The Philadelphia Inquirer published an article on Temple’s decision to not furlough employees at this time. While this may signal the administration’s interest in preserving jobs, there is no concrete commitment to avoid lay-offs. Many of our members have good reason to worry that they may be without jobs this fall. President Englert acknowledged the real impact that job losses will have on the Temple community:

“We understand the painful impact furloughs would have on our staff, some of whom are the sole wage-earners in their families,” Richard M. Englert was to announce. “The cost of taking such an action at this time is simply too high.”

We call on Temple’s administration to guarantee job security for our members, so many of whom have stepped up to ensure quality education has continued at Temple during this difficult time.

Thanks to all of our members for the amazing work they have done this term, and we look forward to continuing our labors together.

As we near the end of this most difficult semester, we should be proud of the remarkable work we’ve done–switching on the fly to online instruction and providing first-rate intellectual and emotional support for our students, moving library operations online so that faculty and students could continue to receive essential support, and continuing to advise students through a very trying time.  We have come through this stronger, but significant challenges lie ahead.

 

The Power of Having a Union:  Next Year’s Raises

As you know, the administration asked us to give up the hard-won raises negotiated last year in order to help plug the fiscal shortfall caused by COVID-19.  That they had to ask us underscores the value of a union contract; without a union contract, they could have simply cut our wages, as they have for those who lack union representation.  Throughout the country, even tenured faculty are being furloughed and laid off in schools that do not have union protections.  As of now, our raises will go ahead as the contract mandates.

TAUP remains open to a discussion with the administration on steps that might have to be taken as this crisis unfolds.  We have also made clear the conditions and assurances that the administration would have to agree to in order for our members to consider any sacrifices.   We have also made clear that any change to the contract would require ratification by our dues-paying members.  The other unions at Temple we are in conversation with have taken  similar positions.

 

Getting Involved

We have made significant strides this term.  Members are standing up for their rights, and so should you.  If you haven’t joined TAUP yet, it’s time to pitch in to strengthen the union! Join here.

Hundreds of members have attended Town Halls and contributed insightful questions and ideas.  Faculty are organizing within their departments to insist that their voices are included in decisions that affect the quality of their working conditions.  The union is here to support that work — be sure to reach out if you have a group of like-minded colleagues wants to organize around important issues in your department, college or school.

Over 700+ people have signed our petition–have you? It states conditions that we are fighting for: job security, a reasonable expenditure of Temple’s reserves, intellectual property protections, course caps in the fall, compensation for shifting courses online and other concerns that are necessary to address to preserve Temple’s educational mission.

Organize!

If you want to be involved in bringing those  conditions to fruition, join our Organizing Committee.  It meets on Monday, 5/11 at 2:00 p.m. RSVP here.

Join two task forces in formation, on Financial Transparency (here) and Health and Safety (here) .