In this Article:

• Upcoming Events: UConn-AAUP Annual Chapter Meeting; UConn-AAUP Excellence Awards Ceremony
• Promotion, Tenure, & Review Forum
• UConn-AAUP COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund – Spring, 2021
• Medical Flexible Spending Accounts
• Negotiations Update: Article 20 Minimum Terms
• Welcome New Hire – Terri Reid
• Legislative Activity: Active Bills; Recent Testimony

Upcoming Events

The UConn-AAUP Annual Chapter Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday April 20, 2021 at 12:00 pm via Zoom. Only members in good standing can attend the Annual Meeting, which will include voting on the Chapter Budget. Other items on the agenda include an update on negotiations, legislative activity, and SEBAC update.

UConn-AAUP has also scheduled the 2021 Excellence Awards Ceremony for Wednesday, April 28, 2021 at 1:00 pm via Zoom. This awards ceremony will also recognize 2020 award recipients as last year’s reception was cancelled due to COVID-19.

Promotion Tenure & Review Forum 

On March 19, 2021 from 3:00 – 5:00 pm, the Provost’s Office, in conjunction with the University Senate, will sponsor the annual PTR Forum for pre-tenured faculty. The forum will go over the process for tenure and provide an opportunity for faculty members to ask equations of administrators, the Faculty Standards Committee of the University Senate, and the leadership of UConn-AAUP.

Negotiations’ Update 

Article 20 Minimum Terms: The Administration has submitted a proposal to eliminate the minimum terms standard of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA). (See all of the proposals on the UConn-AAUP website.) UConn-AAUP negotiates a minimum terms standard for members of the bargaining unit. This agreement prevents the administration from individually negotiating with members over terms and conditions of employment which are less than what has been agreed to between the AAUP and the Board of Trustees. One example is minimum salary. UConn-AAUP and the administration have agreed to a minimum salary for each rank for each year of the contract. Without this agreement, administrators might pressure members of the bargaining unit to accept a salary less than the minimum. UConn-AAUP will be fighting to keep the minimum terms standard in the CBA.

New Article: The Administration has proposed a new article on Annual Review Evaluations, introducing a post-tenure review requirement and process. The proposal requires each academic unit within a school or college to develop procedures and criteria to implement for post-tenure review that are consistent with the procedures and criteria established by their school/college. The full proposal is located on the website for review.

UConn-AAUP 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. The income cap for eligibility has been increased to $90,000 this semester. Please see the website for further information.

Medical Flexible Spending Accounts

Due to the COID-19 pandemic, Medical Flexible Spending Account carry-over of unused funds from the Plan Year 2020 to Plan Year 2021 has been adjusted. The new legislation allows for all unused funds to be carried-over to the new year’s balance. An employee who does not enroll in the new year’s plan, will forfeit any unclaimed balance of less than $25.00. There are other adjustments to the MEDFLEX plan that you should review on the UConn website.

Welcome Terri Reid

UConn-AAUP welcomes Terri Reid, who has been hired to assist the Chapter in membership development. Terri currently is employed part-time at the UConn-Health AAUP Chapter and will work part-time for UConn-AAUP. She has been in the labor movement since 1995, first organizing the bus drivers in Hartford with SEIU, and later becoming the Northeast Coordinator for the Organizing Institute (OI) for the AFL-CIO. For the past 8 years, Terri was the Chief of Staff for Senator Terry Gerratana of New Britain, Chair of the Public Health Committee in Hartford.

Legislative Activity

Members of the UConn-AAUP have been actively providing oral and written testimony before the Appropriations and Higher Ed committees this session. Our requests included an increase in the block grants after Governor Lamont proposed a 5%  decrease in the grant and the removal of the unfunded legacy cost included on the fringe benefit costs.  We also supported Bill #997 An Act Concerning an Expansion of the Membership of the Board of Trustees of the University of Connecticut that adds at least one faculty member to the UConn Board of Trustees. That Bill was Raised for committee consideration and then voted out of committee to the Floor. Any and all testimony in support of this bill would be greatly appreciated. Please notify UConn-AAUP if you decide to submit written testimony.

Michael Bailey, Executive Director