LEO Bargaining approaches end of official time-line for bargaining

Bargaining Update, April 9, 2010

     Last week we told Management that after what had happened in the English Department with my review, we had lost faith in the performance review provisions and needed to go back to the drawing board. So we spent the morning trying to develop language responsive to the kinds of things that have gone wrong in reviews generally speaking: late notice of class room visits, no feedback on classroom visits, shifting standards, unreasonable and/or hidden standards, an appeals process outside the unit, etc. We presented this proposal in the afternoon. 
     On money, we reiterated that we felt their proposal was completely inadequate, especially in their failure to acknowledge our equity arguments. So we stuck with our current compensation package, but gave them a proposal on benefits that would essentially make part-time (50-79%) whole by compensating them for the increased benefits burden for the next three years (we cannot bargain beyond that time). This would come in the form of a lump sum payment half way through the term.
     Interestingly, they did not say one word about the teach-in or the rally although they certainly looked glum. Since next Friday is officially the last date of scheduled bargaining, we talked about adding some dates at the beginning of next week. As official bargaining sessions (not small group discussions), these would be open to LEO members. Date, time, and place tba when known.
     There will be a membership meeting Monday April 19 at 5 pm on all three campuses.  This is when we come together to evaluate where we are, set bottom lines etc. If you haven't been to any other LEO event all year, this is the one to come to.  Next Friday we bargain in lovely Palmer Commons (room number tba when I know them) over behind the Dental School.

Kirsten Herold

LEO VP

Teach-in: What you can do, even if you teach online courses

It can be hard to know how to make a difference when the union is fighting a tough battle with the administration. We often don't want to alienate our tenure-track colleagues, and arguing for pay raises can be extremely difficult during times when our students and their families are facing extreme and heart-wrenching financial difficulties.

However, the misfortunes of others are not a reason to believe that we, too, should be unfortunate. To put it simply, two wrongs don't make a right. The disparate pay of lecturers - in comparison to even high school teachers - indicates an injustice in the treatment of university lecturers, and we have every right to protest such an injustice. Educating students on these matters is the purpose of the upcoming Teach-in. Nevertheless, to do so intelligently and with compassion during a recession is no easy task.

LEO has posted a Teach-In presentation you can use for your own students. But I find that a more personal explanation of why each of us is invested in the union's work can accomplish a more compassionate, nuanced, and effective message. So how are you planning to modify your message for the Teach-in this Wednesday and Thursday, April 7th and 8th? Take 10 minutes of your class time to help students understand how university policy affects their education.

Here's the message I'm posting for my online courses:

In the next few weeks you may hear about some university instructors objecting to the pay and benefits provided by the university administration. I want to take a moment to be sure you understand why this is happening, and to welcome your questions, and to be sure you are aware of how this might affect you.

First, there are two main types of university instructors, tenure-track and non-tenure track (lecturers). Tenured professors work full-time, have benefits, and are often involved in both teaching and research. Lecturers most commonly are hired part-time by several universities (for example, I also work at Michigan State University), although many lecturers work for U of M full-time, and mainly work teaching courses.

This difference reflects a general national trend toward part-time workers in universities:



The problem with the trend toward part-time workers is not only the loss of protection of professional intellectual freedom, but the resultant tendency for part-timers to work at several universities, thus dividing their time between several student bodies, and often without benefits. There is also a great differential in pay, with lecturers averaging (nationally) $20,000-$35,000 per year. You can compare this to the national average high school teacher's salary of $52,000 per year (actually, the Michigan average is higher). So, in part, lecturer frustration stems from being paid less money despite higher education and preparation for our work.

In 2002, lecturers at U of M formed a union, the Lecturers' Employee Union (LEO), in order to negotiate higher pay and benefits. As we are renegotiating our contract, the university is prepared to eliminate benefits for some lecturers, and is refusing to pay us commensurate with the pay of high school instructors. This is why many lecturers will be protesting and educating students about this matter in the coming days, especially on the Ann Arbor campus.

I hope that you know that during these difficult times, I am especially sensitive to the notion of seeking pay raises when so many families are struggling, especially in Michigan. However, there is good reason to believe the the University of Michigan is in good shape financially and we should think seriously about precisely why universities have endowments as large as $7.6 billion, if not for difficult financial times. Most importantly, we need to think nationally about why, if college tuition is rising at such a steep rate, the increased revenue is not being spent on teaching.

My highest priority is always the quality of your education. I hold my students to the highest of standards, and I expect no less of myself. During the next few weeks, please know that your education will always come first. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to e-mail me.

Remember - the Teach In is THIS Wednesday and Thursday, April 7th and 8th. Join LEO for bargaining in Ann Arbor: Friday April 9th, 9:30am-5:30pm, in the School of Social Work.

UM School of Social Work
1080 South University Ave.
(Corner of South University & East University)

Negotiating room—
Education Conference Center, 1st floor

LEO caucus room—
Room 1804

LEO VP not re-appointed! Target of anti-Union seniment?

Dear LEO members:

Normally Kirsten Herold would be sending you this update. However, on March 31, after 18 years of teaching at the University, Kirsten was dismissed by the English Department. We see this action as a direct attack on the union, since Kirsten is our VP, but also because it is an attack on our job security.

Ironically, this relates directly to this round of bargaining, as we try to strengthen the protections we have negotiated in the past to prevent unfair, biased and outright bogus evaluations.  On Friday as we sat at the bargaining table, we told the Administration that their treatment of her is the exact reason we have concerns about the transparency of the review process.

Today was a black day. The bargaining team wore LEO t-shirts and black arm bands.  We rallied at noon outside the fishbowl, and then marched to the offices of the Chair of the English Department (vacant), the Dean of LSA (vacant) and the Provost (vacant). We will continue to protest the action of the English Department. We cannot accept that our VP, who is also our chief grievance officer and a member of our bargaining team, has been fired while we are involved in negotiations.

In the afternoon, the Administration provided us with their counter proposals on raises, minimum salaries and the health benefits package. They “generously” increased their Ann Arbor annual raise offer from 1.5% to 1.75%, and they offered no increases in minimum starting salaries. In terms of benefits, they offered our part timers a small bribe. The amount they put across the table was less than they offered other unions as a way of “mitigating” the huge impact of their benefits package. Our response was to reject their proposals as laughable. We also put them on notice about our teach-in and rally plans for next week.

We are asking members to take 10 minutes of class time on Wednesday and Thursday to explain the current work conditions of Lecturers at U of M. Our lesson plans will be
on our website by the end of the weekend.

You may receive an email from your supervisor telling you that you cannot participate in a teach-in. We disagree.  This affects our work environment, which in turn affects students. We believe we are protected by the AAUP academic freedom policy, which was reinforced by SACUA earlier this year.  

If you are unhappy with the Administration’s proposals, your only option at this point is to make some NOISE! Come to the Rally. Participate in the teach-in. Come to bargaining on Friday.

See the LEO web site for additional information and updates: http://www.leounion.org

For coverage of recent the LEO rally protesting recent events, see the sidebar.

Bonnie Halloran
LEO President