October 28 Town Hall Meeting on Collective Bargaining in 2020-21

On October 28, approximately thirty 30 faculty members, including several members of the AAUP-UD’s Executive Council and Steering Committee, gathered to discuss possible issues on which to focus during collective bargaining negotiations in the 2020-21 academic year. AAUP-UD President Deni Galileo expressed the chapter’s commitment to protecting faculty salary and benefits. Regarding health insurance, in particular, President Galileo noted that the AAUP-UD cannot negotiate for particular providers or plans because the state chooses them; however, he indicated that the AAUP-UD aimed to maintain the percentage that faculty must pay out-of-pocket for health care expenses. President Galileo then turned the discussion over to the bargaining unit members, asking them to share their preferred goals for negotiation. Many and varied goals were raised, and they covered subjects as wide ranging as faculty workload, equity issues, and shared governance. At a subsequent November 1 Steering Committee meeting, President Galileo shared these goals with committee members, who are charged with selecting the bargaining team and directing its efforts in 2020-21.