Non-Tenure Faculty Coalition, University of Illinois
Join us on Reading Day Dec 14 in Illini Union Courtyard Cafe
For our regular end-of-semester demonstration of solidarity in labor for education.
Food and Coffee Provided!
ALSO …..
Bring your school-supply donations to help local grade schools. We will be collecting supplies at the Work-In.
BEST SUPPLIES TO DONATE
FOR URBANA SCHOOLS
By Kay Emmert
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Dear Colleagues,
This week NTFC’s Stewards Council launched the start of a two-week organizing initiative. As we approach the end of the Fall semester, we’re focusing on talking to NTT’s new to our bargaining unit. As a member-run union, we want to be sure that new NTT’s not just know their rights under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) but have a voice in the direction of our local.
This Week in Reflection
We happily welcome Natalye Tate and Casey Sweeney, staff organizers from AFT, as they assist us in contacting new NTT’s in the next 2 weeks. Alongside staff organizers, NTFC members have volunteered their time to go on office visits as well. If you’d like to take your share of this responsibility and talk to some of your new colleagues, let us know by emailing us atntfc6546@gmail.com or calling 217-318-0042. These conversations happen in pairs and with assistance, so all you have to worry about it having a good conversation. Whether you’ve been involved with NTFC events in the past, or this would be your first time, participating in organizing conversations can be a fun and enlightening experience and all members are welcome to volunteer!
Coming Up
Every semester, representatives from NTFC meet with representatives of the Administration to discuss on-going CBA topics and other issues affecting our members. We will be meeting with the Administration in a couple of weeks to follow-up on the following topics: what services are retained for NTT’s who retire, the Admin’s strategy for handling any decision that may come down from the Janus v. AFSCME Supreme Court case, pay-floor compliance, faculty who are misclassified as “visiting,” and whether years an NTT was misclassified as “visiting” should count toward benefits. If any of these subjects are of interest to you, feel free to contact us at ntfc6546@gmail.com or by calling 217-318-0042. It’s especially important to contact us if any bargaining unit member believes they may be below the current pay-floor ($43,000 for 1FTE) or are misclassified as “visiting.”
On the State Level
The Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT), one of our affiliates we pay dues to, has requested input from our local regarding whether to endorse a candidate for the next Illinois Governor election. Specifically, they’d like to know: 1) should the IFT endorse a candidate in the gubernatorial primary at all?; and if so 2) who should the IFT endorse in the gubernatorial primary? While the deadline for such input is December 4, and may limit our options for requesting input, we welcome our members’ thoughts, which should be emailed to us at ntfc6546@gmail.com.
Nationally
On Wednesday of this week, graduate students at over 40 universities staged a walkout to protest the Republican tax plan, called the “Tax Cut and Jobs Act.” This tax plan would include making tuition waivers taxable income, making graduate programs unaffordable by any but the already independently wealthy. If universities chose to take on the extra cost, which isn’t likely, many departments would face shutting down their graduate programs due to a decrease in applicants and increase in cost. Some private colleges and universities would also be hit hard by other changes in the tax plan. It’s clear that this tax plan is a way to provide the largest tax breaks to corporations while reducing options for class mobility.
The tax plan passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 227-205, but still needs to pass in the Senate. There’s still time for lawmakers to make changes to the tax plan or to defeat it completely. To help, you can sign GEO’s petition to the University to exercise its power to defeat the tax plan. In addition, you can write or call senators directly on either side of the isle to ask them to vote against this tax plan. If all democrat senators vote against the tax plan, we would only need to convince 3 republicans to also vote the tax plan down in order for it to be defeated in the senate. This tax plan would hurt workers and universities alike, so let’s unite to protect the future of education together.
Closing
As we go into the last weeks of the semester, as we invest ourselves in our students, research, and departments, let’s remember to invest just a little of our time in protecting our rights as workers and a vision of a University that puts education first.
In Solidarity,
Kay Emmert, President
NTFC Local #6546
By Kay Emmert
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Dear Colleagues,
Fall 2017 has been a busy semester for NTFC! While we always have high turn-over in the Fall, this year our bargaining unit increased to over 500 people, making this the largest number of people NTFC has ever represented. We also hired our first staff person, a Part-Time Office Manager named Leslie Thomas. She’s taken so much of the work off the hands of NTTs who volunteer their time, that it has left us freer to focus on the things that strengthen a union the most: organizing and community building. Our Stewards Council has been working diligently to make sure we reach out to all those new people, inform them of their rights, and see how we can make sure NTFC represents everyone’s interests better. So even though this isn’t a bargaining year, we’ve had lots to do with talking to new NTTs, and with strengthening our presence on campus and in the community.
This Semester So Far
Besides increasing conversations around campus about what it means to be a member of NTFC, we’ve also been focusing on how we as a union can be more relevant to our campus and community. It’s important that we create strong ties within our unit, but also with our friends and family. That’s why this semester we launched our first ever Halloween Party and Trick-or-Treat event. The event included NTT and GEO members handing out candy at their offices during the trick-or-treat event, exposing kids to campus life but also getting our name out there in a positive way. We also had a smashing chili cook-off, costume prizes, pumpkin painting, and great mingling in a family-friendly atmosphere. The event was a great success, people came together not only from our membership and GEO’s, but from our colleagues and the community as well. It’s events like these that help show the community who we are, and create stronger ties for the day when we may need the community’s support.
Up Next
We’re hoping to get some temporary organizers from our affiliate, the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) for a 1-week organizing event in which we try to reach as many people as possible. We’ll need faculty volunteers to work with each staff person, so we’ll be looking for NTFC members interested in talking to new colleagues.
Soon, we will also be planning our semesterly Work-In for Reading Day. Traditionally, this has been a time for NTFC members and friends to come together, have some coffee and snacks, and make the labor we provide visible to the campus. It’s a great way to increase awareness of who NTTs are and what we do, but also to get some much needed work done! We’ll be planning this event very soon, so suggestions are welcome and helpful now.
Ally News
As you are likely aware, our ally union—the Graduate Employee Organization (GEO)—is currently in negotiations for their collective bargaining agreement. Again, tuition waivers are at risk. The administration doesn’t want to guarantee tuition waivers for TAs so that these academic workers can afford to pursue their education while providing necessary labor to our University. In addition, GEO is fighting for family care assistance. The GEO has pursued mediation with no compromises or movement from the administration. GEO has already conducted a Strike Authorization Vote, which passed with over-whelming support. That means we could be seeing yet another strike on our campus in the coming months. NTFC supports GEO in their efforts to secure a fair collective bargaining agreement. In addition, if a strike does happen, NTFC will have materials ready helping members understand their restrictions, rights, choices, and options.
National News
Some of you have already been following the Supreme Court Case, Janus v. AFSCME. The Supreme Court has chosen to hear a case on the constitutionality of Fair Share, which could have drastic effects for all unions nationally. NTFC, as well as all of our affiliates, have been working to reduce any negative impact should the Supreme Court rule in favor of Janus. New membership cards have been created to help make sure locals can budget responsibly, and we’ve been talking to members as well as the University administration to see how we might all respond swiftly. In addition, our local is currently working on guiding documents about this case and what it could mean for our union so that our members are better informed.
Closing
At this time, all around us there seems to be threats to worker rights, but this year NTFC wants to focus on being a positive force. If members have ideas for how we can leave a positive impact on our campus or community, let us know! Anyone can stop by our office in the McKinley Foundation. Office hours are staffed by our Office Manager, Leslie Thomas, who can help with questions or at least forward a message to the right person to do so. Have thoughts? Send us a message on Facebook, or just shoot us an email at ntfc6546@gmail.com. We’d love to hear from you.
In Solidarity,
Kay Emmert, President
NTFC Local #6546
NTFC and GEO hosted an on campus trick-or-treat and Halloween party for the Champaign/Urbana community on Oct. 30th. NTFC and GEO members volunteered to distribute candy from their offices and help with the party. We had over 70 people in attendance, including individuals and families from the union and the community. The party consisted of a chili-cook off, costume contest, photo booth, and pumpkin painting and was held in the English Building Atrium.
Check out these photos from the Halloween Party, Oct 30, 2017!
GUIDELINES FOR NTFC MEMBERS IN THE EVENT OF A GEO STRIKE.
Colleagues –
The Graduate Employee Organization (GEO) is currently holding a strike authorization vote. If the vote passes, GEO could then call for a strike at any time.
NTFC stands in full support of GEO’s actions in its efforts to secure a fair contract.
However, members of the NTFC bargaining unit must comply with the no-strike clause of our own contract.
What you cannot do:
NTFC does not condone or support any sort of sympathy strike or work stoppage by our bargaining unit members.
Any such action would violate the terms of our contract, which states, in part, that the union shall “disavow in writing the strike or work stoppage” [of NTFC bargaining unit members] “and advise in writing that” [NTFC] “faculty engaged in such activity immediately return to work and cease the violation. Any or all bargaining unit members who violate the provisions of this Article may be subject to disciplinary action, including dismissal under the Discipline and Dismissal Article of this Agreement.” (ARTICLE XVII UNAUTHORIZED WORK STOPPAGE in our Collective Bargaining Agreement.)
What you can do:
If GEO does go on strike, we urge our members, and all sympathetic parties, to show their support.
If you have additional questions, Contact Us.
We are consulting with IFT-AFT for guidance on other questions related a possible GEO strike. We will update this page with new information.
