Today was a super productive day at FAM-T bargaining: we came to two tentative agreements (TAs) and signed one MOU on Artificial Intelligence. The AI MOU is a significant win, and here’s the scoop: after rejecting our AI proposal last semester, management set up an AI task force to find out how AI impacts our working conditions. We demanded that management negotiate over AI or else we would file a ULP (unfair labor practice) accusing them of trying to undermine the bargaining process. Today we came to an agreement! Our MOU on AI will allow us to discuss AI with management in our labor management meetings as it develops, while also cementing it as a cornerstone to build on in future contracts. This historic agreement is the first on AI in higher education in Ohio, and one of the first in higher ed nationwide!
In addition to AI, we also reached TAs on Appointments and Outside Employment & Professional Activities — both important contract provisions that will clarify what information needs to be included in appointment letters and when faculty can conduct work outside the university. We presented a counterproposal on Grievance & Arbitration, working to protect our members in case the contract is violated.
For their part, management countered on Faculty Evaluations and shared a new proposal on Performance Improvement Plans, which they claimed at the table was current practice (under the name “Teaching Improvement Plans”). We on NT are not aware of such a practice, and we’d love to hear from you at info@famiami.org if you know what they’re talking about!
You can read all proposals in full at our website.
Help us to keep making progress on our first contract! Come to our next bargaining session on June 17th at Miami Hamilton (in Wilks Conference Center) — then join us afterward for our first post-bargaining happy hour at Hamilton’s Urban Backyard (HUB) for food, drinks and debrief!
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