Category: eBulletins

Negotiations Update, October 21, 2019

On Friday, TAUP and the administration presented a comprehensive plans that included mutual moves to drop some proposals in exchange for others.  It was a critical moment in negotiations for both sides.  No one wants to drop proposals that they believe in, but both sides know going into negotiations that there are things to be gained at this time at the table, and others that need to be fought through other means, or over time.  

Though neither side has agreed to the comprehensive proposal that the other has set on the table, we are now going back and forth with potential trades. There are difficult decisions to be made that require an assessment of where there is the greatest likelihood of making progress.  

Agreement was reached on the following issues:

  • Discipline and Dismissal of Tenure Track Faculty:  The administration proposed to weaken the process for discipline/dismissal of tenure-track but not yet tenured professors , TAUP rejected this and counter-proposed expanding protections for NTT faculty.  On Friday, both sides dropped their proposals and reverted to the status quo in the contract.
  • NTT Job Responsibilities:  NTTs are being required to engage in the tri-partite mission of research, teaching, and service in two colleges, and TAUP proposed language clarifying that the contract excludes this.  The administration had proposed changing the contract to allow for this expansion of NTT duties. We ultimately settled on mutually withdrawing proposals along with a process for to settle this concern over the practices at the two colleges outside of negotiations. 
  • Hardship withdrawal from retirement account:  The administration agreed to our proposal, committing to setting up a procedure for hardship withdrawals within 6 months of ratification.

Several active proposals were also revised in an effort to seek common ground, including:

  • Justice for families:   We revised a series of proposals that would bring the administration closer to its claim that Temple is family friendly.  Thus far, the administration has refused these proposals and has made matters worse by proposing a health-care clawback that would hurt all of our members but would disproportionately punish families, adding over $1000 to their yearly premiums as well as a $500 deductible for in-network services and a $1000 deductible out-of-network.
  • Childcare:  A sideletter in a prior contract made provision for TAUP and the Faculty Senate to submit a proposal on childcare benefits. We did so in May of 2018, but received no reply from the administration until they rejected it in full last week. In response to this, TAUP removed its proposal for an on-site childcare center, which the administration had made clear it would not agree to, and focused instead on a subsidy for childcare and for Temple to contract with an outside provider for backup care in cases where one’s childcare or eldercare falls through. 
  • Tuition Benefits at Other Schools:  Another sideletter in a prior contract made provision for TAUP and the Faculty Senate to submit a proposal on tuition benefits at other schools. In response to the administration’s rejection of the entire proposal, TAUP narrowed it to Temple’s joining the Tuition Exchange, a scholarship program that nearly 700 schools participate in.  
  • Paternity leave for Librarians and Academic Professionals (APs):  We initially proposed 12 weeks paid leave for all mothers and fathers in our bargaining unit.  Since the administration has rejected this, we have narrowed its scope. Our Librarians and APs do not have anything close to the benefits our full-time faculty have around maternity and paternity.  Where full-time faculty get 8 weeks paid leave for maternity plus an extra 4 weeks paid if medically necessary, librarians and APs must rely on sick leave that accrues at 10 days a year. If a new mother has been at Temple for 3 years and has had to use half of that sick leave in that time, they would get only 3 weeks to recover from childbirth, leaving nothing for sickness for a parent or baby after pregnancy. APs and librarians also have no provision like the work-life balance that allows new mothers or fathers among the full-time faculty to apply for a semester off of teaching to care for a newborn or a newly-adopted or new foster child.  We have made a proposal to remedy this inequity. 

The administration also showed movement on some additional areas:

    •  Discrimination:  The administration showed willingness to drop its demand that discrimination no longer be grievable, but the offer had strings attached that we cannot accept. We do believe that we can ultimately come to an agreement on this crucial issue.  ‘
    • Job Security:  Though administration made a helpful counter on adjunct job security, unfortunately, on both adjunct and NTT job security, they still refuse to accept the core of our proposals–the elements that would actually increase the job security of 75% of our bargaining unit.  We will continue to push on these most important issues.  
    • Salary and wages:  Both sides are moving on compensation proposals.  After the union made a shift in adjunct wages, the administration made its first offer on minima for full-time and adjunct members.  In addition, they moved a bit in response to our proposals on across-the-board and merit raises for full-time members, but they have also begun to threaten that the raises would start from ratification rather than dating back to July 1, 2019, when we would have normally had an across-the-board raise.  We reject this position. 

Health insurance:  The administration has not moved at all on its proposal for very large increases in premiums, deductibles and co-pays for specialists.   The salary offers from the university do not even cover cost of living increases, and additional healthcare costs make it clear that so far, our members are being offered a pay cut. We cannot accept increases of this sort.

Things are moving and  both sides have made progress toward an agreement.  But we still have a significant disagreements to resolve before we have a contract that our negotiating team and Executive Committee could bring to members for discussion and ratification.  We will continue to work hard to move things in a positive direction.  

You can help by getting more involved.  The power of a union is in its membership, it’s in YOU.  Attend open bargaining, sign our petition (email jsiegelaft@gmail.com), talk to your colleagues about the importance of supporting this work, and keep your eye out for other actions to show our collective power.  

Our Two Cents: Funding the New Contract

As we have shown, Temple is last among public Research 1 universities in the cents on every dollar of tuition and fees it spends on instruction.  To fund all of our proposals for wages and benefits, all Temple needs to do is add to the instructional budget less than 2￠on every dollar it collects from tuition and fees. 

That is a very reasonable demand when the Board still seems ready to spend millions  each year to service the debt it would take on in the funding of a football stadium. There are no guarantees that this would be matched by the savings coming from no longer having to pay the Eagles. 

It is a very reasonable demand when we see that the salary pool for the administrators in our bargaining unit identified as “executive/administrative and managerial” has increased by 32% from 2013-2018*. (The number of administrators in this highest category alone has increased nearly 26% during that same period.)  This more than doubles the percentage increase in the TAUP full-time salary pool and more than quadruples the percentage increase in full-time hires.  

Among the many signs of financial health, Temple’s own audited financials reveal that it has amassed $350 million in cash and cash equivalents, an increase of $150 million since 2014:

It is unclear to what degree this money was amassed from one-time or recurrent expenses, and we believe the administration should offer an explanation for the source of these funds. However, since 63% of Temple’s revenue aside from patient care comes from tuition and fees (and patient care in FY 2018 cost slightly over $100 million than it brought in), we would not be surprised if much of it came from this recurrent source.   

It would take a very small redirection of funds to properly compensate the people who teach the courses, direct the dissertations, do the research, guide the students in the library, and advise them.  We do not believe that there would be a need to raise tuition or cut other sectors of the university, as the administration alleges. It would require a long-overdue shift in priorities.

 

*This data is drawn from the Stairs Report / Commonwealth Reporting Requirements.  The numbers above narrow the data to the colleges and schools represented by TAUP, including the Library, and other core academic offices: Temple University Press, and the Offices of the Provost, the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, and the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies.

 

Negotiations Update: October 8, 2019

Progress 

Negotiations began on Friday with some progress on a few issues: 

  • An improved merit process for academic professionals
  • The public posting of full-time job openings 
  • The conflict over mission creep in job responsibilities for non-tenure-track faculty 
  • Merit for research NTTs
  • A side letter on the administration withdrawing its proposal to remove academic professionals and program directors from their union while reserving the right to petition the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board on this issue.  TAUP would strongly contest such a move if the administration should attempt it.

Removing the right to grieve/arbitrate discrimination from the contract 

Negotiations  became contentious when the administration’s proposal to remove discrimination from the contract was discussed.  The administration claims that the union is not trained to grasp the legalities around discrimination. They believe only their in-house EOC or Title IX office or should be addressing these issues. They claim that there is a risk of liability for both sides..   

When a member comes to the union with a potential grievance, they are informed of the many avenues they can pursue both within Temple and outside of it in addressing their issues. Our lawyers are consulted for advice for all grievances, including discrimination cases. We always seek any additional facts needed in a case, though the administration has often refused to provide the information in question.  

TAUP is open to suggestions to improve the grievance process.  We believe the agreement that has been reached with the administration in these negotiations to add a fact-finding step to grievances will inform both sides more fully about the facts around a case. We are not interested in forfeiting our members’ hard-won right to grieve discrimination, and to have their union represent them and take their case to arbitration if necessary.  Without the right to grieve, the only processes at Temple our members could pursue would be owned entirely by the administration. Our members will not accept this.

Job security: The dismissal of tenure-track faculty  

We questioned the administration about its proposal to make it easier to dismiss tenure-track (but not yet tenured) faculty. They have proposed moving from the robust process that must be undertaken if the administration seeks to dismiss a candidate to the less secure one that currently covers NTTs.  They have admitted that there have been no tenure-track faculty who have actually been subject to dismissal since the signing of the current contract in 2014.  The administration responded that a relevant case just emerged and that they should not have to go through such an intense process to dismiss a new employee.  But their proposal would equally affect somebody in their tenure year. The dismissal of any member is a very consequential matter. We see no reason for a change in this policy and are not convinced by the administration’s reasoning.

Job security: Increasing the percentage of tenure-track faculty  

In 2004 both sides agreed to a side letter in the contract stating:

TAUP and Temple shall express their joint commitment to tenure and the need to have a sizeable complement of tenured and tenure-track faculty in a high-quality research university

We have tried to get the administration to explain what they meant by a “sizeable complement” when they committed to this language.   They refused to specify a number, a range, or percentage and claimed that they didn’t know what that language was intended to mean. 

As we’ve pointed out Temple is the third-worst among public Research 1s in the percentage of tenure-stream faculty among all full-time faculty.  TAUP has put a proposal on the table to increase tenure-track hiring 1% for each year of the contract. The administration has said that it will refuse to commit to a number or percentage. 

Job security: 3+ Year contract renewals for NTTs  

David Hughes, professor of anthropology at Rutgers and the Vice President of and lead negotiator for Rutgers’ faculty union, joined us to discuss the many benefits of giving NTT faculty and adjuncts greater job security.  

In Rutgers’ recently ratified contract,  3-7 year appointments are guaranteed after an NTT’s initial six years, and the strongest departments are offering 3 year contracts at initial hire.  Prof. Hughes explained, this gives students the assurance that the professor who taught them when they were sophomores will be there when they are seniors to direct their theses or internships and to write letters of recommendation. He discussed how introductory classes in one department were not filling because there wasn’t a sufficient number of full time faculty to teach the more advanced courses. Students didn’t want to commit to a major where there weren’t enough full time faculty in upper level courses. This also demonstrated how giving faculty more job security also offers departments stability in planning curricula.  It gives NTTs a clear sense that the university is reciprocating their loyalty, and that they can invest even more in their courses, their departments, their colleges and schools, and, above all, for those on the teaching track – their students.

Chairs testified at Rutgers that even under the decentralized budgeting system that they are subjected to, they had all the flexibility they needed under the proposal which was eventually agreed upon.  They wanted more predictability and stability for themselves, their students, and their faculty.  

We presented a proposal providing NTTs 3+ year contracts after 3 years of service and good evaluations.  Deans would retain the right to offer shorter contracts, but only if they clearly document the reason for doing so, and the NTT and the union would have the chance to request that the Dean reconsider.

Job security:  Multi-semester contracts for adjuncts  

Prof. Hughes also testified to the beneficial effects of greater job security for adjuncts.  Rutgers now mandates that adjuncts get one-year contracts after their sixth year. TAUP has proposed that adjuncts can request a formal evaluation for the purpose of promotion, and/or a raise or a multi-semester appointment, and that they must receive one by their seventh semester.  Prof. Hughes noted, the full-time faculty at Rutgers balked at evaluating their adjunct colleagues if they didn’t lead to the potential for any tangible advancement. Rutgers’ administration saw the wisdom of this point, and we believe that Temple’s administration should do the same.   

We are also tying each adjunct rank to a specific minimum pay rate, proposing a clear set of guidelines be followed for the initial appointment at each rank .  Each school can customize their own guidelines as long as they follow a structure provided for in the contract, which is based on the university’s Adjunct Policy Guidelines. 

Rutgers’ administration saw the wisdom of this point, and we believe that Temple’s administration should do the same.  As with NTTs, more job security for adjuncts will increase the coherence of our students’ educational experience, will lead to greater curricular stability, and will give adjuncts more assurance of employment and greater reason to invest in their work at Temple. 

Compensation  

Our compensation proposals haven’t changed significantly since we first introduced them in the early settlement bargaining this April and May. We started presenting our proposals on wages and benefits, and will continue on Friday of this week. 

  • 4.75% combined across-the-board and merit raises annually for full-time members
  • 4.75% increases annually to the minimum salary for hiring full-time members 
  • $100/yr per credit increase to adjunct minima 
  • 6% increase per year for adjuncts over the minima, who did not receive an increase with the first adjunct contract; 5% if and when they reach 1/24 of full-time minima
  • minimum rates established for each adjunct rank
  • increases in overload and summer teaching rates, which have not moved in over a decade.  The overload rate will be set at no less than the adjunct per credit hour minimum rate at rank, a considerable increase.  The summer rate, currently at $1900/credit hour would be $2000 or the adjunct minimum at rank, whichever is higher. 
  • compensation for independent studies, with full-time faculty receiving one credit donated to their research accounts and adjuncts paid one credit
  • compensation for adjunct service 

 Maternity Leave  

Our proposal for all full-time members of the bargaining unit calls for 12 weeks of paid maternity leave rather than the 8 weeks full-time faculty receive and the 10 days a year of accrued sick leave librarians and academic professionals are stuck with.  This is particularly hard for librarians and academic professionals.  If they haven’t been here long or have had to use a significant portion of their accrued leave, new parents may only receive a couple of weeks of leave before they have to be back at work.  If they have used up all of their sick leave during maternity, they’ll have none left if their baby gets sick, or if they do, or if another family member does. The current plan is is NOT, as the administration said at the table, a “generous” leave plan.  Temple must do better. 

Childcare and tuition benefits at other schools  

Almost a year-and-a-half ago, TAUP and the Faculty Senate took an opportunity offered by the current contract, submitting thoroughly researched reports and sets of proposals on childcare and tuition benefits at other schools which showed Temple lagging significantly behind our competitors in the area and nationwide.  The contract mandated that the administration would respond to these proposals.  Since there has been no response, we have submitted the proposals from the report as options for the administration to agree to at the table. 

For childcare:  

  • on-site day care
  • a subsidy of 10% for those using off-site day care, 15% for those using facilities in North Philadelphia 
  • backup care for children and elderly parents
  • lactation rooms in cases where Temple is falling short of the law in this regard, if such examples exist

For tuition benefits at other schools: 

  • join the Tuition Exchange, a budget neutral scholarship program with over 650 participating schools
  • tuition remission equivalent to the current benefit for those few children of faculty who want to study in a field that Temple doesn’t offer or who were unable to get into a specific program at Temple
  • 40% of the tuition remission benefit if a dependent attends another university
  • look into the idea of forming a consortium with Penn State, Pitt, and Lincoln that would provide reciprocal tuition 

Next steps to support TAUP in this work

Open Bargaining on this Friday, October 11th / Contract Expiration Rally next Tuesday, October 15th

This Friday, October 11th, we will finish presenting our economic proposals, which include:

  • Hiring and retaining a diverse faculty 
  • Bringing NTT pension contributions to parity with what TTs receive
  • Subsidies and a prescription plan for adjunct health insurance to make it more attainable. 

We hope to hear responses from the administration to our job security proposals and to some of our economic proposals.  We will have a guest from our national office present, Tom Anderson, an expert in university finances.

RSVP HERE

 

RALLY ON THE EXPIRATION DATE OF THE CONTRACT!

BRING ALL OF YOUR COLLEAGUES TO JOIN US, alongside City Councilwoman Helen Gym, State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta, State Representative Joe Hohenstein and others Tuesday, October 15th, 1-2pm  Alumni Circle (between the Charles Library and Founder’s Garden).

RSVP here

 

SUPPORT TAUP’s work 

Temple’s administration needs to significantly shift its priorities. The data show that the people who students rely on the most throughout their education at the university are not as much of a priority at Temple as they are at other colleges and universities. This issue is what is at the core of our current negotiations, and it must change.. 

Your presence is the best way to let the administration know that Temple needs to respond substantively and positively to our well-supported and reasonable demands.  It has the resources (read more on Temple’s finances here.)