At librarian bargaining today, management presented a Benefits proposal that is completely unacceptable. They want us to agree to language allowing them to change our Benefits without our input.
FAM is not accepting management’s last Compensation proposal, which is based on magic numbers that have not been decided yet. To the great annoyance of management, we held to our last Compensation proposal, with the exception of reasonable movement on minimum salaries and promotion increases.
FAM continues to fight for protections for our members around artificial intelligence and encounters with ICE agents. Our MOU on ICE simply asks the university to commit to current practice in order to protect our university community. Our trimmed-down Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Artificial Intelligence holds management to 1) not replacing bargaining unit work with AI; 2) not evaluating librarians using AI; and 3) providing notice to FAM when they decide to use AI in a way that impacts our members. In other words, any decision affecting a librarian must be made by a named human decision-maker who takes professional responsibility and can be held accountable.
For their part, management wants to limit their human accountability. At the table, management’s lawyer stated that they want to “ease the administrative burden” as their explanation for proposed limitations on our ability to enforce the CBA through the grievance and arbitration process. To be clear: an unenforceable contract is not a contract we are interested in signing. They also immediately rejected our MOUs on AI and ICE.
We don’t think Miami students, prospective students, or parents will be happy to hear that Miami is unwilling to commit to human-centered librarian work and an informed and safe campus.
Students at Monday’s Late Night Study Break support librarians and FAM!
Help us to make progress at the bargaining table:
- Join FAM at Friday’s Board of Trustees meeting! This Friday, May 15th at 9:00am at Marcum Conference Center, we will be demanding a fair contract now.
- Join FAM at graduation this weekend! We’ll be at numerous ceremonies handing out Fair Contract Now stickers and FAM fans (for fans of FAM)! 🪭
- Come to our upcoming bargaining sessions to show management you support a Fair Contract Now:
- FAM-L (librarians): May 19, 27; June 17, 24, 30
- FAM-T (faculty): May 18, 22; June 1, 3, 15, 22
Questions about our proposals and member-led negotiating priorities? Reach out to info@famiami.org!
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