Recap of November 16 Bargaining Session

The negotiating teams for the AAUP and administration (ANT) met on November 16. The ANT had brought several counter-proposals and most of the meeting was spent discussing these proposals. Below is a brief description of the proposals that were discussed, followed by a list of the proposals that have been resolved and those that are still on the table:
  • Management Rights On this proposal, the ANT reversed some of their earlier positions and agreed with the previous AAUP proposal that the administration would collaborate with faculty in determining the curriculum, programs and degrees to be offered, as well as the academic calendar, and relevant portions of the Faculty Handbook. They also agreed to collaborate with faculty on hiring decisions and directing, assigning and scheduling work to faculty. That proposal was presented as a “package deal” with:
  • Shared Governance — As promised, the ANT brought a counter-proposal on governance. In essence, their proposal restated much of the general 1966 AAUP statement on shared governance. While we were pleased to have the issue back on the table, we plan to work on the article so that it reflects the philosophies and functions of shared governance that are most important to Plymouth State.
  • Retrenchment — The ANT’s counter proposal on retrenchment was more detailed than their original, but still had fewer details on processes than our version and was not clear on the role faculty would play in processes such as program review. Our previous proposal limited retrenchment to conditions of “financial exigency.” The ANT’s latest proposal asserts the administration can retrench faculty as a result of “financial considerations, program curtailment, elimination of courses or other administrative reasons.” We are working on a counter proposal that will provide clarity in terms of conditions that allow for retrenchment, the processes involved, and the faculty’s role in such decisions.
The administration also indicated that they would be bringing a counter proposal on Salary to the next bargaining session.
Our next bargaining session is scheduled for November 30.

Proposals that have been resolved and those that are still on the table:

Proposal/Topic
Definitions  OPEN AND ONGOING
Recognition Tentative Agreement Signed
Union Rights  Tentative Agreement Signed
Non-Discrimination  Tentative Agreement Signed
Savings Clause  Tentative Agreement Signed
Safety  Tentative Agreement Signed
Faculty Rights  Tentative Agreement Signed
Personnel Files  Tentative Agreement Signed
Academic Freedom  Tentative Agreement Signed
Appointments & Rank  Tentative Agreement Signed
Grievance  Tentative Agreement Signed
Discipline  Tentative Agreement Signed
Professional Development Funds & Leaves  Tentative Agreement Signed
Workload  Tentative Agreement Signed
Promotion, Tenure & Evaluation and Post-Tenure Review   OPEN AND ONGOING
Retrenchment  OPEN AND ONGOING
Salary  OPEN AND ONGOING
Agency Fee  OPEN AND ONGOING
Management Rights  OPEN AND ONGOING
Benefits  OPEN AND ONGOING
Intellectual Property  OPEN AND ONGOING
Shared Governance  OPEN AND ONGOING!
X No Strike or Lockout  Refused (AAUP)

 

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