UC-AFT Insider March 2021

UC-AFT Insider

March 22, 2021
 

• Bargaining Update: February Sessions & March Regents Public Comment Action
• Constitutional Amendment and Statewide Officer Elections
• Agreement Reached on COVID Effects Sideletter
• Lecturer Victory: Remote Work Unfair Practice Complaint Issued by PERB
• UC-AFT Statement on Atlanta Murders, White Supremacy and Misogyny

Bargaining Update: February Sessions & March Regents Public Comment Action
On February 26, we once again increased the number of member participants and allies present in our bargaining session with over 400 members and nearly 300 allies in attendance. The full bargaining update provides details. A notable gain in February is agreement to expand credit toward Continuing appointment for Summer Sessions courses. Our members submitted over 600 statements for public comment for the March 17-18 Regents meeting with an additional 400 statements from allies! Our next tentative bargaining dates are April 6 or 8.

Constitutional Amendment and Statewide Officer Elections

Each local is in the process of voting on a constitutional amendment to merge our locals into a single statewide local under this proposed constitution. In order for the amended constitution to take effect, two-thirds of our UC-AFT Locals need to vote to approve it prior to our next Council meeting on April 17. As the amendment process unfolds, we are also in the process of our annual elections for statewide officers. Per our current constitution, nominations for all current E-board offices are posted on our website.

Agreement Reached on COVID Effects Sideletter

Our Unit 18 COVID-19 bargaining team, including higher ed lecturers from multiple campuses and K-12 instructors from the Preuss School (UC San Diego), Geffen Academy (UCLA), and Lab School (UCLA), has secured an agreement from UC management on COVID-19 issues. A summary of the agreement and the full text is available at ucaft.org.

Lecturer Victory: Remote Work Unfair Practice Complaint Issued by PERB

We have secured a Complaint from the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) regarding UC admin’s refusal to address increased workload or provide instructional support for remote instruction during COVID. The Complaint is an initial determination that there is sufficient evidence for our case to go forward. It means we’ve cleared an important legal threshold as we seek to hold UC admin accountable for what they’ve already agreed to in our contract: compensate UC-AFT faculty for additional work required to move and teach courses online during COVID, and reimburse for reasonably necessary out of pocket instructional resource costs. More detail here.

UC-AFT Statement on Atlanta Murders, White Supremacy and Misogyny
UC-AFT deplores the murders of eight people in the Atlanta area this week. Most of those killed were women of Asian descent. We are sickened, heartbroken, and angry for the victims, survivors, and their loved ones. The attack seems to have been motivated by a deadly mix of misogyny and racism. It is not an isolated event but the latest in a pervasive, sometimes unrecognized history of violence against Asian-Americans. Anti-Asian racism has been condoned and perpetuated recently by public figures with enormous power, and rising numbers of white male supremacist attacks have terrified AAPI communities. We categorically denounce such bigotry and bloodshed and stand united with our members and their communities who are mourning, stunned, and scared today. We extend embraces of love and solidarity to all who are grieving and rededicate ourselves to #StopAsianHate and #StopAAPIHate. This statement can be shared on social media directly from this page at ucaft.org.