e-Bulletin20180628
As the various reactions to the Janus decision come pouring in, we want to address one that is inaccurate and pernicious. The claim runs: The Janus decision means the end of public-sector unions. This decision hurts, no doubt about it. It will mean many local, state and national federations will get less in dues and thus have fewer resources to do important collective work. Some members at other unions who paid a mandated agency fee to cover the cost of administering the contract will choose to benefit from the work of their unions for free. Some members, tempted by the “give yourself a raise” rhetoric peddled by anti-union forces, will resign. Ironically, by resigning they make it harder for their union to improve their working conditions. But the labor movement has been preparing for this decision for a long time; we have been engaged in a re-commitment campaign and other strategies to make sure that this decision opens a door to a new era for organized labor. This is not a death knell, and we’re not going anywhere. We are in this fight for the duration. That’s what Janus means– it’s an opportunity to remind people why unions matter. Fighting back against Janus, getting more involved with your Union is a way to refuse the despair many are feeling by joining together for concrete, passionate, and compassionate action towards justice.
If you are wondering what Janus means for you, you should also be asking about your own union. What does TAUP’s work mean to you? What’s it worth?
We know that for many members, what’s key is that TAUP is working hard to improve your working conditions–especially salaries and benefits. Last October, we ratified a contract that won a 15% raise to adjunct minima and extended the current full-time contract by a year–with the highest raise of the four years of the contract and with no health-care clawbacks. We head into next year’s negotiations determined to extend those gains, which are the result of decades of determined collective action by your union.
But, as important as bargaining for wages and benefits is, we do much more than that. We are in the midst of analyzing the merit data we have received to make sure the proper amount was disbursed. We have recently submitted proposals on increasing childcare benefits and tuition benefits at other schools and await the administration’s response. We have filed numerous grievances to protect the rights of our members on issues including protecting safety and health and fighting discrimination based on disability, gender, and national origin; some of these cases are scheduled for arbitration. We have started a Fighting Institutional Racism Caucus. We have run financial planning seminars and workshops on filing for unemployment. We have have increased our outreach to our members both in person and electronically, visiting departments and colleges and schools and sending out surveys on issues such as NTT renewal and promotion. We will, of course, be sending out bargaining surveys to all members to find out which issues need to be prioritized as we look toward negotiations next year.
But for our Union to do its work, we must also look more broadly than just our own contracts. We need to stand up for our values and to forge alliances with others where we can find common cause. Guided by a survey in which you told us you opposed an on-campus football stadium 3:1, we have entered into a coalition with our neighbors in North Philadelphia. We have learned from them what Temple is and isn’t doing to be a good neighbor, and the No Stadium, No Deal coalition has been crucial in delaying Temple’s bid to move this misguided plan forward. We will continue to keep the pressure on to make sure it is abandoned for good. We administer the FAST Fund, which provides money to students in financial crisis to make sure they stay in school. We have partnered with our student government and other student groups to support Temple’s becoming a Sanctuary Campus.
Using voluntarily-donated funds kept strictly separate from dues, we have endorsed candidates–Chris Rabb, Joe Hohenstein, and Malcolm Kenyatta–who won their primaries, which bodes well for a Philadelphia coalition in Harrisburg that will protect union rights. We will also be contacting you about ways to get involved in the crucial elections this November. Finally, through our national union, the American Federation of Teachers, we have been fighting on a range of issues: for the rights of immigrants under attack by cruel, counter-productive, and illegal policies; for an end to gun violence; for making sure Puerto Rico is not forgotten in the wake of Hurricane Maria and partnering with Operation Blessing to deliver 80,000 water filters; against economic policies that favor the rich over everybody else; and, of course, for public education in the face of calculated assaults.
So that’s what your Union is doing, and Janus will only strengthen our resolve. The Janus case was brought to the court in part because unions engage in important civil rights and social justice work. This work goes hand in hand with representing and protecting workers.
If you want to know what you can do in response to Janus, here’s what we’d suggest.
First, if you’re not a dues paying member of TAUP, it’s time to join. Second, carve out time this summer and in the fall semester to do some union work. We are preparing for negotiations and the more people are involved in helping to prepare, the more prepared we’ll be. We need at least one person from each department to act as a contact person who can relay information to and from members while we’re at the table. Third, join us in our work around the upcoming elections.
For us to be successful in as we move forward, we need YOU–more than ever. If if the values we have articulated matter to you, we need you to stand up. We need you to join, and we need you to become more active. The reasons to do so are easy to find, just as they were before Janus. We invite you to contact any of the officers or other leaders below.
Officers:
President: Steve Newman stevenewma
Vice Pres.: Jennie Shanker jshanker1@g
Treasurer: Norma Corrales-Martin taup.treasurer@gmail.com
Tenured/Tenure Track Constituency Council:
Chair: Karen Palter kpalter@gmail.com
At Large: Jeffrey Solow solowcello@gmail.com
NTT Constituency Council:
Chair: Andrew Mossin amossin@gmail.com
At Large: Kolson Schlosser kolslaw@hotmail.com
Adjunct Constituency Council:
Chair: Zoe Cohen zoeart@gmail.com
At Large: Sam Allingham sallingh@gmail.com
