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Welcome back! The new academic year is upon us and we are entering it with a new contract! The 2022-2025 contract (yes, you read that right–negotiations took over a year) includes “the largest wage increase we have had in over 15 years.” For contract highlights, revisit our post from earlier this summer: Bargaining Breakthrough. Returning faculty should have received a Salary Memo notification via HCC email with their new step assignment and salary.

FUSA updates

• FUSA lunch at Inservice – as usual, FUSA is sponsoring lunch for the Fall Inservice. During lunch FUSA President Sherry Sippel will offer welcome back remarks along with other updates and helpful info to start the new year. We look forward to seeing you there!
• eDues News – Thank you to all our members who transitioned to eDues at the end of the term and over summer. It truly saved our union. Despite this new legislation (SB 256) outlawing payroll deduction, FEA and UFF chapters across the state have been moving members to the eDues system. FUSA has far surpassed the 60% membership threshold required by the new law as well. We only have a dozen or so members left to move over to the eDues system. We truly appreciate our members’ cooperation in the face of this unnecessary attack on unions, our right to organize, and our collective voice.
• SB 266 Guidance – UFF has provided guidance on SB 266, another bad bill passed during the legislative session which has broad implications for Higher Education. The document provides detailed legislative analysis as well as practical guidance for faculty on the frontlines: the classroom. Please read it and pass along any questions or comments.

It has been a long, hard road but we officially have a new contract. The Board of Trustees has just approved the FUSA contract which covers academic years 2022-2025. FUSA President Sherry Sippel will follow up with more detail via email, but a review of some contract highlights and the largest wage increase we have had in over 15 years can be found in the previous post: Bargaining Breakthrough!!

eDues update

Thank you to all the members who have completed the conversion to eDues. This has been a huge undertaking for FUSA, UFF, and FEA. While we at FUSA have surpassed the 60% threshold, it is our goal to get each and every member converted. Recall that July 1 marks the start of a new law passed by the state legislature which bans employer deduction of dues from paychecks. It is an attack on public sector unions and educators (and exempts first responder unions). It is vitally important to get every member moved over and in good standing to support our union. Each day that passes without full dues conversion will impact not just FUSA, but our state affiliates UFF & FEA as well.

If you haven’t converted to eDues, look to your work and personal email for messages from FUSA, and FUSA will continue to reach out to members to get everyone signed up as soon as possible.

FUSA has settled the impasse with administration while also finalizing the 2022-2025 contract! This was a colossal effort that required the persistent work of the FUSA bargaining team with input from the entire FUSA Council and support from FUSA membership. There couldn’t be a better illustration of solidarity! We simply wouldn’t have gotten it done without our strength in numbers. More detail will be forthcoming, but here are some highlights from what FUSA President Sherry Sipple notes as “the largest wage increase we have had in over 15 years”:

1. A 12.8% increase across the board to the faculty step pay system, to be implemented in full by August 2023-2024.
2. An initial pay adjustment of $1,570 to the 2022-2023 salary schedule, to be paid to eligible faculty in June 2023.
3. A 2023-2024 step increase for eligible full-time faculty. 
4. A second 2023-2024 step increase to replace the lost step from 2021-2022, for eligible faculty.
5. An increase in lab/simulation/workshop point values from 8 to 9 points per contact hour in 2023-2024; an increase to all lab/simulation/clinical/workshop point values to 10 points in 2024-2025.

eDues

The conversion to eDues in response to SB 256 being signed into law is continuing. If you haven’t signed up for eDues, don’t hesitate. If there was ever a good reason to support your union it is right now. While legislators are trying to silence our collective voice FUSA has come through for its members. Let’s show the legislature we aren’t going anywhere by getting all of members converted by July 1st.

See our eDues page for more information. FUSA will be reaching out to the remaining members who haven’t completed the transition. If you aren’t a member yet, it’s easy to JOIN NOW. Submit your online enrollment form today. For more reasons why joining FUSA is the smart move for faculty, see our Membership page.

May FUSA Council Meeting

The next Council meeting will be held Friday, May 26th at 9:00 am at the Ybor campus in YLRC 305. All Faculty are welcome to attend.

It’s “fourth and inches” and we need a strong faculty showing to help us push this over the goal line. FUSA has heard from Administration. They are ready to the return the table with a proposal for economics. Come join FUSA as we work to resolve the impasse and to complete the 2022-2025 contract in time for the May 24^th BOT meeting.

• Bargaining is set for Tuesday, May 16, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m., Ybor Campus, YLRC 305. 

All faculty are encouraged to attend to show a united front!  (and if you haven’t seen it yet, take a look at the HCC faculty salary study.)

eDues

The eDues transition is progressing. Over 150 FUSA members have converted to eDues but we have more work to do. Recall that the governor has signed in to law SB 256 which prohibits employer deduction of union dues. It also mandates a minimum 60% threshold for union membership (more on this in the Legislative update below).

In order to save our union and our contract we need every member to convert to eDues. And we need to grow our membership. If you haven’t signed up you should have received a follow-up message in your work email. If you are looking to become a member, use the New Member Enrollment portal. See the following for more information:

• eDues Information
• Membership

Legislative Update

Mercifully, the 2023 Legislative session has concluded and it was not kind to educators in Florida. That said, the advocacy of UFF and FEA and members like you, managed to blunt some of the truly horrific provisions of some of these unnecessary and punitive bills targeting higher education and unions. Here are some updates and information from our parent chapters:

• SB 256 — FEA announced in a press conference last week they have filed a lawsuit against this unconstitutional law
• SB 266 (or HB 999) — Will cause irreversible harm to Florida’s higher education system
• UFF loses challenge to HB 233 “Viewpoint Discrimination” law after two year legal battle

Once again, Administration has proven nonpareil in the pursuit of kicking the can down the road. They refuse to bring meaningful proposals to the bargaining table. In fact, Administration again brought no economics proposal to address the impasse. FUSA came prepared to bargain, with a proposal based on the salary study Dr. Atwater asked for and long-stalled bargaining over. They gave no formal response to the proposal other than they had “wait until the Governor signs the budget.”

Return of Nothing Burger

You may recall the last bargaining session, called by Administration before impasse, resulted in them offering a Nothing Burger proposal. Well some months, an overwhelming vote of No Confidence, an impasse ruling, and a board directive later, Admin has outdone themselves. Despite repeated assurances that he would abide by an independent salary study and the strong desire of the board to resolve the issues of the impasse in a timely fashion, Dr. Atwater sent his team in, this time offering a Nothing Burger Royale (hold the cheese), with even more nothing for your paychecks.

FUSA remains committed to finding a resolution to the impasse that can be taken to the May 24 Board of Trustees meeting. FUSA again requests a strong faculty showing at the meeting. For more details on the bargaining session, please see the FUSA FLASH email (5-3-23) from FUSA President Sherry Sippel.

eDues News

As you have likely heard, the eDues transition is well underway. FUSA members are signing up for the safe & secure eDues system. Once signed up, dues deduction in the new system will begin after July 1.

Recall that the legislature passed a bill that limits public sector employers from deducting dues from payroll. This is a union-busting tactic aimed at making it harder to pay your dues. Also in the bill is a new 60% membership threshold to ensure union certification with the state, a punitive act by the legislature and Governor and why we need all members to covert to eDues to save our union and our contract. For more information, see our eDues page and feel free to contact FUSA with any questions.

JOIN FUSA

If you aren’t a member there is no better time to Join FUSA. You can join now and get free dues until August! New members also receive a $100 bonus to help with the first year’s dues. Dues are 1% of your base salary (does not include overloads, etc.).

• Join FUSA now
• If you have a colleague that isn’t a member, tell them what is at stake and put them in contact with a FUSA rep.

Bargaining will take place Tues 5/2 at the Ybor campus, YLRC 314 at 1:30. A large faculty presence is encouraged (and wear a red shirt if you have one). We are meeting at the Board’s direction to resolve our impasse issues. FUSA is committed to fighting for fair faculty wages; we willl see if administration is serious about resolving the impasse.

eDues news you can use!

We are making progress on our eDues transition with nearly 100 members signed up for eDues. The next goal is to have reach 200 converted by graduation this Friday, May 5. Let’s show the politicians that our our union has the collective strength to withstand their union busting tactics. Let’s not let them silence our voice!

You should have recieved an email from FEA “centralmembershipsystem” in your personal email. If you can’t find this email, contact Jeremy Bullian or Kristin Heathcock, the eDues point persons, and they will help get you converted! Go to our eDues page for more information.

Join FUSA

If you aren’t a member there is no better time than now to Join FUSA. You can join now and get free dues until August! New members also receive a $100 bonus to help with the first year’s dues. Dues are 1% of your base salary (does not include overloads, etc.).

• Join FUSA now
• If you have a colleague that isn’t a member, tell them what is at stake and put them in contact with a FUSA rep.

FUSA will be discussing the eDues transition at a Town Hall meeting this Thursday, 3:30pm. Please join us to find out the background behind the transition and just how fast, easy, and secure it is to switch over. We hope to see you there! Check your HCC email for an invite and link from FUSA president Sherry Sippel.

Action Alert

UFF President Andrew Gothard recently sent out a call to action on two companion bills (HB 999 / SB 266) that have great significance for higher education in Florida. While some of the extreme elements of the bills have been removed, to quote Gothard,

“Both bills will now come into alignment with deeply concerning language that still compels speech around the teaching of American history, bans funding for programs and groups (including student groups) that support critical race theory (CRT), mandates that the Board of Governors give instruction for the removal of CRT curriculum, limits the ability of accreditors to enforce rules around academic freedom and other issues, and mandates western-focused curriculum in general education courses. Of extreme concern is one new amendment that slipped into the bill language last week. SB 266 / HB 999 will ban grievance and arbitration proceedings for all faculty employment decisions, including termination, tenure and promotion, discipline, and more. This is a significant attack on our Florida constitutional right to collectively bargain, and it must be stopped in its tracks!“

While HB 999 was heard in committee today, there is still a chance to to take action on SB 266.

• With one click, tell all members of the Senate Fiscal Policy Committee to vote NO on SB 266: https://secure.ngpvan.com/Hf79mnMW30y35p85S-GEyw2
• Email Sen. Erin Grall, sponsor of SB 266, here by selecting the “Email this Senator” button on the left side of the page. You can also call (850) 487-5029.

Your voice is integral to the fight to stop the extreme agenda trying to remake and dismantle over a century of higher education integrity and rights. It is important to note that each bill has to pass a floor vote in their respective chamber to become law so we still have the opportunity to stop one or both bills. Stay tuned for updates about these bills and others affecting educators in Florida.

In Solidarity!

HB 999 & SB 266 – The evil twins

The legislative session has passed the halfway mark and legislators are back with HB 999 in the House and it’s companion bill in the Senate, SB 266. These bills are existential threats to higher education in Florida as we know it and would curb academic freedom, compell speech, gut tenure provisions, and place faculty hiring decisions into the hands of the Boards and administrators, just to name a few of awful items.

Included below is some information and resources recently sent out from UFF that allow you to make your voice heard. Take action against these awful bills!

• HB 999 is still stalled in the House due to our ongoing advocacy, but we are hearing reports that it may be in committee again as early as next week. Please take a few moments to use the link below to contact legislators and urge them to vote NO against this horrific attack on academic freedom, tenure, and the constitutional rights of students, faculty, and staff in Florida’s colleges and universities: Click here to oppose HB 999
  
• SB 266—the Senate companion to HB 999—is being heard in committee next week on Wednesday, 4/12 at 11:30 AM! Read how this bill will harm higher education and the Click here to oppose SB 266!

edues News

We’ve been providing periodic updates on the coming eDues transition. UFF is hard at work prepping for this monumental change. As you may recall, the Florida Legislature intends to outlaw public employer payroll deductions for union members by July 1, meaning you will no longer be able to pay your union dues through your paycheck. The bills also require 60% union membership or face decertification.

FUSA will be providing more information in addition to another Town Hall meeting (announcement forthcoming) to prep membership for this change. We will not let those pushing this bill in Tallahassee deter us from having a strong collective bargaining agreement and a powerful voice for higher education in Florida. We will control our own fate and do what we need to do to save our union, no matter what politicians throw at us!

In the meantime, visit our eDues page for more information, flyers, FAQs and a short video describing the eDues system.

Read coverage by Creative Loafing: Faculty union at Hillsborough Community College casts vote of ‘no confidence’ in college president

TAKE ACTION

Take action against HB 999 (and its companion bill SB 266) — the tenure eliminating, academic freedom infringing, horror show of a bill attacking higher education in Florida.

Don’t take our word for it, listen to what the American Historical Association has to say about it. Need a handy flyer pinpointing all of the awful features jammed into this bucket list attack on higher education? We’ve got one: Fact sheet on HB 999.

• Take Action against HB 999
• Take Action against SB 266
• Sign a petition organized by students opposing both

On March 22, FUSA members clad in their red shirts again descended on the monthly HCC Board of Trustees meeting to advocate for faculty. The persistent pressure we have kept on the Administration, Dr. Atwater, and the Board is starting to pay off.

Please see your work email for a FUSA Flash update in which FUSA President Sherry Sippel comments on the meeting. In short, after another strong showing of FUSA red shirts and statements to the Board, Chairperson Nancy Watkins addressed faculty concerns and the Vote of No Confidence by urging Dr. Atwater to convene a workshop aimed at finding a resolution before the end of the fiscal year.

There is more work to do but this is a clear sign of progress! FUSA will keep you up-to-date on any developments as they happen. Feel free to reach out to your campus reps or FUSA leadership with any questions. Below you will find all four compilations of Faculty BOT meeting statements:

• Faculty BOT Statements 3/22/23
• Faculty BOT Statements 2/22/23
• Faculty BOT Statements 10/6/22
• Faculty BOT Statements 8/24/22

edues is coming

If you haven’t heard about the switch to edues, please see our eDues campaign page dedicated to information about this critically important change to dues deduction for union members in Florida.

Get Involved & Fight for your UNion

• Tell House Committee members you oppose HB 999!
  • Fact sheet on HB 999 shared by Rep Eskamani’s office
• Consider donating to UFF PAC to help advocate for faculty in Florida