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UFF Biweekly EXTRA
United Faculty of Florida -- USF System Chapter
20 December 2012
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ANNOUNCEMENTS

JOIN UFF TODAY!

Download, fill in, and mail the membership form. Benefits of membership include the right to run and vote in UFF chapter and statewide elections; representation in grievances (UFF cannot represent a non-member in a grievance or litigation); special deals in insurance, travel, legal advice, and other packages provided by our affiliates; free insurance coverage for job-related liability; and the knowledge you are supporting education in Florida. AND YOU CAN JOIN NOW AND AFTER A TERM AS A DUES PAYING MEMBER, YOU WILL RECEIVE A $ 100 REBATE. Come and join the movement.

STAFF UNION AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES AT ODDS IN BARGAINING

USF staff have their own union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME. Like the United Faculty of Florida, AFSCME is affiliated with the AFL-CIO, and like UFF, AFSCME is participating in the effort in Tallahassee to limit the havoc wreaked by the legislative leadership.

USF staff went without raises for many years before AFSCME won a 1.5 % pay raise in bargaining in 2010, when some staff were not making a living wage. The years when staff employees' purchasing power declined were the same last few years that state university funding declined precipitously.

AFSCME and the USF Administration are negotiating a new contract between USF staff and the USF Board of Trustees. As the Tampa Tribune reports, the USF Administration and the workers' union are at odds over pay raise. The Tribune oberved that the USF Administration declined to comment except to emphasize its commitment to collective bargaining - and that several USF officials noted that USF was cut $ 45 million last year alone.

While UFF is aware of the severe financial constraints upon the university, we are concerned about the effect that this wage recession is having on staff morale. In addition, a failure to even implicitly recognize (at the bargaining table) AFSCME's participation in union efforts to protect education in Florida could give AFSCME activists and USF staff the impression that we are not, after all, in this together. For these reasons, UFF is hopeful for a positive outcome to these negotiations.

USF staff employees who wish to support the union that represents them and protects their employment rights and privileges are strongly encouraged to join today.

LOGISTICS

Next Chapter Meeting Friday, January 11, at noon, at a location TBA at or near USF Tampa campus.

There will be lunch and drinks, and all UFF members are invited to attend. Bring a colleague!

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

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.