ANNOUNCEMENTS

JOIN UFF TODAY!

Download, fill in, and mail the membership form. You must be a UFF member at the time of an incident (such as a reprimand, non-reappointment, layoff notice, or tenure/ promotion denial) for UFF to represent you in a grievance or future litigation. UFF CANNOT REPRESENT A NON-MEMBER IN A GRIEVANCE OR FUTURE LITIGATION. And if you join UFF by December 9, you will receive a $ 300 dues rebate in spring; it's never been easier to join the movement.

WELCOME BACK RECEPTION TOMORROW!

UFF's Welcome Back & Welcome to the USF System Reception for new (and continuing) faculty and professionals is tomorrow, Tuesday, October 4, 5:30 – 7:30 at the Embassy Suites Hotel (at the corner of Fowler Ave. and Spectrum Dr. on USF-Tampa; just west of the main entrance – building ESH in the bottom of the map, towards the left) in Salon F. All UFF USF System employees, UFF members and non-members alike, are invited for hors d'oeuvres and libations. ALL UFF MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO COME, AND BRING A COLLEAGUE.

A WORD FROM GAINESVILLE

We have just received a missive from our union colleagues at the University of Florida:

This is to update you on what is likely to be a very tumultuous legislative session for higher education in the state of Florida. UFF-UF has been informed that the following issues will make a comeback in the 2012 legislative session, set to begin in January:

• more changes to our retirement benefits, including increased mandatory employee contributions to our pension plans
• changes to our health benefits
• the end of tenure and long-term contracts at the state colleges and universities
• corporate-modeled higher education reforms of the kind Rick Perry instituted in Texas, which would yoke compensation to testing and other quantitative forms of student "assessment"
• reintroduction of legislation to decertify unions that fall under 50% membership
• reintroduction of legislation to end payroll deductions for union dues

The most effective way to do something about this is to join the organization leading the opposition. The Florida Education Assocation and the United Faculty of Florida need you! Please Download, fill in, and mail the membership form today.

LOGISTICS

Next Chapter Meeting Friday, October 7, at noon, in EDU 313, on USF -Tampa.

• Click here for the standing agenda
• Click here for the minutes of the previous meeting.

Membership: Everyone in the UFF USF System Bargaining unit is eligible for UFF membership: to join, simply fill out and send in the membership form.

NOTE: The USF-UFF Chapter website is http://www.uff.ourusf.org, and our e-mail address is uff@ourusf.org.

About this broadcast: This Newsletter was broadcast from uff.ourusf.org, hosted at ICDsoft.com, and is intended for all members of the UFF USF Bargaining unit (USF faculty and professionals at most departments). A (usually identical) version will be broadcast to USF-News and USF-Talk from mccolm@usf.edu.

If you do not want to receive the UFF Biweekly, you can unsubscribe below. If you do not receive the Biweekly, but want to, e-mail a message to mccolm@usf.edu.

The UFF also sends out a biannual hardcopy newsletter, Uncommon Sense, to the entire unit. Past issues of Uncommon Sense are posted on-line. Articles from past issues of the Biweekly are also posted on-line.