We had our fourth and fifth bargaining sessions on Tuesday, May 2, and Friday, May 5.

Tuesday, May 2

This meeting began with finalizing the ground rules and, after a brief delay around specific language, the University accepted our edits and the document was approved. Completion of ground rules meant that we were able to begin actually bargaining! 

The University volunteered to begin by sharing their general interests for this economic reopener, as well as ones specific to cost-of-living adjustments (COLA). They expressed their usual concerns of student retention and budgetary restrictions. Their interest statement was brief.

PSUFA then presented a detailed general interest statement, which spoke to our commitment to delivering equity, financial sustainability, and opportunity for advancement for our bargaining unit in this Economic Reopener. 

Here’s an excerpt from our presentation:

​Our union shares PSU’s interest in its mission statement of expanding opportunities for all. We include ourselves in that definition of “all,” and we yearn for PSU to take into consideration adjunct faculty and researchers who deserve the opportunity to grow in our roles at PSU and in our earnings as long-term members of this community. We have adjuncts who have worked at PSU for multiple decades and still are only paid the minimum per credit rate. We have adjuncts who have the best possible teaching evaluations who are passed over when they apply for full-time positions. We have an interest in having real pathways for professional growth. And we are deeply hurt by the structural disrespect and disregard with which we are compensated and expected to work under.

Our presentation also included personal testimony from team members, Brittney Connelly and Vasiliki Touhouliotis. Brittney spoke about being asked to serve as interim head of her program for the year for insultingly low wages. Vasiliki shared her experience of being informed of a mandatory curriculum change and the silence that she received when she asked how adjunct faculty would be compensated for redesigning and updating the course. Their personal narratives were moving and powerful evidence of the reality of our exploitative working conditions. Our COLA interests included data regarding inflation and testimony from our Member Survey (which, if you haven’t taken yet, please do!).

Our presentation clearly made an impact. They were face-to-face with the indignation of our bargaining unit. They didn’t expect a show of force like that! We’re not here to play nice, we’re here to fight for what’s right. The session ended with a short and general discussion of PSU’s budgetary circumstances (more doom-and-gloom from the budget office, but we’ve heard this story many times). 

Friday, May 5

The session began with a discussion of the University’s COLA interests, with the PSUFA team asking clarifying questions. Then the University questioned the length and detail of our interests. They did not understand how some of the interests listed had any connection to COLA. Some also objected to the use of the term “exploitation,” as they feel it implies malicious intent of the University. We had to explain that a lack of equal pay, which includes COLA, enhances Adjunct feelings of alienation and exploitation at PSU. We stuck to our lengthy list of interests and did not eliminate the term “exploitation” (despite pearl-clutching objections from members of the other team), because it accurately defines Adjuncts’ working conditions.

After a caucus break, we were introduced to PSU’s costing model calculator, which is a tool that can be used to forecast the monetary costs of future proposals. 

Finally, we discussed data needs for COLA, including a request for Administrative employee COLAs for the last five years as well as ones proposed for the future. There is no doubt that generous COLAs are in place for Admin, which is why we are going to fight to get a COLA that makes up for the meager ones we have received in recent years. 

A Data Subcommittee will meet next week to refine the data needs of both sides.

Although there are three weeks between now and the next session, the PSUFA Bargaining Team will be working hard to strategize and formulate our next moves. If this week's sessions are any predictor, we can look forward to more SPICY and POWERFUL moves from the PSUFA Bargaining Team.

Many thanks to all of the observers, who took the time out of their schedules to attend. 

What’s Next

Our next bargaining sessions are

  • Tuesday, May 30 from 9 to 11:30am

  • Friday, June 2 from 9am to 3:30pm

Please RSVP to observe here!

We love to see observers in person, but you can also join via Zoom. Use this Zoom link and download our bargaining background here.

In Solidarity,
Alison Lutz
PSUFA Bargaining Team member