Faculty Union Bargaining

April 17 & 18 Session

What happened: Representatives of the Oregon Tech chapter of the American Association of University Professors (OT-AAUP) and Oregon Tech met on Thursday, April 17 and Friday, April 18. They exchanged proposals on 12 topics and reached tentative agreements on two of those, bringing the total tentative agreements to five.

Tentative agreements:

• Medical Imaging Technology (MIT) salaries: The parties agreed to increase the base salary of MIT Associate Professors to $74,000 annually and then apply a one-time base salary adjustment in the following amounts to MIT bargaining unit members:

These increases became effective April 1.

• Non-Discrimination: The parties updated the language to adhere to federal and state law.

The University proposed changes on these other issues:

• Academic Freedom: The University agreed to OT-AAUP’s language on protecting academic freedom in a changing political and technological landscape. The University countered OT-AAUP’s proposed changes by rejecting deletion of the prohibition on injecting matter into teaching and assessment that has no relation to the course. The University also rejected OT-AAUP’s language that would leave decisions about appealed grade changes to the faculty member.
   
• Management Rights: Following OT-AAUP’s proposal (noted below) that sought to restrict certain management rights already in the contract, the University proposed a package that sought to retain the current contract language in the Management Rights article in exchange for agreeing to OT-AAUP’s proposal in the Totality of the Agreement article (see below).
   
• Association Dues: The University countered OT-AAUP’s language related to cancellation of dues when a bargaining unit member leaves the bargaining unit to become a Chair. The University proposed expanding the language to include any member who leaves the bargaining unit for another position within the University, not limited to Chair.
   
• Sabbaticals: The University rejected OT-AAUP’s language that applied sabbaticals to non-tenure track bargaining unit members. The University agreed to OT-AAUP’s language seeking to modify the application process and to permit those on sabbatical leave to supplement their income.
   
• Grievances: The University countered OT-AAUP’s proposed language by agreeing that the matter being grieved does not need to have a direct adverse effect on the grievant. But it rejected language that allowed procedure and sufficiency of evidence to be grieved when the issue involves academic judgment. The University also agreed to OT-AAUP’s language related to a grievant’s right of self-representation at pre-arbitration steps of the process.
   
• Arbitration: The University countered OT-AAUP’s proposal by agreeing to an adjusted timeline for filing for arbitration, as well as which party strikes the first arbitrator on a panel. The University rejected OT-AAUP’s language on the location of a hearing and the arbitration of process around a matter of academic judgment. The University rejected OT-AAUP’s deletion of the opportunity to file a motion to dismiss ahead of the hearing and certain authorities of the arbitrator.
   
• Totality of Agreement: In a package proposal, the University said it would agree to OT-AAUP’s language, provided that OT-AAUP agreed to keep the current contract language in the Management Rights article.

OT-AAUP proposed updates to the following articles of the contract:

• Academic Freedom: OT-AAUP proposed to delete language that prohibited injection of issues or content not related to the course being taught. It also sought to add language to require consultation with the bargaining unit member if a student’s grade is going to be changed.
   
• Management Rights: OT-AAUP wants to restrict certain rights of management, such as determining conditions of employment, office space, and equipment to be used by bargaining unit members. OT-AAUP also rejected the University’s language that sought to have OT-AAUP unmistakably waive its right to bargain over those issues identified in the Management Rights article.
   
• Association Dues: OT-AAUP proposed language that related to cancellation of dues when a bargaining unit member leaves the bargaining unit to become a Chair.
   
• Notices of Appointment: OT-AAUP proposed allowing non-tenure track bargaining unit members to receive a two-year rolling notice of appointment, with the first year serving as a probationary period and the second as a corrective period. If the bargaining unit member corrects the concerns, then a new two-year rolling notice of appointment would be issued.
   
• Working Conditions: OT-AAUP wants to allow bargaining unit members to raise safety and security issues related to their assigned workspace.
   
• No Strike/No Lockout: OT-AAUP proposed language saying if a bargaining unit member is unable to perform their duties because equipment or facilities are unavailable during a strike, that bargaining unit member is not deemed to be on strike.
   
• Totality of Agreement: OT-AAUP proposed to allow negotiations during the term of the contract over issues that may not have been covered by the parties during their negotiations.
   
• Evaluation, Promotion, and Tenure: OT-AAUP wants to incorporate into the contract the policies and procedures related to evaluation, promotion, and tenure, and to preserve its right to make additions or deletions to those policies. OT-AAUP also proposed that it have a voting representative on President’s Council when changes are being considered on the policies and procedures related to evaluation, promotion, and tenure.

May 1 & 2:

What happened: Representatives of the Oregon Tech chapter of the American Association of University Professors (OT-AAUP) and Oregon Tech met on Thursday, May 1 and Friday, May 2. They exchanged proposals on six topics and reached tentative agreements on one, bringing the total tentative agreements to six.

Tentative agreement:

• Association Dues: OT-AAUP accepted the University’s proposal related to cancellation of dues when a member leaves the bargaining unit for another position in the University.

The University proposed changes on these other issues:

• Academic Freedom: The University held firm on its position that a bargaining unit member cannot inject material into a course that is not related to the course content. University representatives also rejected OT-AAUP’s proposed language that a bargaining unit member be consulted when a grade is being changed by someone other than the member. Instead, the University proposed that the bargaining unit member be informed of the change.
   
• Notices of Appointment: The University agreed to OT-AAUP’s concept of a rolling two-year notice of appointment for non-tenure track bargaining unit members, with the first year being a probationary year and the second serving as a corrective period. But the University wants to require that the bargaining unit member meet expectations in all categories of their annual performance evaluation and not have any disciplinary actions against them.
   
• Working Conditions: The University countered OT-AAUP’s proposal by moving certain language into the existing Section 2 of the article.
   
• Outside Activities: The University agreed with OT-AAUP’s request to move from a pre--approval to a notification process that is then reviewed to ensure all outside activities comply with all the University’s policies and ethics laws. The University also streamlined the process for that review.
   
• No Strike/No Lockout: The University countered OT-AAUP’s language by requiring a bargaining unit member to notify Human Resources if they intend to strike, so that the member does not lose access to work related systems and facilities.

OT-AAUP proposed updates to the following articles of the contract:

• Workload: OT-AAUP proposed significant changes to this article by seeking to: incorporate most of the Provost Workload Guidelines, decrease class minimums, streamline some administrative processes, delete the requirement to consider student needs in arranging and posting office hours, revamp the reallocation model, have an alternative student advising model, and rename non-tenure track rank.
   
• Academic Freedom: OT-AAUP proposed allowing bargaining unit members to meet about grade changes before they are made and to appeal them through the Student Conduct Review Commission.

What’s next: The parties are set to continue negotiations from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 15 and from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, May 16 at the main campus in Klamath Falls. 

OIT Expenses

• Salary and Benifits 73.2%
• Service and Supplies 22.9%
• Other 3.0%