PSU: solidarity at faculty Senate

Hope everyone is doing well. I am certain we are all looking forward to the winter break. It does mean preparation for winter quarter, tying up loose ends, etc., yet let us all get some rest, enjoy some good food, and enjoy the company of friends and family.

On Monday, November 30, PSU-AAUP packed the Senate to hear a joint bargaining update from our union and from administration. Many Senators wore their red shirts as did the 100 or so members who attended this action. Signs, applause, and good news filled the room. Shelly Chabon, Vice Provost for Academic Personnel and Leadership Development in the Office of Academic Affairs, and I shared the accomplishments of Interest Based Bargaining and I gave more detail on the continuous appointments for non-tenure track faculty and the addition of summer salary to our contract. PSU-AAUP realizes that there are difficult times ahead as we get to economics.

In bargaining right now, we are discussing Academic Professionals and how we can reward them for years of service in order to offset compression and inversion. PSU (and all employers) will have to grapple with a new federal labor law that will require a very close look at those employees who will be salaried and those employees who will be eligible for over time. The rules and regulations about this will drive a big change in 2016 and it is difficult to figure out what impact these changes will have in the future, what these rule changes could mean for APs, and how we can work right now to have a positive impact for APs in our contract.

We have many dates scheduled for bargaining this month (the last on December 18) and dates in January and February. Our contract has been extended until February 29, 2016. We hope to be  done by then but this is not certain. We are looking forward to having Howard Bunsis speak to our membership in January and he has also been invited to present at a bargaining session as well. Good times!