In this Article:

• Upcoming Events: UConn-AAUP Excellence Awards Ceremony
• Bargaining Update
• Negotiations’ Update
• CIRE Promotion, Tenure, & Review Forum (Clinical, In-residence and Extension faculty)
• UConn-AAUP COVID-19 MOA
• UConn-AAUP COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund – Spring, 2021
• Legislative Activity: Appropriations Budget
• Adjunct Unemployment Insurance Benefit

Upcoming Events:

The UConn-AAUP 2021 Excellence Awards Ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 1:00 pm via Zoom. This awards presentation will also recognize 2020 recipients as the 2020 presentation was cancelled due to COVID-19.  President Katsouleas and Provost Lejuez will be joining us for the event.

A Bargaining Update meeting has been scheduled for May 4, 2021 at 12:00 noon to inform members of the current status of the negotiations and possible outcomes. Once a tentative agreement is reached by UConn-AAUP and the Board of Trustees, ratification meetings will be scheduled for a vote of both parties.

Negotiations Update:

Article 19 Salary and Benefits:

• UConn-AAUP – 5% each of the next 4 years, divided into a general wage increase, merit and a compression adjustment;
• Board of Trustees: – 0%, 0%, 2% – divided up into 1% general wage increase, 1% merit (3 year contract)

CIRE Promotion and Reappointment Forum (Clinical, In-Residence, and Extension faculty)

The Faculty Standards Committee of the University Senate and UConn-AAUP will hold a forum for Clinical, In-Residence, and Extension (CIRE) faculty for Promotion & Reappointment on Friday, May 21, 2021, from 1:00pm-3:00pm. The program will be held via WebEx. The purpose of the forum is to ensure that all faculty are aware of promotion and reappointment procedures and expectations and have the opportunity to have their questions answered by the administration. Faculty and staff who plan to attend must register by completing this survey by May 17th.  The program will be recorded and available for viewing after the event.

UConn-AAUP COVID-19 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)

UConn-AAUP and the administration agreed to an MOA to deal with some of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The full MOA can be found on the UConn-AAUP website. Three important points include:

• All annual reports and PTR/PR portfolios will include a section that addresses the impact of COVID-19 on research and creative activity, teaching and service;
• “Administrative postponement” for those who could not take their sabbatical leaves due to the pandemic, which keeps the sabbatical clock on track; and
• Faculty with medical considerations can apply for accommodations that include teaching modality for Fall 2021

COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund – Spring 2021

On March 9, 2021, UConn-AAUP announced the 2nd COVID Emergency Relief Fund initiative to provide financial assistance to bargaining unit members for extra expenses related to childcare, eldercare, housing, health care or to help off-set a COVID-related loss of income. We are pleased to announce that 130 applications were eligible to receive funding. Those members included 28 adjuncts, 97 full-time faculty, and 5 pre-tenure faculty.

Membership Development – Terri Reid

Terri Reid, UConn-AAUP new part-time employee, continues to reach out to members seeking assistance in signing new members to the Chapter. If you hear from her, please give as much time as you can to assist her in reaching out to non-members. Our Chapter will be stronger for it.

Legislative Activity

The Appropriations Committee released its budget in response to Governor Lamont’s proposed biennium budget. The Appropriations budget restores the amount requested by UConn for FY22 and restores $2.5 million back into FY23 appropriations. The budget also provides one-time support of $7.5 million in FY22 and $6.8 million in FY23 to offset the SERS unfunded legacy costs.

Adjunct Unemployment Insurance benefit

The UConn-AAUP recently became aware that UConn is challenging unemployment payments made by the State of Connecticut to some adjunct faculty who filed for unemployment in the Spring and Summer of 2020 during the first wave of the COVID pandemic. Adjunct faculty may receive official notice from the Unemployment Division of the Connecticut Department of Labor that unemployment payments adjunct faculty received last year are being challenged by the University. If you receive such a notice you are entitled to union representation by the UConn-AAUP. Please contact David Amdur if you have any questions or concerns.

Michael Bailey, Executive Director