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Notes on Labor/Management Meetings
March 14, 2005
Present: UUP: Jim Dix, Fran Goldman, Barb Hillery (visitor), Denis Selzner, Darryl Wood; Management: Kim Avery, Sheila Doyle, Tom Gaube (student intern), Ann Glossl, Joe Schultz (president’s designee)
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Leave for prostate cancer screening. All state employees may now use up to four hours per year, including travel time, for prostate cancer screenings.
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Overall framework and protocol for Labor/Management meetings. Management requested a clarification on the framework and protocol for L/M meetings. UUP pointed out the vagueness in the contract language regarding deadlines for agenda items for L/M meetings and reiterated the current practice over the past nine months: UUP and management exchange agenda items two weeks before the meeting, followed by various exchanges to clarify the items before the meeting. UUP also noted that both sides have requested ‘off the record’ discussions that remain off the record. UUP feels that this arrangement has worked well.
UUP stated that it is a member driven organization whose members raise issues with us that UUP, in turn, raise in Labor/Management meetings. UUP has an obligation to report back to its members about the resolution of those items. To do so, UUP will distribute notes about L/M meetings to its members, and send a copy to management as a courtesy to give management an opportunity to correct facts and also to keep communication channels open. Management stated that its official position is that there would be no review or comment on the L/M notes given to it by UUP.
UUP requested a discussion at another time about the mechanism by which information about non-resolved issues is disseminated. Management requested that information giving context to agenda items be given with the agenda items.
UUP asked for information about the mechanism by which UUP concerns are brought to the President; how many times the president’s designee has met with the president; and in what context these meetings have taken place. Management stated that contractual issues stayed within Human Resources, and that other issues are raised with the appropriate University officials.
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Compliance rates on Performance Programs and Performance Evaluations. UUP requested information about the compliance rate on performance programs and performance evaluations. Management stated that monthly updates on these items was not possible, but perhaps quarterly updates were possible. Management stated that they expected the compliance rate for evaluations would not be available before January, 2006..
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Fair Labor Standards Act eligibility information. UUP requested an update on Management’s implementation of the new FLSA guidelines. Management stated that there would be a “fair number” of employees that would be changed from exempt to non-exempt, but that there was no one at Binghamton that would be changed from non-exempt to exempt. Employees whose status have been changed have not yet been notified. Management agreed to provide UUP a list of those who are FLSA non-exempt, i.e., eligible for overtime.
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2002 Comp time memo. UUP thanked Management for providing a copy of the university’s 2002 memo explaining various types of compensatory time. UUP stated that a clarification of the comp time policy for part-time employees would be forthcoming from statewide talks.
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Safety issues: snow and ice removal, crosswalks, and general concerns. UUP once again requested clarification about procedures UUP members should follow in reporting incidents that involve safety; whether logs are kept of the reports; and procedures management uses to follow up on the incidents. Management replied that reporting procedures depended on the scenario and the context of the incident. The standard operating procedure is to bring dangerous situations to the attention of physical facilities. Management suggested calling the physical facilities customer service line [7-2226 (7 am–3:30 pm) or 7-2341 (other times)]. For incidents that members feel should be reported to the University Police, management suggested calling the police dispatcher [7-2393]. Management was not clear on whether the various agencies keep logs of reported incidents. Management did not have information about follow up procedures that offices on campus use to determine whether safety issues, once reported, have been taken care of. Management suggested that UUP members themselves follow up on the incidents.
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Parking lot census. Management distributed the results of its survey of available parking spots on campus.
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Academics role in classroom. In light of a recent letter sent to a group of faculty by a dean, UUP requested clarification of the university policies regarding faculty’s prerogative in assigning grades. Management reiterated the university’s commitment to academic freedom as defined by article 9 of the UUP-NYS contract, that the faculty has the prerogative in assigning grades and that grades could be changed after appropriate appeal mechanisms were followed. Management would not comment directly on the letter because it involved a particular school.
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Starting salaries for part-time academics. UUP requested additional information about salary ranges for part-time academics: which departments in Harpur College pay higher than the range provided; whether the low range in Harpur College represented a true minimum and the prevalence of the lower ranges; whether other schools pay less than the range originally provided; and whether salary ranges hold for summer school. Management responded that the ranges provided are accurate. Summer school salary range for regular full-time faculty $3000-$5000, but depended on enrollment; the range is typically below that when taught by adjuncts. Management will report back to UUP on the range of part-time salaries. Management also reported that many of those who teach over the summer are graduate students and are hired as Casual instructors.
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Retention study proposal. UUP requested an update on its proposal to study issues regarding retention of academic and professional employees. Management replied that the university will do such a study; there are no specific details about the study; the university will not do the study with UUP; and no decision has been made yet about whether the results of the study will be made public.
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Policies and procedures booklet for part-time UUP employees. UUP proposed to develop jointly with management a booklet that collects the university’s policies and procedures that pertain specifically to part-time UUP employees. Management replied that the information is already in the contract or available online, and that the need for such a booklet was not clear. UUP responded that part-time employees do not have the support structure that full-time employees have, and that the booklet would provide some support. Management said they would consider developing such a book if UUP were to provide an outline of the booklet’s content.
- Analysis of UUP academic members’ activity. UUP proposed a joint Labor/Management committee to develop metrics to measure UUP academic members’ activities as described in the Board of Trustee’s Policies, Article XI, Title H, Section 2 (teaching, research, service, and other duties), and to use these metrics to document academic’s activities over at least the past 10 years. Management requested more information about what the committee would do.
Archived LM notes:
Feb, 2007 | Jan, 2007 | Dec, 2006
Nov, 2006 | Oct, 2006 | Sep, 2006
Jun, 2006 | May, 2006 | Apr, 2006
Mar, 2006 | Feb, 2006 | Nov, 2005
Oct, 2005 | Oct, 2005 | Sep, 2005
Apr, 2005 | Mar, 2005 | Feb, 2005
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