As many of you know, the UFE is back at the bargaining table. Last spring, the administration and the UFE bargained a one-year successor agreement. We had hoped for a multiyear contract. However, the events of Spring 2017 led the administration to only agree to a one-year contract. The 2017-18 CBA maintained existing language while adding a modest compensation gain based on state budget funding. In addition, a separate MOU was ratified to require faculty development on institutional racism and cultural competency. The MOU implementation began this academic year, 2017-18.

In the current bargain, the UFE is negotiating in the context of significant enrollment challenges and administration actions to both reduce the number of faculty and reorganize curriculum offerings. These serious issues make for one challenging bargain.

The UFE Bargaining Team includes returning members and new members: Jon Davies, Bargaining Team Chair; Gary McNeil, Lead Negotiator; Stephen Beck, Grace Huerta, Laurie Meeker, Miranda Mellis, and Julie Levin Russo. We are excited about Julie and Miranda joining the Bargaining Team.

For this bargain, the UFE remains committed to protecting and enhancing our faculty teaching and working conditions in the current CBA, addressing faculty leadership of a coordinated curriculum via Planning Unit Coordinators and Pathways (or paths of study), and ensuring faculty compensation directed by the state budget. Our overall theme is owning the work of the Evergreen academic mission so our students experience the best teaching and learning conditions possible.

Finally, we remind you that bargaining is a confidential process in which specific proposals remain at the bargaining table. This confidentiality allows both the administration and the UFE to discuss issues frankly and deliberately. Once the tentative agreement (a comprehensive CBA proposal) is negotiated, the UFE will present it to our membership and the administration will present it to the Board of Trustees for ratification votes. In addition, UFE will hold briefings with faculty (both UFE members and non-members) before the ratification vote. Only UFE members are eligible to vote on the tentative agreement.

If you have any questions, please contact UFE Bargaining Chair, Jon Davies.

The UFE Bargaining Team