03 Jun Update on Raise Pools and Reappointment Notices
- Raise pools are guaranteed in our union contract, which is legally enforceable even if administration offers no campus wage increase.
- Notice of deferred reappointments are required by the contract, but choice to postpone reappointment decisions rests solely with academic units.
- UICUF is investigating notices sent to those currently under multi-year appointments
- We encourage you to join us at the Chancellor’s Town Hall, 4pm, Wednesday, 6/3/20.
Raise Pools are Guaranteed by our Contract
Many faculty have signalled concern, after reading President Killeen’s Financial Update this afternoon, that he has stated that there will be no merit raises for the 2020-2021 academic year. We want to reassure you that our contract, which guarantees 2% merit raise pools, 2% compression & equity raise pools, salary minimums at all stages of seniority, and raises tied to promotion, is legally enforceable and cannot simply be disregarded by the university administration. Any changes to the compensation structure laid out in that agreement must be brought up in negotiations, and the union cannot be compelled to give up hard-won raises.
At this time, we are seeking clarification as to the intent behind this statement and will keep you informed as to the administration’s response.
Deferral of Reappointments are Being Investigated
We’ve received a large number of concerned messages indicating faculty have received notices deferring decisions on their reappointment to July 15th. Some people receiving these notices are currently under multi-year appointments. We want to first remind everyone that this notice is a postponement of renewal decisions, not a decision to non-renew. It is also important to note that while our contract stipulates that you must be informed if a decision is postponed, the choice to postpone this decision is solely at the discretion of your academic unit.
We are actively investigating the circumstances around which faculty received these deferrals, especially if you are on a multi-year appointment. Our contract protects faculty in multi-year appointments from non-renewal, and we ask you to please reach out if you have any concerns at all about the status of your appointment.
It remains UICUF’s policy to advocate via impact bargaining for full renewal of all full-time faculty for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Chancellor’s Town Hall Tomorrow
We highly encourage all faculty to join Chancellor Amiridis’s town hall webinar at 4pm, Wednesday, 6/3/20, and use the Q+A section to ask any questions you may have. You should have received a link to participate via your UIC Email.
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