NTTFA Newsletter

Issue 1 April 2012

The Journey
July 1, 2010 Nov. 3, 2011

Together we organized actions that led to better contracts,

better working conditions, more transparency in the university and better learning conditions for students.
BRING A FRIEND TO SPRING BASH
Strength in numbers led to a fair labor agreement. So please invite at least one nonmember friend to our spring meeting and party 5:30 p.m. April 25 at Jackson Country Club. RSVP with your number of guests to ewaldron@siu.edu by April 22. The fare will be cookout style foodweather permittingwith iced tea and lemonade. Open bar available, and if enough people RSVP, a keg of beer may be provided. Members will vote on officers and other business. Contract packets not yet distributed will be available. Keep looking at siuntt.org and your emails for more details as the event date approaches.

and bargaining team of our Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association (NTTFA) began preparing for the meetings that would take place to negotiate a new contract. As the implementation date for our new contract came and went with no progress made toward the creation of the new contract, we all became aware of the increased resistance to collective This package delivers your bargaining we were facing. Months went by without contract to you and explains the productivity in our meetings. Every 18-month journey of how we got where we are today. It highlights suggestion was met with a single word our victories and explains our answer, No. Our bargaining team, spent countless hours, attempting to values and goals, and why your communicate our needs successfully membership is essential to the continuing success of collective while balancing them with the communicated needs of the bargaining and our place within administration. the university. Reluctantly, a strike date was set. Then the meetings started to possess true communication and negotiation. But many long nights lie ahead for our bargaining team. In the final hours before our strike date, at about 3:30 a.m., our bargaining team and the SIU administration had a labor agreement. The strike was avoided. Our labor rights would be protected for the term of the contract. We had equity, a balance of power for three more years.

efore our labor agreement ended on July 1, 2010, the executive board

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NTTFA NEWSLETTER

APRIL 2012

Page 2

Our Bargaining Victories

1) Notificationofreappointment
Afacultymemberwillbenotifiedif they:willbeofferedanother appointment,willnotbeoffered anotherappointment,orcannotyet beofferedanotherappointmentby May1stiftheircurrent appointmentendsonMay15th,or December1stiftheircurrent appointmentendsonDecember 31st.
[Seepg.18,Section9.02.b.Re employmentOpportunityforNon ContinuingFaculty]

6)Fullsemesternoticeofnon reappointmentforPTcontinuing.
[Seepg.21,Section9.04Non ReappointmentofContinuing]

7)AreductionoffulltimeFTEdoesnot restarttheclocktocontinuing;i.e.,a reductionin4thyearwouldnotforcea Facultymembertowait5yearsto achievecontinuing.

[Seepg.20,lastparagraphSection 9.03.aFullTimeContinuing Appointment]

2) Academicyearappointmentsrather thanonesemesterappointments.

[Seepg.18,Section9.02.a.,second
sentence]

8)AllNTTsoncontinuingappointment asofNov.1,2011,willreceivean equityadjustmentofadditional$50 permonthat10yearsofservice, additional$75permonthat15years andadditional$100at20years($225 ifalreadyat20.)

[Seepg.42,Section16.14Equity Adjustment]

3) TheBoardshallnotdeclinetore employafulltimeNTTfacultyfor thesolepurposeofreplacingwitha lowerpaidnonNTTemployee.

9)SRECPfacultywhoperformduties overa10monthperiodwillbe appointedfor10months.

[Seepg.19,Section9.02.c]

[Seepg.18,Article9.02.b.,lastsentence]

4) Yourcontractwillcometoyouwith allrequiredsignaturessothatwhen yousignit,itsvalid.

[Seepg.18,Article9.01Appointment Term,lastsentence]

Layoffs
10)Improvementonlayofftriggers thatwouldpreventpredatorylayoffs. Possiblereasonsforlayoffsmaystill include: Extraordinarydeclinesin programenrollmentorprogram funding. Programdiscontinuanceor elimination.

5) Continuingappointmentsforlong termparttimeemployees.
[See.pg20,Section9.03.a.2PartTime ContinuingAppointment]AlsoSeepgs. 4041,Section16.09thatincludesan FTEprorated(%of$300)raiseper month.NOTE:Wewillwatchcloselytoseeifthe
intentisupheldtheadministrationassuredus thatparttimehiringwouldnotbeusedtoattempt toeliminateorreducefulltimehires.

Continuedonnextpage

Who We Are
SIUC NTTFA Officers
President Anita Barrett aj@ajstoner.com Visiting Assistant Professor in the School of Journalism

Our Bargaining Victories

Continued from previous page

Salaries Layoffswilloccuraftergood faithactions(e.g.,attrition) aretried.

[Seepg.35,Section14.03Layoffof NTTFacultyMembersandSection 14.02Definitions]

AJ served on the NTTFA collective bargaining team.

15) SCREP and Head Start will receive their raises in funded grants regardless of the status of the other NTT salary increases. (footnote) 16) Anacrosstheboard raise: 1%increasein2012
baseincreaseeffective Jan.2011 1%July12012 2%July1,2013.All raisesaresubjectto appointmentconditions listedabove.
[Foraboveissues,seepgs.3940 foreachfiscalyear:Sections 16.0116.05]

Vice President Shawna Pope

Shawna is an Instructor and Clinical Supervisor in the Rehabilitation Institute. shawnapope@gmail.com Secretary Jim Wall is a Senior Lecturer in Radio and Television jwall@siu.edu

11)SeniorityLayoffandrights tocourseassignments:part timenoncontinuinglaidoff first,thenParttime continuing,FullTimenon continuing,andFullTime Continuinglaidofflast.

[Seepg.36,Section14.05Orderof LayoffsandSection14.07Seniority]

12)Recallrights: Fulltimecontinuing3 years. Fulltimenoncontinuingand parttimecontinuing,2years.

[Seepg.3714.08Recallrights]

13)Nolayoffsmidsemester
Treasurer Brooke Thibeault bbht@siu.edu

Thibeaultbhht

@siu.edu
Brooke is Associate Director Brooke Thibeault of the Foreign Language and Brooke is the International Trade Associate Director of the Foreign Language and Interim International Chair Program. Trade House of bhhbbhht@si Delegates

14)Layoffnotification: 17)Raiseminimum Continuing60days,Fulltime salaries andParttimeContinuing45 days,Parttime30 Increased REGISTER FOR IEA CONFERENCE days. monthly The April 20-21 IEA Higher Ed minimumto [Seepg.36Section Conference information is available, and 14.04Noticeof $2,500per you can register online at these links: ReductioninForce] http://www.ieanea.org/events/higher-edmonthonJuly spring-conference-2012/ 1,2012. or through the Higher Ed Website
(Thisletterof notificationshouldaid youinfilingfor unemployment)
http://www.ieanea.org/members/highereducation In Session IV, the Union Makeover, a

Anyacrosstheboardraises wouldapplytoallemployees regardlessofFTEiftheyhad beenemployedfor4months duringthepreviousacademic year.

u.edu

Eileen Waldron Eileen is a Senior Lecturer in Radio and Television

panel discussion includes SIUC and how our coalition advanced the cause of Collective Bargaining. Funding is available for members interested in attending. If you have any questions, please contact the Higher Ed paraprofessional Violet Evans (618) 307-3502

Seepg.40, Section16.06 SalaryMinimums FiscalYear2013

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Thebattleisoverbutthewar onCollectiveBargainingrageson. Nowisthetimetobuildforour future.

OUR GOALS
Morris Library Fall 2011 1) To establish promotional lines for NTT faculty Its time we get credit for all that we do above and beyond. 2) Fill empty positions of leadership to prepare for collective bargaining in 2015. 3) To increase participation on our committees A right unused is a right that is lost. 4) Build membership Together we started a process of activism that holds great promise for our collective future as employees at SIU-C. We need strong membership to uphold our contract. Eachdayyourunioncolleagues devotetheirtimeandeffortsto collectivebargainingandadvocacyfor employees. AlongwiththeIEA,theNTTFA providesprofessionalstaffassistance whenmembersneedit,representation andlegalservicesforemployment matters,lobbyinginSpringfieldand Washington,D.C.,leadership development,andprofessional publicationsthatkeephighereducation employeesinformedandengagedin mattersthataffectthem. Isntittimeforyoutojoinyour

OUR CORE VALUES

SolidarityTheinterestsofNTTemployeesareachieved
whenweactinsolidarityandpurposewithinourunionand withotherunionsthatshareourgoalsandvalues.

BalanceofPower(Equity)Inorderto
balancethepowerbetweenemployeesandemployers,the employeesmustacttogether.

DignityofWorkQualityofthework,notjustpay. CompromisePracticalproblemsolvingtoolfor
incrementalandongoingprogress.

FocusontheCommonGood,Sharing, andCommunityConcernforhumanityandthe
welfareofothers.

DemocracyActionswithintheunionandinteractions
withotherspromoteademocraticprocess.

JusticeNTTfacultyarededicatedtoteaching,workhard,
anddeservefairtreatmentandjustwages.

ProfessionalismNTTfacultyprofessionallyperform
invaluableteaching,research,andadministrativefunctionsfor SIUC.

Unitedwebargain,dividedwebeg.TheNTTFA needsyou!

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APRIL 2012

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Our Collective Rights as NTTFA

Because we are unionized, we are represented on the following committees:
University Joint Benefits Affirmative Action Advisory Computing Advisory Library Affairs Advisory Search Committees for University President, Chancellor, Provost and College Deans In addition, we are invited to attend the Universitys periodic meetings with constituency heads. We have the right to receive a copy of the agenda and information made available to the media before a Board of Trustees meeting. We have the right to form an NTT Communications Committee to meet once a semester with the Board of Trustees, university President (or designee), and Chancellor (or designee) to discuss matters of mutual concern. Without the Communications Committee, we lose the right to communicate our collective concerns with the upper administration. It is of utmost importance that we maintain an active membership in committees. Without member participation, we do not utilize the power behind our rights and thus lose them.

Without member participation, we do not utilize the power behind our rights and thus lose them.

Advocacy Victories Include Workload, Time-Off Requests

Wewanttoavoidconflictif possible.However,ifnecessary, NTTFAmembershavetheright togrieveadisputeordifference ofopinioninrelationtoour collectivebargainingrights. Thisisourrighttobeheard, valued,andtreatedfairly! Rightsthathavebeen successfullygrievedinthepast include:
Workload SalaryIncreases AcademicFreedom Disciplineprocedures FacultyRights ImproperReductionsinForce Travelfundspolicy Denialoftimeoffrequests ContinuingAppointment denial Summerappointment

Our Bargaining Victories

Continued From Page 3

Victories

17)Raiseminimumsalaries Increasedmonthlyminimumto$2,500per monthonJuly1,2012 Seepg.40,Section16.06SalaryMinimums FiscalYear2013 18)Setoverloadpaystandards Compensationequalto1monthsalaryfora .25FTEcourseequivalent GeneralImprovements 19)ClarifyWorkloadstandardsandcredithour equivalenciesfornoncourseassignments [Seepg.38Sections13.0113.03] 20)WorkloadclarificationsforSRECPandHeadStart [Seepg.34,Section13.05HeadStartand SRECPWorkload] [Seepg.53,SIDELETTERFOR HEADSTARTSPRINGBREAK 21)Facultyisallowedtogrieveunfairorinaccurate evaluations [pg.31,Section11.02c.1through11.02c.4] 22)Establishmorepromotionopportunity RequestaFacultySenatestudyontheissuesof promotionallinesforNTTfaculty [Seepg.51,SIDELETTERFOR PROMOTIONALLINES] 23)NoFurlough/UnpaidClosureDaysduringthelifeof thecontract.

NTTFA is currently Grieving several unfair

workload assignments. Appealing at least five cases of possible inaccurate longevity payments. Investigating the homework assigned to Head Start during this Spring Break. Awaiting future judgments on unfair labor practices, including the furlough days. Fighting prior years' Spring Break work assignments at Head Start.

Wedonothavelanguagetoallowthisinour

contract.

Notify Keith Wilson, grievance chair about potential grievance issues ASAP! The Collective Bargaining Agreement is very clear that grievances must be filed within 42 days "of the matter giving rise to the grievance or within 42 days after the Grievant(s) through the use of reasonable diligence, could have obtained knowledge of the first occurrence of the event giving rise to the grievance."

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APRIL 2012

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Message from the President

Greetings Colleagues, Many of you might not realize that you have no rights outside of our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Many of you probably don't understand how urgent it is for you to become or remain a member of our group. The War on Collective Bargaining isn't going away. One battle ended last fall, but the attacks on Collective Bargaining will rage on... Now is the time to build for YOUR future!
Togethermembers andsupportersofthe fourIEAunionsatSIUC, includingNTTFA,showedthatsolidarityworks. Togetherweorganizedactionsthatledtobetter contracts,betterworkingconditions,moretransparencyin theuniversityandbetterlearningconditionsforstudents. Togetherwestartedaprocessofactivismthatholds greatpromiseforourcollectivefutureasemployeesat SIUC. Now is no time to kick back and relax and hope that our pensions will remain unchanged, or that our working conditions will stay the same. Too many anti-worker forces are working day and night to cut us all down. Many have been asking first what has this union done for me? This newsletter includes information about our new and much improved agreement, a copy of which also has been made for you. Few have asked, What can I do for my union? It is time now for you to join your colleagues in NTTFA and combine your talents with others to build a better university and a better union for all. Some people say why bother, I get these benefits free whether I join or not. Some people allow a few others to speak for them. A few voices add up to a nice shout. But if we add all our voices together, we can roar! AJ Stoner Barrett

NTTFA is affiliated with the Illinois Education Association-NEA, the largest union of education employees in Illinois and the nation. Full membership also gives you access to Membership Services Discounts that can pay for your dues in savings.

Newsletter contributors: Shawna Pope, AJ Stoner Barrett, Jim Wall, Carolyn Kingcade