Well, it’s been over a month since our last update, when normal bargaining negotiations were put on hold due to the workshare program and administrators being on furlough. But just because the process for negotiations has been changed doesn’t mean we haven’t made any progress.
Over the past weeks, teams have been working in remote joint subgroups on different issues to come to agreements around proposals that address different articles of the PSUFA contract. We are making progress in this new format—one upside is that we are able to work on multiple issues at a time. A downside is that we aren’t able to have all the decision-makers at the table, and due to the unstable situation and the wealth of unknowns about the future, the University is reluctant to talk about economic issues at this point.
We’ll reconvene again in mid-August for a weeklong bargaining intensive. In the meantime, we wanted to give you an update on what we’re currently working on. Here’s a breakdown from four subcommittees about how things are going.
Data (Including Salary and Benefits)
We’ve learned a lot now that data requests (about revenue, costs, and other issues) made last November are finally being addressed. The table below contains some of the information that we’ll use to bargain for pay parity.
We’re also working collaboratively to understand the process of information flow regarding new hires across departments and how an electronic system might streamline this process so that PSUFA can connect with new adjuncts sooner. We’re working hard to ensure that the University complies with a new Oregon law (House Bill 2016, which we wrote about earlier) that states that our union will be given new employee information within 10 days of faculty being hired.
All that said, admin still cannot confirm exactly how many adjuncts teach in a single year. Knowing how many adjuncts teach at PSU is essential information; more than just knowing how many adjuncts there are, we need to know how to reach them so PSUFA can hear their experiences working at PSU and make sure their rights are being observed. We've looked at the records that PSU keeps to track assignment rights of adjuncts to make sure they have a system that works.
Assignment Rights & Evaluation
We are working collaboratively to improve the Professional Evaluation Process and ensure it is not used unfairly or for discipline. We’re also working on making transparent public records for assignment rights, so that faculty members know where they stand in terms of their employment as well as preparing proposals to create more clarity around hiring and seniority. Lastly, the administration and our team are committed to creating joint trainings to educate staff and administrators about our rights.
Healthcare
The Healthcare Task Force is researching multiple approaches to tackling the issue of helping adjuncts access affordable healthcare. We have found a consultant with experience in insuring contingent academic workers to help us research possible group plans for adjuncts as an insurance pool. They are also helping us research other types of benefits/coverage, such as dental, vision, etc., which would be supportive but not interfere with members’ access to support through healthcare.gov or Medicaid.
We are also working with representatives of PSU, AFT-Oregon, and the State Senate to organize renewed efforts around creating and passing legislative solutions to provide affordable health care to adjuncts.
Grievances
Our goal is to clarify and streamline grievance procedures; we want to foster an environment where grievance procedures are accessible and not intimidating. We also want to make sure that there are clear processes for professional evaluations and professional feedback that are distinct from discipline. We are working on creating a new process around performance improvement as a mechanism for support and transparency in the progressive sanction/discipline process.
Thanks for following along during this period. We’ll have more updates soon and ways to once again get our unit involved as observers.
In solidarity,
PSUFA Bargaining Team