Faculty Alliance of Miami: FAM

Author: Theresa Kulbaga

  • Ken Irwin: “Before slashing what serves this institution and its students, understand what you stand to lose”

    Ken Irwin: “Before slashing what serves this institution and its students, understand what you stand to lose”

    We are told that it’s ok if we’re routinely working 60 or 70 hour weeks, and that we can leave if we don’t like it. Is this how you retain a great library staff? 

  • Elena Jackson Albarrán: “New proposed workload norms put [Miami’s] teacher-scholar balance in peril”

    Elena Jackson Albarrán: “New proposed workload norms put [Miami’s] teacher-scholar balance in peril”

    A literal application of the current workload metric as it stands would radically destabilize the educational ecosystem that we have now.  A more tempered, sensitive model needs to be developed in collaboration with faculty as part of shared governance.

  • 100+ Faculty and Librarians Demand a Fair Contract Now at the Board of Trustees Meeting

    100+ Faculty and Librarians Demand a Fair Contract Now at the Board of Trustees Meeting

    Faculty and librarians handed out holiday cards to Miami’s trustees while chanting “FAIR CONTRACT NOW” on our 471st day of negotiations. Speakers pointed out that the University’s current spending priorities hurt students by diverting large sums from academics to outside consultants, new sports arenas, and outside legal counsel.

  • FAM-L Bargaining, Day 26

    FAM-L Bargaining, Day 26

    Huge Win on Vacation Pay! Thanks to FAM, all Miami staff will now be paid during holiday closings instead of having to take mandatory vacation days. FAM and Miami management today signed a landmark agreement ensuring fair pay for mandatory closing days during Winter Break.

  • FAM-T Bargaining, Day 33

    FAM-T Bargaining, Day 33

    By now, you may have seen the news that management’s lead lawyer on the FAM-T side has stepped away, and will soon be replaced. Read FAM’s statement … Today at FAM-T bargaining, we had many surprisingly productive conversations with management about your top priorities: compensation and job security. FAM began the day by countering on…

  • FAM-T Bargaining, Day 32

    FAM-T Bargaining, Day 32

    Your Negotiation Team continues to fight for fair evaluations, job security, and benefits for our members. At FAM-T bargaining today, we countered on Leaves, Benefits, Financial Exigency and Academic Reorganization, and presented packages on Faculty Evaluations & Performance Improvement Plans, and Management Rights & Association Rights. These proposals protect our members’ benefits and job security…

  • FAM-L Bargaining, Day 25

    FAM-L Bargaining, Day 25

    We begin today’s bargaining update with a tribute to Dr. Phill Alexander, your Negotiating Team’s first chair and a lead organizer for FAM. FAM mourns the loss of our beloved colleague, who worked tirelessly on behalf of his colleagues and for a better Miami to help organize and lead our union. Read our tribute to…

  • A Tribute to Dr. Phill Alexander

    A Tribute to Dr. Phill Alexander

    FAM mourns the loss of our beloved colleague and FAM leader, Dr. Phill Alexander. Phill was Assistant Professor of Emerging Technology + Business Design (ETBD) at Miami, a Games Studies professor and scholar and a key architect of the Games + Simulation major. Phill’s teaching and research interests included game studies, Cherokee / Indigenous rhetorics,…

  • Librarians Publish Open Letter to Jerome Conley, Dean of University Libraries

    Librarians Publish Open Letter to Jerome Conley, Dean of University Libraries

    “We are writing to you today to ask you to add your voice to our own: to advocate for us and the resources we need, for the good of our students, our community, the University, and the Libraries.” On November 20, 2024, twenty-five Miami librarians signed an open letter to Jerome Conley, Dean of University…