13 Mar Decision-Makers and Priorities: The Board and The Contract
- Admin negotiators may bargain with the union, but the Board ratifies the contract
- Faculty and grads still getting nickled and dimed while Admin plans massive expansion
- Board must consider priorities – agree to a fair faculty contract that supports UIC growth
- Rally/Picket – “Don’t Make Us Strike!”: 11:30-1pm, 3/14, @UH, East Lawn, rain or shine
Who are We Bargaining With, Really?
If you follow our posts, you probably have a good idea of what contract negotiations look like. Faculty and Administration negotiators meet, bringing forward proposals and counter-proposals, trying to shape the next faculty contract. But where does the power on the other side lie, really?
Our bargaining team is empowered to negotiate a contract based on member input, which is then voted on by the members. On the Admin side, the Board of Trustees votes to ratify any agreement Admin brings back from the table. The Board may also guide negotiating priorities.
Nickled and Dimed
In the current round of negotiations, Administration has so far danced around non-economic issues, and has insultingly low-balled faculty on money issues. Grad workers, who are negotiating their own contract, have received similar treatment and are on the verge of a strike.
It’s especially frustrating to haggle over relatively small amounts at the table, when a $1 Billion dollar plan for new facilities is being promoted simultaneously. New buildings are important to a growing university, but they don’t educate students, or do research. People do that. As Admin and the Board plan vast expenditures on new construction and deferred maintenance, they must make parallel investments in human capital. New tenure-track positions will be needed, and the deferred maintenance of faculty salaries has to be addressed as well. The Board sets the tone for these priorities, and we hope they’ll consider a more holistic approach to growth.
Demand Better
The Board of Trustees has a powerful say in Admin’s bargaining disposition. They will be meeting tomorrow, and we have a message for them: “Don’t make us strike just to get a fair contract!” It’s high time the Board took its human capital more seriously, and we will rally and picket to remind them of that: Thursday, 3/14, 11:30-1pm @University Hall.
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Until we win a fair contract, we will be issuing regular updates via email, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and here on our website. We encourage everyone to like and follow us on social media. If you want to contribute your story, pictures, video, or other content related to the activities of the union, email us at UICUnitedFaculty@gmail.com. With your support, we can make UIC an even better place to work and learn!