USF-UFF Chapter Meeting


Time & Place. The Chapter Meeting was held at 12 noon on USF Tampa in EDU 317.


Minutes. Minutes of the March 8 meeting approved.


Attendance. Eleven UFF members, including seven members of the Council, and one guest.


President’s Report.

  • In the absence of the President, the meeting was chaired by the Vice President.
  • Consolidation. USF St. Petersburg and revision of the Tenure & Promotion Guidelines were major issues.

New Business.

  • Chapter Election. These are the results of the chapter election:
    • Turnout.
      • As of Thursday, March 21, 67 ballots were received.
      • Of these, 57 were received as of the March 19 deadline.
      • Of these, 54 had signatures and names that could be identified from the roster.
    • Results from Executive races. The president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, (appointed) chief negotiator, and (appointed) grievance chair make up the Executive Committee.
      • For president, Shapiro with 51 votes.
      • For vice president, Lang with 34 votes versus Novoa with 17 votes.
      • For secretary, McColm with 49 votes.
      • For treasurer, Wohlmuth with 50 votes.
    • Results for the FEA Assembly, for which there are seven open seats. (Remaining vacant seats are to be filled by the incoming Chapter Council.)
      • Braunsberger, 44 votes.
      • Lang, 44 votes.
      • Manning, 48 votes.
      • McColm, 49 votes.
      • Shapiro, 47 votes.
    • Results for the UFF Senate, for which there are nineteen open seats (the chapter president serves ex officio). After the nineteen, the remaining candidates are elected senate alternates. The senators, alternates, and committee chairs together form the Chapter Council.
      • Ariew, 38 votes.
      • Berarducci, 35 votes.
      • Boggess, 33 votes.
      • Braunsberger, 39 votes.
      • Brescia, 30 votes.
      • Burns, 32 votes.
      • Greek, 33 votes.
      • Hardy, 27 votes.
      • Lang, 41 votes.
      • Lewis, 34 votes.
      • Liontas, 23 votes.
      • Manning, 37 votes.
      • McColm, 45 votes.
      • Novoa, 26 votes.
      • Peppard, 40 votes.
      • Permuth, 45 votes.
      • Pettijohn, 35 votes.
      • Pyrtle, 30 votes.
      • Sinclair, 29 votes.
      • Welker, 34 votes.
      • Wohlmuth, 42 votes.
    • Officers and representatives assume their offices and seats on April 1.
  • Amendments. The following constitutional and bylaws amendments were approved for a referendum. The current Constitution and Bylaws are to be amended as follows. Amendments to the Constitution require 2/3 support of the UFF members voting, while amendments to the Bylaws require majority support of the UFF members voting. The Chapter shall inquire from the state office whether an electronic referendum is permitted; if not, a paper referendum shall be conducted.
    • An amendment to the Constitution. Article IV, Section 2 of the UFF USF Constitution shall be changed as follows (strikeout means deleted, underlined means added):

      Nominations shall be closed and all nomination materials shall be due by February 28. The elected officers and Senators representatives shall be elected annually on or before March 21 31, and shall take office on the following April 1.

      Rationale: It takes several weeks to collect the necessary nominations, which results in a very short window to return ballots. The UFF requires that new officers and representatives be elected by April 1, and their own deadline is a day or so before that, so we can follow suit.

    • Amendment to the Bylaws. Article II, Section I of the UFF USF Bylaws shall be changed as follows (strikeout means deleted, underlined means added):

      Standing Committees shall be:

      1. Bargaining Committee
      2. Grievance Committee
      3. Services Membership Committee
      4. Communications Committee
      5. Political Action Government Relations Committee

      Rationale: The UFF has requested that government relations committees not be entitled “Political Action Committees” as UFF has one PAC and the chapter’s committee is not it. In addition, the Services Committee’s duties are recruitment and organizing, and the usual title of such a body is “Membership Committee.”

    • Amendment to the Bylaws. Article IV, Section 6 of the UFF USF Bylaws shall be changed as follows (strikeout means deleted, underlined means added):

      The Political Action Government Relations Committee shall cooperate, upon the approval of the chapter at a chapter meeting, with the State UFF in lobbying, endorsing candidates, and raising contributions. The Chairperson of the Political Action Government Relations Committee shall be the a official nominee to the State UFF Political Action-Legislative Committee and West Central Florida Central Labor Council unless otherwise determined by the President and/or Chapter Council.

      Rationale: Chapters do not nominate members of the UFF Legislative Committees, and the Chapter can have several members on the CLC – depending on density.

    • Amendment to the Bylaws. Article V of the UFF USF Bylaws shall be changed as follows (strikeout means deleted, underlined means added):

      Before the end of the fall semester of each academic year, the chapter shall elect an Elections Nominations and Election Committee (which is not a standing committee) of union members to design an election process, subject to the advice and consent of the chapter; solicit nominations for office and representative positions; conduct the election; and report the results. Members of the Elections Nominations and Election Committee shall be barred from running for executive office, and all candidates for executive offices in contested races shall be barred from canvassing or counting ballots.

      Rationale: The duties of this committee includes soliciting nominations, and this duty should be stressed.

Reports.

  • Grievance Committee. Reports on the situation in USFSP.
  • Membership. The Committee will organize an event in April.
  • Treasury. We are solvent.
  • Government Relations. USF Tallahassee has expressed concerns about HB 839.
  • Tenure and Promotion. We may organize a workshop in USF Sarasota / Manatee the morning of April 5.


These minutes respectfully submitted by G. McColm on 22 March 2019; amended 14 April 2019.