The 6th floor of the Market Building saw some much needed sunshine on Wednesday. We continued talking about the issues that matter most to members. The morning was all about benefits, and the afternoon returned to the issue of pay parity. Both sides of the table introduced proposals, Girl Scout cookies, and only a few eye-rolls.
Here is a brief-ish summary of the highlights...
[Note: In an effort to keep our members informed as PSUFA enters collective bargaining negotiations, we will be publishing daily updates with observations about each session. On Tuesday, PSUFA presented 3 proposals related to pay parity, health care coverage, and compensation for late and cancelled course assignments. We proposed raising the minimum per credit pay so that it's equal to what a full-time non-tenure-track faculty receives for the same work. This included a pay increase aligned with faculty rank, (as our current adjunct ranks don't correlate to anything monetary) and a structure for cost of living increases. Regarding health insurance, our proposal was that adjunct faculty have access to an employer subsidized plan (similar to what is offered at PCC). And finally, PSUFA proposed increasing pay and timeframes for late contracts and course cancellations, making sure adjunct faculty get compensation if their contracts come less than 5 weeks before the start of the term and that they are compensated for prep time if a class is cancelled at the last minute.]
The nadir of a long, frustrating first day of negotiating came when a Portland State Dean thoughtfully explained to the PSUFA Bargaineers the institution for which we all work exists on a “hand to mouth” basis.
PSU's perpetual status as the ugly stepsister of those other schools aside, this is a phrase no one making six figures should ever utter in the company of adjuncts. Particularly moments after learning that a quarter of PSUFA members report living in households making less than $25,000 a year, and having heard the testimonies of a half dozen adjuncts about the difficulties they face gaining adequate health care, clarifying, to borrow the words of one PSUFA member, "The whole school food chain.” The bargaining team leaders politely but firmly stepped them back from this remark.
In an effort to keep our members informed as PSUFA enters collective bargaining negotiations, we will be publishing daily updates with observations about each session. The following offers some general reflections on Friday's pre-bargaining meeting to set the agenda and review the terms of the negotiation process.
During a team building excursion to the stormy northern Oregon coast in January the PSUFA Bargaining Team adopted the name Bargaineers after a particularly strenuous afternoon spent rowing dories through the surf beyond the Grave of the Unknown Sailor. But that constitutes a different story, one which I do not have time to entirely fabricate at the moment, so I will turn the focus of this Bargaineer Blog toward PSUFA’s week of economic reopener negotiations with Portland State University (hereafter known as Admin). On your behalf, fellow adjuncts, we have embarked upon our periodic campaign to get more adequate compensation for your labor.
PSUFA rallied in the park blocks to kick-off contract negotiations with PSU administration. We gave President Shoureshi an 8’ spirit level as a token of goodwill towards constructive negotiations.
PSUFA administers three benefits funds for part-time faculty: the Health Insurance Fund, the Faculty Education Fund, and the Professional Development Fund. Benefits are available to members by application throughout the year. "Fair-Share" and "Due-Share" members can both apply. Send any questions or inquiries to: benefits(at)psufa.org
The Health Insurance Fund offers health insurance stipends to part-time faculty and researchers, available each term they are employed at the University. Stipends are dispensed along with the applicant’s paycheck and can be used to offset the cost of paying for individual health insurance premiums (medical, vision, and dental). To be eligible for the Health Insurance Fund, faculty must be teaching/researching during the term in which they apply and show documentation of their health individual insurance premium cost. Faculty must re-apply each term they are teaching to receive a stipend.
In 2016, PSUFA negotiated with the University for substantial increases to the Health Insurance Fund. For fiscal years 2016 and 2017, PSUFA has $225,000 to divide evenly amongst applicants throughout the year. Applications are reviewed by a committee of PSUFA members and then processed by PSU Payroll.
*To apply, complete the Health Insurance Fund Application, and please observe the following deadlines:
May 1st for Spring term
The Faculty Education Fund offsets the cost of tuition for part-time faculty who wish to take career-related PSU courses. Successful applicants to the fund pay $24 per credit for PSU courses. To be eligible for the fund, the applicant must have taught for at least four terms at PSU and be employed in either the year preceding or the year in which a course is taken. A personal statement is needed to indicate how the Faculty Education Fund will support the applicant professionally. Preference is given to applicants pursuing an advanced degree.
PSUFA has $45,000 to dispense to applicants of the Faculty Education Fund throughout the year. Applications are reviewed by a committee of PSUFA members. Due to limited resources, applicants are asked to limit the number of courses for which they are requesting support and consider the broader applicant pool when making their application.
*To apply, complete the Faculty Education Fund Application, and please observe the following deadlines and apply for the term in which you wish to take a course.
May 1st for summer term course work.
The Professional Development Fund provides grants of up to $2000 per year to part-time faculty members to cover the cost of professional development opportunities including travel, conferences, workshops, research, and more. Preference is given to faculty who are presenting, performing, exhibiting, or conducting primary research in their respective field. To be eligible for the fund, faculty must have taught for at least six terms at PSU and be teaching or employed as a researcher during the year in which they apply. Applications must be signed by the Department Chair by the submission deadline.
PSUFA has $100,000 to dispense to applicants of the Professional Development Fund throughout the year. Applications are reviewed by a committee of PSUFA members and processed by the PSU Office of Academic Affairs.
*To apply, complete the Professional Development Fund Application, and please observe the following deadlines and apply for the term in which your professional opportunity will take place. See our Professional Development Fund guidelines (PDF) and budget form (XLSX, PDF) for more information about how best to prepare your application.
May 1st for Summer Professional Development
Khalil Zonoozy testifying in front of the Senate Workforce Committee on behalf of adjuncts seeking healthcare.
Over 30 Part-time faculty members, supporters, and their family members filled a hearing room on Tuesday, March 28, to attend the Oregon Senate Committee on Education public hearing on Senate Bill 196, and effort to provide affordable healthcare insurance to part-time faculty who work at multiple institutions. Many were clad in AFT-Oregon t-shirts. The large turnout was thanks to efforts by Mary Sykora (PCC Local), Travis Neel (PSUFA) and others.
PSUFA member Khalil Zonoozy gave passionate testimony about the need for accessible, affordable health insurance for faculty who work part-time at multiple institutions. The turnout was so large, there was not enough seating in the committee room and it forced the Capitol facilities team to open up overflow space. Even more submitted testimony in writing, which you can read here.
You can watch the entire hearing, here. After the hearing, the President’s of AFT-Oregon, the Oregon Education Association, and AAUP-Oregon, and the Association of Oregon Faculties issued a joint statement.
The bill has been voted out of committee and on to the Committee on Ways and Means. The effort on SB 196 is led by Senator Michael Dembrow and Representative Chris Gorsek-two long time champions of higher education.
Thanks to PSUFA Members Narendar Sahgal (for driving and bringing some amazing Chai Tea), Sheila Alfsen, Erin Currie, and Khalil Zonoozy! Thank you also to members Shane Abrams and Una Kim who submitted written testimony.
“What brought us to the Union?” is a question that we often ask ourselves in the Executive Council. As an adjunct, it’s easy to feel alienated and powerless in the place(s) that you work, even though we teach as many student credit hours as tenure track faculty and make up the largest proportion of faculty (47%) on campus. Many of us are Road Scholars, commuting from campus to campus, teaching one class here and one class there and another class way over there. We are the New Majority on most of the campuses that we teach. Yet, we have no representation in the faculty senate therefore no voice in the curriculum that WE teach. We have very little job security and are paid less per credit hour than our non-tenure track colleagues. And, offices—don’t get us started on that...but stay tuned for a spring campaign to address it!
We’re not the only ones on campus who are affected by the corporatization and underfunding of higher education. The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to raise tuition 9% in the fall for in-state students (this on top of a 4% increase from last year), bringing undergraduate tuition and fees to $9,030 a year and in-state graduate costs to $15,816 a year. This increase is hard to swallow, especially when a member of our Board has profited so much off the student loan business. Tuition increases alone won’t fix the deficit, so the university is also looking to make $9 million in cuts, which will likely include “targeted personnel reductions” of $2.85 million.
So, what brings us to the Union? Given our current political climate, locally and nationally, a unified voice for workers is more important than ever. By joining together, we can go on the offense and build broad based campaigns that demand common good solutions to win progressive revenue and advance community fights for debt-free education, pay equity, and 15 NOW!
This is your Union and we need your participation more than ever. There are a lot of ways to get involved. You can be regularly involved by joining a Committee, you can join us in the streets on MAY DAY, you can write a letter to the editor, you can come to the next Executive Council Meeting, or you can start a campaign (and we’ll support you). And you if haven’t filled out your membership form, we encourage you to do it now (remember there are no additional dues). Continue reading for more important news, events, and updates!
In Solidarity,
The Executive Council
Please join PSUFA for our quarterly membership meeting and happy hour celebration: Friday March 10th from 4-6pm in the community room at the Lucky Lab Pub on Hawthorne. We will have some snacks to share; partners and families are welcome.
We will gather to discuss how the new US administration may affect education and workers rights and what we can do to support each other around these issues. We will also share information about how the new evaluation process for part-time faculty has been going across different schools at PSU.
Please RSVP to let us know if you plan on being there.
Let’s come together for holiday comfort and cheer. Bring your partners and kids -- we will keep the business short while we enjoy snacks and drinks at the Lucky Lab on SE Hawthorne Blvd. We will share information about our new contract.
Please RSVP
When: Wednesday, December 7th 4pm-6pm
Where: Lucky Labrador Brew Pub
915 SE Hawthorne Blvd
Portland, OR 97214
AFT-Oregon Scholarship applications are now open for 2017.
All applications are due Jan. 31, 2017.
Download forms from this page and send completed applications to AFT-Oregon Administrative Office Coordinator Leah Leach at leahl@aft-oregon.org or by post:
AFT-Oregon
Attention: Leah Leach
10228 SW Capitol Hwy
Portland, Oregon 97219
Scholarships
Carl J. Megel Scholarship: Carl J. Megel Scholarship of $1,500 will be awarded to an AFT-Oregon member’s child or grandchild who is graduating from high school and is enrolling in an accredited higher education institution.
Shirley J. Gold Scholarship: The Shirley J. Gold Scholarship of $1,500, awarded to an AFT-Oregon member who is pursuing higher education at an accredited higher education institution.
Albert F. Shanker Scholarship: The Albert F. Shanker Scholarship of $1,500, awarded to an AFT-Oregon member’s child or grandchild who is already attending an accredited higher education institution.
Individual Awards
John Connor Memorial Award: This award recognizes an individual member who exhibits the selfless, spirited enthusiasm and devotion to causes of the union which serve as an inspiration to fellow activists. These qualities were demonstrated in John Connor, a member of Local 2277 (PCCFFAP) and an active political action volunteer.
Outstanding Contribution to Public Awareness: This award recognizes an individual in Oregon who has contributed to the public’s general awareness or who has raised the level of public debate in furtherance of the goals of AFT-Oregon in matters of education, health, public services, labor or other current issues of importance to the membership. This award is open to any resident of Oregon, including AFT-Oregon members.
Local Awards for Excellence in Communications
General Excellence: Recognizes general excellence in writing, editing, content, layout and design; including best story, editorial, photos, art or graphics.
Best Website: The site should be easy to maneuver, be graphically interesting, and provide valuable information to members and site visitors.
Best Use of Social Media: Engages members and provides valuable information for all site visitors.
A member of our Executive Council received additional academic work, and we need your participation to keep our union thriving! Please see our job description (PDF) for Secretary. This position is compensated with a monthly stipend.
ELIGIBILITY: To be eligible to apply for this position you need to be a PSUFA member (dues-share) in good standing and teaching/researching part-time at PSU during the 2016-2017 academic year.
APPLICATION PROCESS: Submit a brief letter of interest specifically addressing the qualifications listed in the job description, a current resume, and 2-3 references with email and phone contact information. Fair-share members will need to submit a PSUFA membership form (link to membership information). Please send your application as a single PDF to:
Staci Martin, PSUFA President
president@psufa.org
DEADLINE: Friday, November 4th, 11:59 P.M. Pacific. Interviews will be conducted the following week and appointment decisions made by the President with the support and advice of the Executive Council (as per the PSUFA Constitution and Bylaws).
The Portland State University Faculty Association (PSUFA) is a democratic union that provides member advocacy; negotiates pay and benefits through collective bargaining; administers benefits for adjunct faculty; and seeks to improve their position at the University.
Professors in Poverty
Screening and Discussion
PSUFA is celebrating Portland State of Mind by hosting a screening of the short film Professors in Poverty. The film, produced by Brave New Films in partnership with The New Faculty Majority and SEIU, examines how the increasing reliance on underpaid part-time faculty impacts everyone in the university, but especially those of us working in the classrooms: students and professors. A discussion will follow. We hope you can join us!
Date: Thursday, October 20, 2016
Time: 2:00 - 2:30 P.M.
Place: Littman Gallery, SMSU
From Brave New Films: An average of 51% of faculty are adjunct or teaching on a part-time only basis. 31% of adjuncts live near or below poverty levels and many are forced to work multiple jobs just to make ends meet. Astonishingly, some teachers make as little as $12,000 annually; meanwhile college presidents make an average salary of over $400,000. Not to mention, tuition has risen twice the rate of inflation. The corporate model is destroying the integrity of our academic institutions. This has to change. Help us fight for adjuncts and for their right to decent living wages.
Phone Bank for Measure 97
Date: Wednesday October 19, 2016
Time: 5:30 - 8:00 P.M.
Place: SMSU, Room 1
Join S.E.I.U. to phone bank to for Measure 97. Food will be provided.
RSVP: Joe Cartino at cartinoj@seiu503.org
Thursday September 22, 2016
9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
PSU Campus
Check-in at ASRC Room 001
Session are held throughout ASRC
Please complete the RSVP form so we will know if you are coming! Both new and returning PSUFA members will find sessions that fit their interests and needs. The program will have concurrent sessions in the morning and the same program will repeat in the afternoon, so attendees can participate in the complete program. Open this PDF to view full workshop descriptions. A light lunch from Tito's Burritos will be served with time to mingle and meet colleagues. If you are interested in volunteering or have questions about Adjunct Day & Orientation, contact Veronica (psufa.veronica@gmail.com). We look forward to seeing you September 22!
Sincerely,
2016 Adjunct Day & Orientation Planning Committee
Veronica Hotton, PSUFA Secretary
We have had two vacancies on our Executive Council, and we need your participation to rebuild our council before Fall 2016! Please see our job descriptions below for Vice President of Grievances and Vice President of Membership (Organizing). These positions are both compensated with a monthly stipend.
- Vice President of Grievances Job Description (PDF)
- Vice President of Membership & Organizing Job Description (PDF)
ELIGIBILITY: To be eligible to apply you need to be a PSUFA member (Due-share) in good standing and teaching/researching as an adjunct at PSU during 2016-2017 academic year.
APPLICATION PROCESS: Submit a letter of interest specifically addressing the qualifications listed in the job description, a current resume, and 2-3 references with email and phone contact information. Fair-share members need to submit a PSUFA membership form (link to membership information). When applying for both positions, submit two separate applications. Please send each application as a single PDF to:
Staci Martin, PSUFA President
president@psufa.org
DEADLINE: 26 August 2016 11:59 P.M. Pacific; Interviews will be conducted the following week and appointment decisions made by the President with the support and advice of the Executive Council (as per the PSUFA Constitution and Bylaws).
