Bargaining Update #8

As we end the Winter 2024 semester, your WAU Bargaining Team continues its busy schedule of meetings for negotiating our new contract. The Team meets internally once or twice a week, and we sit across the Administration Team once a week for 2-3 hours as we debate and negotiate our concerns.

We are nearing discussion of some of the more difficult topics that involve financial issues and working conditions, but we have made headway on other topics. Your WAU Bargaining Team and the Administration Team have agreed on a number of articles where we did not see any need for changes. These articles, listed below, have Tentative Agreement (TA) from both sides and will remain unchanged from our last Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). They are listed as “tentative” because nothing is final unless and until members vote to ratify the final proposed contract.

Articles that are unchanged from our last CBA:

• 2 Personnel Classification

• 3 Administration Rights

• 4 Association Rights

• 7 Past Policies

• 9 No Strike/No Lockout

• 10 Layoff and Recall Procedures

• 11 Participation in Association Activities

• 14 Fractional Time Employees

• 15 Administration-Association Meetings

• 16 Administration of Agreement

• 19 Validity

• 25 Personnel Files

• 33 Transfers Between Bargaining Units

• 36 Resignation

Here are the articles where both sides have tentatively agreed to changes in language, usually to clarify an idea or to update it:

• 1 Recognition and Description of Unit

• 6 Dues and Voluntary Fair-Share Agencies

• 8 Non-Discrimination and OEO Processes

• 17 Grievance Procedure

• 27 Bylaws and Voting Rights

• 28 Tuition Assistance Program and Auditing

• 30 University-Wide Committees

These are the articles being discussed currently:

• 5 Association Privileges

• 18 Selection Advisory Committee

• 20 Term Appointments

• 21 Employment Security Status Procedures

• 23 Promotion Procedures

• 26 Res & Prof Development Grants & Programs

• 31 Budget Advisory Committee

• 32 Equal Ppportunity and Inclusion

• 34 Spring-Summer Term

• 35 Just Cause

• New: Training

• New: Flexible Work Arrangements (FWA)

and these are the articles still to be discussed:

• 12 Compensation

• 13 Leaves of Absence

• 22 Tenure Procedures

• 24 Professional Duties

• 29 Evaluation of Faculty Teaching

• 37 Duration of Agreement and Cessation of Bargaining

As we move into the next 6–7 weeks and tackle the more challenging issues before us, we will update you regularly on where we are with negotiations.