You may have heard that the UC lecturers’ union (the AFT) has been trying to negotiate a new contract with UCOP since the previous one expired in January 2020. Members of the UC Santa Barbara Faculty Association (SBFA) have been attending several bargaining sessions throughout the year and our presence has been felt! AFT colleagues have reported that the tone of the negotiation has improved thanks also to the Senate faculty that have observed them. We strongly support AFT’s four job stability demands:
- Clear and consistent review process and criteria (UC has put nothing on the table on this yet)
- Multi-year contracts (UC has offered 1yr-1yr-2yr-2yr and AFT’s proposal is for 2yr-2yr-2yr)
- Rehire rights based on qualifications and performance (UC has offered nothing on this. Senate faculty support is most critical with this one!)
- Pathway to “Lecturer with Security of Employment” (LSOE)
The UCSB Faculty Association believes that many UCSB faculty support our lecturers’ struggle to improve the conditions in which they teach. If this is the case, we have a concrete opportunity to show our solidarity with them. At their request we invite you to attend the next crucial round of negotiations that will take place on Friday February 26, 1:45-2:30 PM.
Here is a chart that lays out AFT’s positions in greater detail.
If you decide to attend you need to register. Please RSVP here: bit.ly/ucaftbargaining.
Once you register, you will be sent the zoom link for February 26; the day of, the link will take you to AFT’s Community Room (it opens at 1:30pm that day) where negotiators and observers gather prior to receiving the link to the bargaining session. There, AFT will provide more information about what is to come at the start of bargaining, but generally speaking you will be invited to introduce yourself at the beginning of the session and say a few words in solidarity with AFT such as “I am so-and-so, here with 100+ other Senate faculty, in solidarity with our non-Senate faculty colleagues and specific support for…”
Thank you for your attention.
SBFA Board