It has been more than a year since negotiations for a new union contract between Temple and the Temple Association of University Professionals, a union that represents full and part-time faculty members and librarians from 13 of Temple’s colleges, began on Aug. 18. 2023.
TAUP announced last year that they were entering contract negotiations with the goals of increasing job security, pay and administration transparency. After 32 sessions, the union said the last issue they won’t change their stance on is the right to use all 10 days of the provided sick leave the university offers, which TAUP says they get disciplined for using once they go over five days.
The current university offer tackles increased pay and job security requirements put forward by TAUP. This includes an average increase in wages of more than 18% for full-time faculty, 20% for librarians and 25% for academic professionals. The same sick leave policy in the Employee Manual is held, putting aside 10 sick days for non-bargaining, full-time employees.
There has been increased job security for non-tenure track faculty with presumed continued employment for faculty after nine consecutive years of employment and multi-semester appointments for adjuncts after working at least four consecutive years. Expanded benefits include paid parental leave for librarians and academic professionals, as well as prescription drug benefits for adjunct faculty.
The university will also extend the traditional four-year agreement to five years, said Sharon Boyle, vice president of human resources.
“The pay increase that we currently have on the table is probably greater than they’ve seen in over two decades,” Boyle said. “We’ve also acknowledged their priorities. They have stated priorities of equity, which to them, they said, is having people at lower pay levels receive greater increases. What we did was propose a flat dollar amount which would give greater percentage increases to people at lower pay grade pay levels.”
The issue of sick leave remains on the table, with both parties releasing statements following a session on Aug. 28.
“Every other proposal and counter proposal has been agreed to,” the union wrote in a social media release. “Despite TAUP making significant compromises during today’s session in exchange for sick leave policy, the administration refused to agree to enforce their own agreement of 10 sick days.”
TAUP referenced the death of former Temple librarian Latanya Jenkins in their fight for librarians and APs to use their full 10 sick days as written in Temple’s own policy. Jenkins died of metastatic breast cancer in April 2021.
Temple administration holds the position that they cannot exempt librarians and academic professionals from the same attendance policies that apply to all other staff members, Boyle wrote.
Negotiations will continue as of now. The union said they will be meeting with members and escalating pressure to get this language into the next collective bargaining agreement. They will not sign until sick leave for librarians and academic professionals is a necessary part of the agreement.
“We believe it is time for the faculty, librarians and academic professionals to decide,” Boyle wrote in an email to the Temple community following the most recent negotiation session. “After two years with no wage increases for members of this bargaining unit, the university has asked the union to take the package offered [on Aug. 28] to its membership for a vote. It is up to TAUP alone to decide if members of the bargaining unit get to vote and what they get to vote on.”
The university also reached a tentative agreement with the Temple Law Professors Collective Bargaining Association on Sept. 6. The two parties had been bargaining for a new contract since TLPCBA’s contract expired in June.
A union meeting was called for all members of TAUP on Aug. 30, a source told The Temple News. No vote was taken regarding the contract offered by the university during bargaining, but many members still believe the university needs to make a decision on the sick leave policy.
The “10 means 10” campaign was launched by the union after the university walked away from a tentative agreement. TAUP sent out a letter to members who were encouraged to sign.
“I think most people agree that the sick leave policy for such employees is punitive and wrong. But there is some frustration that this is the last sticking point and the last issue before putting the contract to a vote,” an anonymous TAUP member wrote in a message to The Temple News. “After so long, I think everyone is just tired. Many of us are waiting for a pay raise and job security, knowing that it will not be retroactive.”
Be the first to comment