Akron-AAUP Monthly Newsletter: November, 2009

End Of Semester Negotiating Update Meetings for ALL Faculty:

The Akron AAUP Executive Committee invite all members of the Akron AAUP bargaining unit to meetings during the last week of class.  An update on the current negotiations will be given, questions from faculty will be answered, and faculty will be informed of possible actions during the winter break and the beginning of spring semester 2010.  If they are not negotiating. members of your negotiating team will also be present to answer questions.

The meetings will take place on: 

Wed December 2, 2009, Student Union Theater 3:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. and

Thu December 3, 2009 Student Union Ballroom B 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.  

Mark your calendars. 

We encourage all faculty to attend one of these sessions.


Status Report on Negotiations from November 20, 2009:

Akron-AAUP and the University Administration team successfully negotiated several articles in the current contract, including such crucial issues as academic freedom and retrenchment.  These agreements mark significant progress toward a new contract. The UA Administration helped create a constructive environment and negotiated in good faith toward resolution of these issues.

The following contract articles are either tentatively agreed to or both sides have agreed that no substantial changes are needed:

  • Article 1 Preamble
  • Article 2 Recognition
  • Article 3 Management Rights 
  • Article 5 Working Environment
  • Article 6 No Strike/No Lockout
  • Article 8 Affirmative Action
  • Article 9 Academic Freedom 
  • Article 11 initial Hire
  • Article 12 Grievance/Arbitration
  • Article 14 Disciplinary Action
  • Article 15 Retrenchment 
  • Article 18 Professional Development
  • Article 21 Emeritus Faculty
  • Article 22 Distinguished Professor
  • Article 23 Legal Protection
  • Article 24 Professional Activities Outside The University
  • Article 25 Retiree Reemployment
  • Article 26 Academic Calendar
  • Article 27 Workload
  • Article 30 Past Practice
  • Article 31 Separability
  • Article 32 Duration/Negotiation

Outstanding to Date - Economic Articles:

  • Art. 16 Compensation - The Administration's proposes 0% (zero) pay increases for this year with re-openers for 2010-2011 and 2011-2012.  They continue to plead poverty without refuting any of the data in our independent financial analysis that showed an average profit of $17 million each year since 2002.  They do say they've spent themselves into a large financial hole on one time debt payments, and are concerned about the future of the state's ability to maintain support.  Currently a 1% salary increase for the entire bargaining unit is approximately $504,000. Our position is that out of a $400 million annual budget, an administration that valued its faculty could find $3 million a year to move towards competitive faculty salaries, especially in view of their continuing to proliferate the campus with top level vice presidents with their salaries and bonuses. A review of the administrator salaries from V.P. level upward shows a 95% increase in the cost of administration since 2002.

  • Art. 17 - Benefits - particularly:

    • Domestic Partner Benefits - The Administration has resisted implementing Domestic Partner Benefits and remains unmoved by the fact that UA is the only state university of any size in Ohio that refuses to recognize this fundamental human right - even after having been provided with data that inclusion of domestic partners in our health care policy causes no appreciable increase in the cost of health benefits to the university. Our position is that all faculty should be afforded the same rights, including health care benefits as a matter of fairness and just treatment),  

    • Health care for years 2 and 3 of the contract are still being negotiated. We have an MOU for this year with the agreement to try to negotiate for the 2nd and 3rd year of the contract. We believe this is entirely possible and we have proposed what we believe to be a workable plan, while the administration is somewhat more cautious.

    • and Retiree Spouse and Dependent benefits.  

    • Parking also remains at issue in Article 17, as do other issues.

Non Economic Articles:

  • Article 4 Association Rights - we are asking for reasonable use of facilities on same basis as “campus based organizations”. 

  • Article 7 Non-discrimination 

  • Article 10 Governance

  • Article 13 RTP including Post Tenure Review -  This needs no additional description.  The union believes faculty are poked, prodded, evaluated and assessed enough through the myriad of review processes already in place. Further review is both needless and serves as an opportunity for the administration to cherry pick faculty for removal. We would only add that the administration often notes that faculty should have only "one bite" at the tenure apple.  We feel this principle should cut both ways. 

    In addition to post tenure review and the Administration's lack of concern over the protection and professional development of non-tenure track faculty.  Further, they propose the insinuation of administrative fiat into the RTP guidelines process. We advocate RTP to be faculty driven, while they propose administrative control over promotion. 

  • Article 19 Distance and Distributed Education and

  • Article 20 Intellectual Property - The administration still maintains their right to ownership of lecture notes and other faculty produced course materials – electronic or otherwise.  They remain reticent to define their ideas about broad ownership of faculty intellectual property. Our position is that they have no such right to ownership of faculty produced course materials. 

  • Article 28 Spousal/partner hire

  • Article 29 Branch Campuses

  • Article 32 Duration


The Negotiating Teams do have a full schedule of meetings and mediation planned to address those issues and hope to mark continuing progress in negotiations that will resume after the Thanksgiving holiday.  There is no cause for premature celebration and much remains to be done, but we do want faculty members to know that there has been some progress in negotiations. 

Membership Soars: 

Faculty members at UA have been joining the Akron-AAUP in record numbers.  The chapter has more than 100 new members as of the last week of November.  The message this sends to us is clear.  The faculty is clearly alarmed at the apparent direction of the University with respect to faculty relations.  By joining, you are indicating your collective resolve to stand for what is the norm in academia.  Your membership has already made a critical difference, and will continue to do so. 

Your faculty colleagues on the Negotiating Team, the chapter Executive Committee, and your departmental liaisons are working hard to negotiate a good contract reflecting  the values we all share.   Shared governance depends upon the commitment of faculty to get involved in various ways that support mainstream values and policies in higher education.  This surge in membership is clear evidence of that commitment. We know that there are many more faculty out there who support these values; the collective bargaining election vote, and the vote for fair share indicate this reservoir of support.  If you haven’t yet joined, but support shared governance, academic freedom, just compensation and the other values we promote, please join now.   Remember always that membership = strength. ale is provided. 

This is your money; apply for it!     

Strike FAQ: 

We would be remiss in our duty to the faculty if we failed to prepare for the worst case scenario. To that end we have placed a Strike FAQ on the chapter website on the Negotiations page. We've attempted to answer faculty questions there.  Please feel free to contact us with any additional questions or concerns.

Submitted by the Akron-AAUP Communications Committee

"Faculty interests are Akron-AAUP interests, so Ask Us Anything"