We, the undersigned Professional Staff Union members, call upon the University of Massachusetts’ President’s office and the administrations of the Boston and Amherst campuses to quickly move to settle a fair contract with our bargaining unit.
The University has signed agreements with other unions on both campuses, yet continues to insist on additional concessions from the professional staff: cost of living increases lower than other state employees will receive in order to fund more “merit,” a new power for supervisors to order professional staff members to have their fitness for work evaluated by university-paid doctors, and the elimination of internal candidate pools (the one small advantage we have in job searches) at UMass Amherst.
By signing this petition, we support the Professional Staff Union bargaining team in holding firm against these concessions and pledge that we will not vote to ratify a contract that:
· Offers professional staff employees a lower cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) than the 9% over 3 years that Governor Patrick approved for other state workers and that the university offered to other non-faculty unions on the Amherst and Boston campuses; and
· Contains “fitness-for-work” language giving the administration the right, whenever it wants to question a professional staff member’s physical or psychological “fitness for work,” to order them to see a health care provider employed by the university; and
· Eliminates internal hiring pools at UMass Amherst.
Further, we call upon the University administration to pay all salary increases negotiated with campus unions without imposing increases in student costs.
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
April 16, 2015
April 15, 2015
Seeing the weight of this momentum makes the long nights at the table feel a little less isolating. We are still fighting the same battles but now we have the undeniable proof that a university cannot function without our labor.
Reached 100 supporters
April 15, 2015
April 14, 2015
The bargaining process has been draining and the administration remains stubborn despite our clear expectations. We need to reach the 250 signature mark to show them the full strength of our unity before we meet again. Please send the link to one colleague who has not signed yet.
April 13, 2015
The administration keeps testing our resolve but we are nearing one hundred signatures. Please send this to your colleagues so we can show them that we are not backing down.
92 Comments
I think its important to push back against any attempt to balance the state budget by reducing compensation and benefits to public employees. Our costs go up every year, particularly health care. We work as hard as anybody. The state should raise the income tax to pay for the level of services we provide.
There is very little research or evidence that merit pay schemes will make our institution a better or more effective one. There is plenty of evidence that suggests a slow decline of pay rates due to inadequate COLA will do damage to UMass.
FItness-for-work would have to be applied to all levels of University staff and the administration, and be administered by a non-invested, objective third-party organization to ever be considered close to fair.
For an institution that sponsored a symposium and workshops on preventing workplace bullying, either the hypocrisy of their bargaining tactics are lost on them or their anti-bullying efforts are just a facade. No concessions!
Since presidenet Caret made sure to negotiate himself a very large raise before he leaves for Maryland, we should make sure we also get at least enough to cope with the considerable increases in the cost of living.
Stay strong!
Stay strong!
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We, the undersigned Professional Staff Union members, call upon the University of Massachusetts’ President’s office and the administrations of the Boston and Amherst campuses to quickly move to settle a fair contract with our bargaining unit.
The University has signed agreements with other unions on both campuses, yet continues to insist on additional concessions from the professional staff: cost of living increases lower than other state employees will receive in order to fund more “merit,” a new power for supervisors to order professional staff members to have their fitness for work evaluated by university-paid doctors, and the elimination of internal candidate pools (the one small advantage we have in job searches) at UMass Amherst.
By signing this petition, we support the Professional Staff Union bargaining team in holding firm against these concessions and pledge that we will not vote to ratify a contract that:
· Offers professional staff employees a lower cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) than the 9% over 3 years that Governor Patrick approved for other state workers and that the university offered to other non-faculty unions on the Amherst and Boston campuses; and
· Contains “fitness-for-work” language giving the administration the right, whenever it wants to question a professional staff member’s physical or psychological “fitness for work,” to order them to see a health care provider employed by the university; and
· Eliminates internal hiring pools at UMass Amherst.
Further, we call upon the University administration to pay all salary increases negotiated with campus unions without imposing increases in student costs.
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
April 16, 2015
April 15, 2015
Seeing the weight of this momentum makes the long nights at the table feel a little less isolating. We are still fighting the same battles but now we have the undeniable proof that a university cannot function without our labor.
Reached 100 supporters
April 15, 2015
April 14, 2015
The bargaining process has been draining and the administration remains stubborn despite our clear expectations. We need to reach the 250 signature mark to show them the full strength of our unity before we meet again. Please send the link to one colleague who has not signed yet.
April 13, 2015
The administration keeps testing our resolve but we are nearing one hundred signatures. Please send this to your colleagues so we can show them that we are not backing down.
92 Comments
It is unfair, unproductive and demeaning to force professional staff at a world class university to have to bargain and beg for the payment of wages that have been previously agreed upon by contract.
I think its important to push back against any attempt to balance the state budget by reducing compensation and benefits to public employees. Our costs go up every year, particularly health care. We work as hard as anybody. The state should raise the income tax to pay for the level of services we provide.
There is very little research or evidence that merit pay schemes will make our institution a better or more effective one. There is plenty of evidence that suggests a slow decline of pay rates due to inadequate COLA will do damage to UMass.
FItness-for-work would have to be applied to all levels of University staff and the administration, and be administered by a non-invested, objective third-party organization to ever be considered close to fair.
For an institution that sponsored a symposium and workshops on preventing workplace bullying, either the hypocrisy of their bargaining tactics are lost on them or their anti-bullying efforts are just a facade. No concessions!
Since presidenet Caret made sure to negotiate himself a very large raise before he leaves for Maryland, we should make sure we also get at least enough to cope with the considerable increases in the cost of living.
Stay strong!
Stay strong!
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It is unfair, unproductive and demeaning to force professional staff at a world class university to have to bargain and beg for the payment of wages that have been previously agreed upon by contract.