President Deni Galileo’s 6/29/20 and 6/30/20 Letters

Dear AAUP-UD Members,

It has come to my attention that a member has objected to my use of the word “deferral” below in yesterday’s email to describe what will happen to the 2020-21 raises and believes that I should have used the word “elimination.”  The proposed Agreement states “For the period of July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, there will be no merit pool increases or structural salary adjustments.”  As you can see, that statement does not say that the increases or adjustments will be eliminated or deferred.  It just says that there will be none during 2020-21.  What happens to them is dependent on your point of view.  I choose to view the lack of increases during 2020-21 as a 1.5% deferral to each of the following extension years, to which there is added another 0.5% structural adjustment.  In addition, that deferred 1.5% is no longer a mixture of merit and structural, but has been converted to be all structural increase (to equal a 2% total structural increase).  Alternatively, one could (and does) view this as an elimination of the 2020-21 increases and a fresh start in the extension years with a “new” 2% structural increase during each year.  But, the end result is the same: no merit or structural increases in 2020-21, and 2% structural increases during the following two extension years.

I hope this clears up any misunderstandings that might have arisen based on my previous email below.

-Deni S. Galileo

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Dear AAUP-UD Members,

On Friday June 26, the Steering Committee fully discussed and approved a tentative Agreement with the administration to amend our current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).  The Agreement is linked here.  This Agreement is the product of several meetings between our bargaining team and that of the administration.  I have updated you along the way with several email communications, which are posted on the AAUP-UD website.  There will be duplicate meetings of the membership to discuss this tentative agreement on Wednesday, July 1 and Monday, July6 at 3-4 PM via Zoom (link and password below).  During those meetings, we will briefly go over what the proposals were from each side to explain how we got to this tentative agreement.  We also will answer any questions that members have on any of the provisions in the Agreement.  Although the final salary raises are not what we proposed, wanted, or fought to get, this Agreement provides for a 2-year extension of the contract, 2% raises in each of the 2 extension years, absolute stability of benefits, negation of the necessity to enter into bargaining talks for a new contract for 2 additional years, extension by one year of the deadline for signing retirement papers in order to still obtain the retirement leave, and several other positive provisions.  However, it is a sacrifice by the faculty in certain respects, such as deferral of 2020-21 raises and freezing certain compensation.  Nevertheless, it was the consensus of the Bargaining Team and the Steering Committee that we would not be able to procure a better deal from the administration (e.g., no further increase in raises), and that this Agreement is highly preferable to having to enter into bargaining for a new contract in the upcoming academic year when almost nothing will be certain.

After Wednesday’s meeting, membership voting will open on ratifying this Agreement, as required by our AAUP-UD Bylaws.  The vote will be conducted electronically, and you will have a week to do so.  Ratification requires a positive vote by a majority of AAUP-UD members.  The Agreement was endorsed unanimously by the Bargaining Team and then was approved by a 21-0 vote of the Steering Committee, and we hope that the membership quickly ratifies it so that its provisions can take effect before our situation potentially gets much worse, as appears to be happening in some parts of the country.

https://udel.zoom.us/j/97361773690
Password: 173747

Please also note that the administration has agreed to extend the deadline for notification to elect the retirement leave option to July 14.  This will be until after the ratification vote takes place on amendment of the CBA, which proposes to extend that date to June 30, 2021.

Thank you for this consideration during this extraordinary time.

Sincerely,
Deni S. Galileo
President, AAUP-UD