Category: eBulletins

Join us in Defining a Path Forward

We’ve ratified a new contract, but what’s next for TAUP?  How can we build on our momentum? How can we make sure that the terms of the new contract are enforced? How can we fight most effectively for progress on crucial issues like childcare and increasing the diversity of our faculty, librarians, and academic professionals?

To help us answer these questions, we need you to join us on Friday, January 24th, 12pm-5pm in the Architecture Building, room 104. 

There, we’ll discuss the new contract and the direction that TAUP will be taking as we move forward over the next four years. At this retreat, TAUP elected leaders, activists, and those looking to play a more active role will be able to share their views about what members want to fight for, and you will walk away with the skills needed to talk to your colleagues about your working conditions at Temple and how to build the power to change them. RSVP Here

Your union is entering this semester fired up.  After a year-long fight at the bargaining table and away from it, we settled a contract that secured improved working conditions, increased job security, and created pathways to even better contracts going forward. 

These wins happened because we stood together. We participated in open bargaining for the first time, inviting everyone into the bargaining room to see the process first hand, allowing the bargaining team to benefit from your experiences and input. Over 150 people attended open bargaining, and over 400 people attended our October 15th contract expiration rally, demanding a fair contract alongside student, community, union and political allies. It was because of this and your solidarity that we were able to make substantial gains at the bargaining table. 

While we are proud of the contract we were able to secure, we know that Temple has the funding and the ability to do much more.  We also know that we have to make sure that the new contract is enforced, and that will require educating our membership on the new contract and making sure that the lines of communication are open so that we can address problems together. 

This is Our Temple, and for over four decades the union has been a powerful voice in creating change at the university. Join us on Friday, January 24th as we begin mapping our path forward. RSVP Here

Electing a New TAUP Vice President

Our strength as a union comes from every faculty member, AP and Librarian actively participating in our quest to build an even better Temple. With Jennie Shanker stepping down from her role as TAUP VP, we now need to elect a new Vice President to serve out the remainder of her term, which ends April 30, 2021. We encourage anyone interested in serving as Vice-President, or in getting involved in any other way, to reach out. Our bylaws set a deadline of 60 days after the vacancy opens–in this case, January 2nd–to elect a replacement.  All members in good standing are eligible to serve. Only members in good standing are eligible to vote.

Here is the timeline and process:

–Nominations are open from now until January 20th.  Candidates can be self-nominated or nominated by others.  If you are self-nominating, please send an email declaring your intention to stand for election.  Those nominated by others will be asked if they are willing to stand. Nominations should be sent to taupaft@gmail.com.

–Nominees will send information about their rank, track, and college/school and a statement of no more than 400 words as to why they are seeking the office.

–The Nominations Committee will review the nominees to make sure that they are members in good standing.

–The list of candidates and their statements will be distributed to dues-paying members, along with a link to the ballot on January 23rd.

–The ballot will be open from January 23rd to noon, January 31st.  Voting will occur electronically, with links to the ballot sent through email.  Members wishing for paper ballots must request them by January 20th by sending the request to taupaft@gmail.com .

–Results will be announced on January 31st and the new VP will take office on February 1.

We again thank Jennie Shanker for her extraordinary service to TAUP, and we look forward to receiving a strong group of nominees for Vice President.

 

Deepest Thanks to Jennie Shanker

After 2.5 years of invaluable service as TAUP’s Vice President, Jennie Shanker has decided to pursue her research, teaching and other opportunities outside of Temple, making her no longer eligible to serve as TAUP’s Vice President.

Enough cannot be said in praise of her tireless work on behalf of TAUP, from helping to bring adjuncts into our union to running Unemployment Compensation Workshops to co-writing and editing our communications to designing the TAUP website to playing a lead role in negotiations.  As the President of TAUP, I know how much any successes we’ve enjoyed over the past three years are due to her talents, commitment, energy, and insight.

Luckily for us, she will continue to help TAUP, working on special projects such as re-examining our Constitution and Bylaws, formulating a communications strategy, working on our website and social media, and helping to lead upcoming issue campaigns.

We will be conducting an election for a new VP, and again, thank Jennie Shanker for her extraordinary service.