Shawnette Johnson, Bargaining Team member
The waiting game continues…we spent much of our meeting, once again, asking for updates on the information we requested well over a month ago, and, once again, the administration could not provide it. We also continue to wait for counterproposals from management.
Article 61 – Self-Initiated In-Grade Salary Adjustment Pilot Program: If you are eligible for a self-initiated in-grade salary adjustment, submit it before June 30! Management stated that they are not willing to extend the pilot program, citing the same tired excuses of underutilization and “administrative burden.” They expect us to rely on our supervisors to determine if we are worth getting paid what we deserve.
Article 19 – Just Cause/Discipline: In management’s counter, they stated that they agree with the concept of progressive discipline, although we have different ideas of how it should be implemented. They do not view a verbal warning as a disciplinary step and do not see the idea of training or coaching as an important part of discipline. They would prefer to leave discipline to the discretion of the managers. Our proposal sets fair standards. A debate erupted over how and when members face discipline. Management refused to standardize “Just Cause” definitions, favoring case-by-case judgment.
Article 51 – University Closings: Our proposal advocates for University closure instead of pivoting to remote work during emergencies. Management claimed that this is a wider issue that requires a broader discussion with higher university executives.
Article 58 – Accessible Parking & Accommodations: Management has not provided the data we requested on this article. We cannot convey members’ needs until we get data that we demand.
Article 47 – Union-Employer Information Exchange: Our union revealed that management does not know how their systems work and interact with each other. The data we receive is sometimes inaccurate and incomplete which limits our ability to advocate for our members.
