VTDigger: UVM’s sleight of hand on jobs (Phil Baruth Commentary) 12/30/20

“Editor’s note: This commentary is by Sen. Phil Baruth, D/P-Chittenden, an English professor at the University of Vermont. He also represents Chittenden County in the Vermont Senate and currently chairs the Education Committee.”

https://vtdigger.org/2020/12/30/phil-baruth-uvms-sleight-of-hand-on-jobs/?fbclid=IwAR34royrTz1UXOOOqWHR7fRd9PuJ-OSZXZvchgORiwHCfplI7sb4SPAVN7s

Inside Higher Ed: Not-So-Fait Accompli (12/7/20)

U of Vermont says announced cuts to the liberal arts are happening. The faculty says otherwise. The bigger story is one of how universities are seizing on COVID-19 to push through long-desired curricular and staffing reforms.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/12/07/u-vermont-faculty-members-pledge-fight-planned-cuts-liberal-arts?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=a3dd98e9f4-DNU_2020_COPY_02&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-a3dd98e9f4-197677769&mc_cid=a3dd98e9f4&mc_eid=bfab58fed2

Agreement reached on Covid-19 Impact Bargaining- 11/21/20

We are pleased to report that we have reached agreement and secured several successes in our impact bargaining negotiations, a process that we began in July and continued through mediation over the last several months. At our most recent mediation session we arrived at an agreement that achieves a number of gains for our members which would not have been possible without the months of effort by our impact bargaining team. Read the Memorandum of Agreement here.

Below is a summary of several of the gains secured in this Agreement:

●      A pool of $200,000 will be available to compensate 9- and 10-month NTT teaching faculty for off-contract preparation work in summer 2020. We are pleased to make headway in providing additional compensation for many of our lowest paid and most vulnerable faculty members, while recognizing that the amount we won does not match the amount of off-contract work done. 9- and 10-month NTT faculty will soon receive an email survey that will determine the exact distribution of these funds.

●      The agreement incorporates a process for TT faculty to request workload adjustments to offset their off-contract summer 2020 course preparation work.

●      As previously reported, TT faculty will now have their tenure clocks extended automatically (unless faculty requested otherwise). This removed the burden from TT faculty caregivers to not have to formally request an extension during this critical time for their families.

●      For the current academic year (2020-21), faculty may apply to use professional development funds in support of remote work. A new addition to this provision is that PDF may also be used to support the salaries of both student teaching assistants and student research assistants for this year only, upon faculty request.

●      There is now a clear process to request a change in teaching modality. Once a request is made, faculty may expect to have a response within a week. United Academics is available to support faculty through the request process.

●      Quantitative data from course evaluations in three consecutive semesters (spring 2020, fall 2020, and spring 2021) will not be used as the deciding factor in any negative teaching assessment for RPT decisions, and evaluators will receive a formal reminder to consider COVID’s impact on student feedback.

VTDigger: UVM announces second year of tuition freeze, first room-and-board freeze in 30 years

A year ago, President Garimella said, “I want to say clearly that this historic initiative is not built on the backs of our employees." (VTDigger, Nov. 14, 2019) We hope this administration makes the same commitment today.

https://vtdigger.org/2020/10/26/uvm-announces-second-year-of-tuition-freeze-first-room-and-board-freeze-in-30-years/?fbclid=IwAR0TzyealDE8SBVvw_yXNKebB-m7l3CfdQwztowm5RFvqPv_0ILNGuqTbhg

Tuition freeze: 10/26/20

UA’s response to UVM's tuition freeze announcement on 10/26/20:

United Academics wholeheartedly supports keeping tuition costs down. We believe affordability is an equity issue, and a key factor in making a UVM education possible for students and their families.

The question is how UVM plans to fill its budget gap. State appropriations to UVM and the State Colleges have been insufficient for many years, which led us to the problem of high tuition in the first place. A year ago, President Garimella said, “I want to say clearly that this historic initiative is not built on the backs of our employees." (VTDigger, Nov. 14, 2019) We hope this administration makes the same commitment today.

Impasse reached in contract negotiations

We have reached impasse in our contract negotiations. Our union has been fighting for a fair and just contract for nine months, over 19 bargaining sessions, and we are not about to give up.

From the outset, the administration’s proposals have aimed to roll back salaries and benefits for the long-term. For example, the UVM administration proposed to:

•Eliminate all retirement contributions for two years (representing a significant loss in retirement savings for early-career faculty), while top-level administrators continue to receive retirement contributions

•Cut salaries by 5% now, another 5% next year, and then freeze salaries in 2022-23.

•Reduce sabbatical pay, eliminate sabbaticals for Clinical, Extension, and Research faculty, and eliminate professional development leaves altogether

Recognizing the seriousness of the pandemic, United Academics offered to pause negotiations in the spring – rejected. We offered one-year progressive salary cuts – rejected. In the meantime, our campus Children’s Center closed, and every attempt to communicate directly and productively with the upper administration has been met with a wall of silence.

We appreciate the dedication of our bargaining team and UA leaders, and the engagagement, support and solidarity from our community. We ask that you stay involved as we continue this fight.

Seven Days: UVM Reverses Course on Most Cuts to Lecturer Pay, Workloads

For months, United Academics has fought these cuts on multiple fronts: through the grievance process and negotiations. Faculty, students, staff and allies of UVM United Against the Cuts have also fought for months through grassroots organizing, including the May 14 car rally. Following these sustained ongoing efforts, 63 of the 68 have seen their hours restored to full time, with partial restoration for the remaining five faculty

https://www.sevendaysvt.com/OffMessage/archives/2020/09/30/uvm-reverses-course-on-most-cuts-to-lecturer-pay-workloads?fbclid=IwAR3hmrAoH3K0G-pNPWV9wWMmFMqecXSozZL6Cg-q0fReJCI7BoOxwRWplpM

VTDigger: Faculty union settles labor dispute with UVM over Covid planning

The administration has begun impact bargaining with UA and has agreed to the union’s demand for the UA President to join the UVM Strong planning committee and for UA to appoint representatives to each of the 4 working groups on fall planning. As a result of these immediate victories, UA has settled the current unfair labor practice charge.

https://vtdigger.org/2020/07/22/faculty-union-settles-labor-dispute-with-uvm-over-covid-planning/?fbclid=IwAR01_aGskvJDjhmfLssH8e5BAEwnFtt0WCE4LSRD2XWwcOcgw6kXilSXRqM