It may be summer, but the work of our union doesn’t stop. Here’s an update about what’s happening this month with Contract Faculty United – UAW.

Bargaining Update

On May 31, our recently elected Bargaining Committee met for a five-hour training to begin researching and preparing to negotiate the strong first contract we deserve. The work has already started: as you may remember, the week of graduation, Provost Gigi Dopico announced a 3.5% AMI pool for AY 2024-25 for all non-union faculty and staff. We have now ensured that contract faculty will also receive 3.5% AMI distributed on the basis of past practice in your school, program, and/or department. The Memorandum of Agreement between the union and the administration is now up on CFU-UAW’s website, where you’ll be able to find regular updates on bargaining.

As we move forward, it is important for the Bargaining Committee to hear what’s important to you in our first contract. If you haven’t yet, please take about 10 minutes to fill out your bargaining survey.

Our Rights As Union Members

As members of a recognized union, we now have the right to a union representative at any meeting with a manager or administrator that might result in discipline or termination. These are called “Weingarten Rights,” named for a court case that defined them. If your dean, department chair, or program director calls you into a meeting, you can say, “If this discussion could in any way lead to my being disciplined or discharged, I request that my union representative be present at the meeting. Without representation, I choose not to answer any questions.” Get in touch with a CFU union organizer as soon as possible, and they’ll walk you through next steps. For more information about your Weingarten Rights, reply to this email, and an organizer will be in touch.

Get More Involved In Your Union!

In February, we won our union by an overwhelming margin — 89% voted Union Yes, with 67% of all eligible contract faculty voting. But the work of organizing our union isn’t done. To win a strong first contract, we’ll need more of us involved, more of us talking to our colleagues, and more of us building power in our schools and programs. Do you want to get more involved? We’re planning organizer trainings throughout the summer — reply to this email and we’ll loop you into scheduling.

In Solidarity,

Contract Faculty United – UAW