Updated: Dec. 11 at 3:20 p.m.
The Temple Association of University Professionals has accused the university of violating its contract just months after an agreement was reached, the union wrote in a statement on social media Tuesday evening.
TAUP has initiated a “formal contract enforcement” process by submitting multiple class-action grievances on behalf of those who are affected by Temple’s violation, the statement read.
The new union contract was ratified on Oct. 15 after the groups reached an agreement Sept. 16 following a year of negotiations. The five-year agreement addressed different TAUP concerns like increased wages and improvements on job security for non-tenure-track adjuncts.
The list of the university’s alleged violations include incorrect backpay, issuing incorrect pay for some adjuncts ranked higher than instructor, refusing to apply a $10,000 across-the-board raise agreed upon in negotiations and delaying multi-semester sessions for adjuncts.
“The university reached out to the union early on when it noticed discrepancies in their communications versus the university’s understandings of some provisions of the collective bargaining agreement,” a spokesperson for the university wrote in a statement to The Temple News. “Yesterday, the university again invited the union’s leadership to sit down and discuss differences in interpretation with the goal of understanding each other’s views and working toward agreement. It is unfortunate that the union chose to take to social media rather than respond to the university’s invitation. The university remains committed to working through these issues consistent with our newly bargained collective bargaining agreement.”
While most of TAUP’s demands were met during the bargaining process, the union’s efforts for an improved sick leave policy were left unanswered. Temple allows for 10 sick days each year, however TAUP has claimed that many faculty members have been reprimanded by higher ups by their fifth day. The union decided to make the issue a separate campaign in order to reach a contract agreement in September and hopes to bring in members of the local and federal government.
“When you’re brought in by your boss and told of a policy about discipline for taking sick days, that has a chilling effect,” said TAUP President Jeffery Doshna in October. “And it means that when you’re sick and you are deciding, ‘Do I come into work? Do I not come into work? Do I take the time to heal?’”
Be the first to comment