoom, and your support was key in showing admin that we mean business. In case you missed it, team member Alison Lutz brings us this snappy recap:
“Last Friday’s bargaining session began with continued conversation about accurately recording changes in the proposals we exchange at the table. PSUFA caught several instances in which PSU had altered the original language in our CBA without notating the changes, making it appear as if management’s new language is the agreed upon language. PSU acknowledged their mistakes were violations of the procedure we had agreed to in our ground rules and recommitted to do better moving forward.
After a brief caucus, PSU asked several questions in regard to PSUFA’s Article 3 (Union Rights, Privileges & Limitations) proposal from 4/4. There was specific attention and concern from Administration about your union’s proposal to add 3 dedicated PSUFA-specific bulletin boards on campus, to accompany the one board our union contract provides for in SMSU. This bulletin board has been MIA since the pandemic and despite efforts to locate the board, which used to be on the 2nd floor of Smith, by PSUFA members, the board has not been found. The Vice Provost of Faculty Success did seem to be aware of its disappearance but not of its current whereabouts. Why do we need more dedicated bulletin boards? To keep you, our members and allies, informed of our various initiatives and activities. Why does PSU seem to be so skeptical about us having bulletin boards? The reason for admin’s attitude towards this issue is still unclear, but worth keeping in mind as we move forward.
PSUFA had the opportunity to present our most recent Article 4 counterproposal. We reemphasized our commitment to a quarterly Adjunct Orientation, better Onboarding and pay for attending orientation at both the university and department/college level as being fundamental to adjunct inclusion and collaboration between the University and the Union. PSU spent the remainder of the session insisting that Orientation needs to be streamlined (reduced) and not collaboratively led and repeatedly stating that they are fulfilling their legal obligation. In an echo of their approach to cancelling courses with “low enrollment,” PSU suggested that facilitating orientation for a small number of adjuncts was not worth their time.
Our takeaway? For this session, we give PSU a C+ grade as an employer. The current management strategy calls to mind a student who is looking to just pass the class and move on, rather than striving to excel or go beyond the bare minimum.”
Make sure you don’t miss out on all the action at our next session! Join as an observer, either in-person or remote, and help your union hold PSU accountable for their role in creating great teaching and learning environment by negotiating a fair adjunct contract. The next session will take place on Friday, May 2, from 12-4pm, followed by a post-session team huddle 15 minutes after the close of negotiations. RSVP here! And email bargaining@psufa.org if you have questions or want to find out about more ways to get involved with your union.