On Friday and Tuesday, TAUP and the administration responded to each others’ proposals. The two sides made progress and have tentative agreements on a few new issues:
- Prestigious Fellowships: Faculty compile the list of prestigious fellowships in their field, for the Dean’s approval, creating a more faculty- and college-centered approach to topping up salaries for recipients.
- Tenure-Track Dossier Review: Tenure-track candidates will propose which UTPAC (University Tenure and Promotion Advisory Committee) subcommittee reviews their tenure dossier
- Half-Units of Merit: Allowing the Provost to dispense ½ units of merit
- NTT Representation on Committees: A guarantee that an NTT representative will be on any committee making decisions on their merit, promotion, and sabbaticals
- Adjunct Grievances: We’ve agreed to a deadline that at minimum is twice as long as the current deadline
While this is welcome progress, the two sides remain far apart on many key issues:
- The need to provide more job security for adjuncts and NTTs
- The need for contract language that will increase hiring and retaining a diverse faculty
- The need to limit the role of SFFs in personnel decisions
- Insuring that NTTs are only required to engage in 2 aspects of the tripartite mission: teaching, research, or service as a condition of their employment*
- The need for more TT faculty *
*For more more information, including data on TT and NTT numbers over time, see this post
The administration continues to stand by proposals that decrease the rights of TAUP members, including member access to union representation. This includes:
- Removing the right to grieve and arbitrate discrimination as well as health/safety issues
- Removal of the TAUP office from campus
- Changing our long-standing practice of accessing new hires at their HR orientation
- Moving academic professionals from our bargaining unit to another union
- Removing faculty program directors from the bargaining unit, leaving them with no union representation
- Refusal to print enough copies of the TAUP contract to cover the number of members in the bargaining unit.
HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR UNION IN FIGHTING FOR PROGRESS ON THESE IMPORTANT ISSUES
Attend Open Bargaining: Tuesday, September 24th from 8:30am-5:00pm at the 201 Hotel 201 N 17th St, Philadelphia, PA 19103. RSVP
Sign the petition your colleagues are circulating: If you’d like to sign the petition and haven’t been approached by a colleague, email Jenna, our organizer at jsiegelaft@gmail.com and let her know the department you are in
Contract Training: This training will provide an overview of the TAUP contract, and how to talk to your colleagues about it. September 20th from 12:30-2:00 pm, Ritter Room 100. RSVP
All Out: Contract Expiration Rally: Join your colleagues on October 15th from 1-2pm (location TBA) as we show administration that TAUP members, students, politicians, union allies and community members, demand a fair contract for our professors, librarians, and administrative professionals. RSVP