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UFF Biweekly SPECIAL
(to UFF USF members)
United Faculty of Florida -- USF System Chapter
22 January 2020
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CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

It's election time for the UFF USF Chapter, and time to ask UFF USF members to consider running for office or representative seats. All dues paying UFF USF members, and only dues paying UFF USF members, may run and vote in this election. The deadline for nominations is Friday, February 28.

Any UFF USF member may run for any one of these offices:

  • The President oversees the operations of the chapter.
  • The Vice President assists the President.
  • The Secretary maintains documents and records.
  • The Treasurer handles finances.
These four elected officers, and the Chief Negotiator and the Grievance Chair (both appointed by the President), make up the Executive Council. In addition, the USF Chapter of UFF sends representatives to two union bodies:
  • The UFF Senate is the primary policy-making body of the statewide United Faculty of Florida, which is the strongest voice for higher education in Florida. It meets twice annually, during a weekend, and the USF Chapter of UFF is represented by senators elected by UFF USF members in this election. During the upcoming 2020 - 2021 term, the Senate meets on September 12 & 13 in Jacksonville, and in the following spring at a date and location TBD.
  • The FEA Delegate Assembly is the primary policy-making body of the Florida Education Association, which represents K-20 teachers and professionals and is the strongest voice for education in Florida. It meets annually, in mid-fall, for Thursday evening, Friday, and early Saturday in Tampa or Orlando, and UFF USF is represented by delegates elected by UFF USF members in this election. This fall it meets October 8 - 10 in Orlando.
UFF USF members may run for either senator or delegate or both; UFF USF members running for an office may also run for one or both representative positions.

If you are interested or wish to nominate another member, please start the process by downloading, filling, and sending the nomination form to the Chapter Secretary. All nominations must be received (in our hands) by Friday, February 28.

Ballots will be sent out on the week of March 1, and must be received (in our hands) by Friday, March 27. They will be counted at a special meeting on Monday, March 30, time and place TBD, to which all UFF members will be invited.

Call for Volunteers

The primary legal duties of a union are to bargain and enforce contracts. Bargaining seasons come and go (we are heading into one now), but contract enforcement is a year-round activity. Most contract enforcement consists of resolving contract violations. If an administrator violates the contractual rights and privileges of an employee in the UFF USF Bargaining Unit, that employee has the right to file a grievance asking that the situation be rectified. If that employee is a member of the union, that employee has the right to union representation.

A UFF member whose contractual rights or privileges have been violated may contact the Grievance Committee, and the Committee will help that employee. That may include filing a grievance, i.e. a formal complaint that the contract has been violated. (A grievance must be filed within thirty days of the time that the employee knew or should have known of the violation.) UFF has been able to help many members whose contractual rights and privileges had been violated.

One side effect of consolidation is a rising tide of grievances, so we will be seeking volunteers willing to help colleagues in trouble. UFF will provide grievance training to volunteers, and help volunteers learn the ropes. This is a significant way to help colleagues and - as contract violations are not good for the community - the community as a whole.

In addition, UFF has appointed a Search Committee to search for a new chair of the Grievance Committee. The Grievance Chair will oversee the operation of the Committee (and conduct a few grievances in person) as well as work with the USF Administration on scheduling grievances and related issues as they come up. The Grievance Chair will also liaise with the Bargaining Committee (as some grievances involve contractual issues) and make regular reports to the Chapter.

Anyone interested in working on the Grievance Committee, or serving as Chair, please contact the Chapter Secretary. And thank you for your support.

The UFF USF Chapter will be conducting a search for a new chair of the Grievance Committee. The new chair will oversee the committee and conduct grievances

LOGISTICS

Chapter Meeting Friday, January 31, at noon at USF Tampa, in SOC 128. There will be free lunch. Come and check us out.

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 UFF USF members.

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