The University and the Union met twice this month on Dec. 3 and 10 for continued negotiations. During these sessions, the parties focused on reaching agreement on substantive issues necessary to reach a final agreement. The University remains committed to negotiating in good faith to reach an agreement with FAM that recognizes the dedication of our faculty members while also balancing the University’s obligation to advance its educational mission, support its students, and ensure the equitable application of policies, procedures and practices for all University employees, which includes both faculty members and staff.

Directly prior to the Dec. 3 virtual bargaining session, the Union’s bargaining team sent the University a package counter proposal on Faculty Evaluations and Performance Improvement Plans.

At that session, the Union also presented counter proposals on Benefits and Leaves. The University responded to the Union’s counter proposals on Performance Improvement Plans and presented its own package counter proposal on Management Rights and Association Rights. The University package counter proposal is contingent on the Union withdrawing its Shared Governance proposal. The University also presented counter proposals on Financial Exigency and Academic Reorganization and Compensation.

On Dec. 10, the parties met in person at the Staff Development Center in Oxford. The Union presented a counter proposal on Compensation. Prior to presenting its own proposals, the University asked clarifying questions to the Union about a number of the Union’s proposals. The University’s questions were aimed at obtaining information about mechanisms that might, in the Union's opinion, bring the parties closer to reaching agreement on those proposals. The University also discussed with the Union its need for flexibility to respond to changing student interest and demands, the need to address sick leave accumulation, as well as the University’s goal to ensure that Associate faculty are in the best position to be promoted to Full faculty members.  

Following this dialogue, the University presented two package counter proposals to the Union.  The first package proposal included counter proposals on Management Rights, Association Rights, Intellectual Property, with the Union’s continued withdrawal of Shared Governance. The University and the Union are aligned on most of the language in the Management Rights and Association Rights proposals. The outstanding issue on the Association Rights proposal involves the service credit that bargaining unit faculty members may receive for FAM-related activities. 

The University's second package proposal included counter proposals on Leaves, Faculty Evaluations, Performance Improvement Plans and Compensation. The University held to the language presented in its prior Faculty Evaluations proposal. However, based on the parties’ discussion during the initial session regarding this proposal, where the University conveyed to the Union that periodic career review is intended to provide support and guidance to Associate faculty on their path of promotion to Full faculty, the University shared it was open to reviewing alternative language from the Union. The Union indicated that it was open to this suggestion.  The University also accepted the Union’s proposed language on Performance Improvement Plans. Finally, the University expressed to the Union its opinion that the parties would be in a better position to have more fruitful conversations regarding compensation if the Union revised its Compensation proposal to more closely align with the streamlined structure of the University’s Compensation proposal. The Union again appeared agreeable to the University’s suggestion.

The University remains committed to negotiating in good faith and is hopeful that the parties’ continued dialogue will bring the parties closer to reaching an initial agreement.

The parties are scheduled to meet again on Jan. 3 and 14.