Once More Unto the Breach...

It all starts today.  In a half hour, we'll be presenting our proposals.  I'll be your fly on the wall...

1:59 p.m.: About 40 GTFs in here, and a smattering of undergrads, as well.  Nice turnout for this time on a Friday...

2:05 p.m.: And. Here. We. Go. Wait, no, the Admin isn't ready. To sit still and listen.

2:15 p.m.: Sustained stall by Admin finally over. Now we can begin.  They've also already tried to sneak something in to their own proposals.  Our organizer is all over it.  We're leading with working conditions.  Like, say for instance, the water pouring from the HVAC vent above the podium as I taught today.

2:20 p.m.: On to access to kitchen facilities.  Emphasis that we're not asking for a working kitchen, just small fridge, sink, and microwave.  Can't wait for the strawmen the Admin spins from this one.

2:22 p.m.: We're SRO here.

2:24 p.m.: Access to campus wireless up next.  Lots of basement classrooms lack this.  Might also want to mention access to email--which we didn't have for 48 hours this week.

2:26 p.m.: Paid parental leave. No, this is not 1913, it's 2013 and we're actually being forced to ask for paid paternal leave.  Nice move to tie this into Admin's recent benchmark report.  Campus equity, people.

2:30 p.m.: Paid Leave up next.  The faces on the Admin side are the very picture of bemusement.

2:35 p.m.: Last bit of Working Conditions: Nondiscrimination.  We're trying to expand the protected groups to include: "color, familial status, parental status, sex, height, weight, citizenship status, veteran status, HIV antibody status, political belief, and membership in any social or political organization." I'm guessing the Admin will want to pare that list down, claiming it's already covered by existing AA/EEO statutes.  Never you mind that the AA/EEO office here exists solely to insulate the Admin from legal action.

2:37 p.m.: Binding Contracts. We're arguing that members should not be laid off due to enrollment issues.

2:40 p.m. Workload issues.  Members should be provided with a campus-wide, standardized form detailing expected duties and estimated times for each duty, form is signed by member and supervisor and kept on file in the office.

2:45 p.m.: One of the big ones. On-time Pay. No, really. We have to ask for this. And they are appalled that we believe there ought to be penalties for them not paying us on time.  This is especially an issue in the summer, but the first check of Fall term is notoriously late for many units.  In a recent survey of members, 20% reported being paid late. The Admin's usual response is that members apply for a late pay loan (nevermind that assbackwardsness of going into the red with someone that didn't pay, which is forcing you to go into the red)...but the loan is often insufficient and is itself often late.  A less polite person might call this loansharking.

2:50 p.m.: Binding Lengths of Contracts.  Heaven forfend we should ask that the contracts we sign be legally binding.  The very nerve...

2:55 p.m.: Health Care & Dental.  Obligatory:

First up, raising vision coverage from $200 to $400. 57% of members surveyed use the plan; 62% of those members report that the plan is inadequate.  Worth noting the $200 limit was set a decade ago. But as we know, over at the Admin building, inflation only works against us.

DENTAL PLAN! We're looking to add Class III coverage at 70% and raise the annual cap from $1000 to $2000.  30% of members surveyed reported putting off dental procedures because of cost.  Another 11% reported paying out-of-pocket.  Making this change would result in a 0.082% increase in the annual operating budget.  We could have gone for the full 0.1%, but we didn't want to appear greedy.

3:05 p.m.: GTFs in Absentia.  Again, another apparently galling attempt to get paid for the work we do, to be paid at an hourly rate, determined by Level I for each unit, per the unit-specific agreement(s).

3:07 p.m.: Elimination of Fees. No waivers, no reimbursement. The Admin foots the bill. This will be a hard sell, but it is a little odd that a employee would have to give back a portion of their salary to the employer, with the rationale that the employer needs it to run the shop.

3:10 p.m.: Summer Sandwich. We're asking that a summer tuition and fee waiver be granted whenever a member has an appointment with any fall, spring, or summer appointment.  We're also inserting language that prohibits members from being discouraged from registering for summer due to Admin restricting funds to units, then passing cost of summer tuition along to each unit, instead of working in good faith within the confines of the CBA.  Fees were capped at $61. Except in summer, because apparently there is some arbitrary modal distinction between summer fees and term fees.

3:15 p.m.: Raising the Minimum Wage.  Keep in mind just under half of our members make below the minimum wage.  We're asking for a 6.1% over the next two years, which will bring us up to cost of living by 2016.  Admin estimates cost of living here to be $1620.44/month.  Take home pay for member at Level 1 base is $960.00/month.  36% of members surveyed have or are taking out loans. 46% of member surveyed reported borrowing money from friends and family.  This is in site of members being themselves a revenue stream for Admin, due to fees and tuition, in addition to the surplus labor value generated by members teaching 31% of FTE.  Again, this is likely to be painted as evidence of the enduring greed of a group of people who have the temerity to ask for a break-even wage.

3:25 p.m.: Admin will caucus. Questions to possibly follow.

3:42 p.m.: And...caucusing completed! University Bargaining team says: good info, folks. BUT we want more examples! What's up with the kitchen facilities? Details, details, details. But seriously, do they not know where our kitchens are? We do, and we're going to get them the info. They're gonna look for some numbers and then get back with proposal changes.

3:45 p.m.: University Bargaining Team says: We will get you specific proposals for some articles and others...well, not so much. That would be hard. GTFF Team wants to start looking at Winter term scheduling and finding rooms because that's pretty helpful for having a meeting! Unlike the first meeting, which was scheduled by the University in a way that made a lot of the GTFF Table Team unable to show up! Looks like: Friday Dec. 13, Ben Linder, EMU 2-5pm. And...bargaining session finished for today!

Next meeting will be SUPER important, as the University is going to say NO to our proposals, even though they said our data and presentations were great. Show up! Fill out the GTFF survey! Thanks to the GTFF Bargaining Team for doing a great job!!


See you on Friday the 13th!