Faculty United Service Association

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the FUSA bargaining team and Council, I am writing to give you an update regarding impasse. 

Our strategic, persistent, and well-executed approach to bargaining with the Administration has paid off.  Dr. Atwater has heard us and has agreed to start the salary study, pay the step for 2022-2023 retroactive to August 2022, and increase overload to $76/point effective in January 2023.  These items will be implemented while the impasse hearing is still pending.

It is important to note that his decision follows months of activism by FUSA leadership and concerned faculty members who gathered to address the Board of Trustees for the past three months.  In addition, on November 29, FUSA initiated the process for a new class action grievance against the College for failure to pay the 2022-2023 step.  On November 30, FUSA Council met with Dr. Atwater and told him, among other things, that faculty morale was continuing to decline, and many faculty were reassessing their voluntary contributions to the College above their contractual requirements.  The next day, the Administration contacted us to say, “Dr. Atwater heard you.”

The step and overload increases will be paid after being ratified by the faculty at the January 5, 2023 in-service and approved by the Board of Trustees.  A draft of the memorandum of understanding with the details will be sent to all faculty before the vote.

While this is an intermediate “win” for faculty, FUSA will continue to focus its efforts on getting the 2021-2022 step reinstated and getting the pay ranges and lab points addressed at the impasse hearing. 

I would like to express my appreciation to the members of the bargaining team and Council who collectively have spent thousands of hours to date working on negotiations and grievances.  In addition, I would like to thank the faculty.  Without your support, without our high percentage of members, FUSA wouldn’t have the leverage with Administration that we have now.

In Solidarity,

Sheryl Sippel
Faculty United Service Association (FUSA) President

The United Faculty of Florida (UFF) are asking you—our local, statewide, national, and international allies—to help defend tenure and academic freedom from attacks on the working, teaching, and learning conditions of Florida’s higher education community. Right now, the Florida Board of Governors is considering a regulation that will virtually eliminate tenure in the state’s university system. One of the ways you can support our fight is by signing this petition and sharing it widely among your family, friends, colleagues, and community allies. UFF will present this petition and the full list of signatures directly to the Board of Governors as part of our ongoing collective actions to stop this regulation in its tracks.

 Please sign the petition and stand in solidarity with us today!

Read the FUSA President’s update on the recent Nov. 4 bargaining session:

Dear Colleagues,

On November 4, the FUSA bargaining team met with the Administration to hear their counter-proposal to economics.  

Recall that at the July 15, 2022 bargaining session:

1. The Administration rejected all of FUSA’s previous proposals for Article 14.2, and offered only a step for 2022-2023 (with a permanent loss of the 2021-2022 step), no pay range increases, $0 increase to overload, and reopeners for 2023 and 2024.
2. FUSA offered the attached counter proposal for Article 14.2.A/B that would return the lost 2021-2022 step and increase the pay ranges over a 3 year contract, which the Administration rejected. 

After FUSA filed for impasse, the Administration said they wanted to conduct a salary study before considering any pay range increases.   FUSA responded that they welcomed a salary study but the Administration would need to present another economics proposal.  

On Friday, the Administration presented their counter proposal.  It was the same offer they made previously of a single step increase and a salary study, with the only change being the addition of a $1 per point increase to overload.

It is apparent that Dr. Atwater does not intend to move from his June 2022 budget of only a 1-step increase to faculty and no pay range increases.  The FUSA bargaining team rejected the Administration’s offer and we remain at impasse.   The impasse hearing is set for January 11, 2023.

Again, FUSA did urge the Administration to begin the salary study while the impasse hearing is pending.  The Administration stated they would not move forward with the salary study unless FUSA dropped the impasse.   

Thanks to all the faculty who came Friday to show their support.  The FUSA bargaining team will keep everyone posted with any updates.

Sincerely,

Sheryl Sippel
Professor of Math
FUSA President

FUSA will meet with Administration for contract negotiations on Friday, November 4, 2022, 9:00AM – 4:00PM. The session will take place in the Ybor City Learning Resource Center, YLRC, room 305.

Read the latest issue of the FUSA Informant newsletter!

The FUSA Council will hold its regular monthly meeting on Friday, October 28th at 9 a.m. at the Ybor campus, room YLRC 305. Guests are welcome to attend Council Meetings.

Midterm elections are almost here! Visit the FEA Voter Toolkit before you mail your ballot, vote early, or go to the polls on Nov 8!

United Faculty of Florida has put together a Special Election Newsletter for members. It includes information and key recommendations for statewide races, FL Supreme Court justices, and amendments. You can find it here:

• UFF 2022 Voter Guide

FUSA’s second Call to Action was another successful show of solidarity! After rescheduling due to the Hurricane Ian closure, the HCC Board of Trustees met on Thursday, Oct. 6th at the District offices on Davis Islands. Nearly 20 faculty showed up on short notice. Eight faculty members addressed the board and another 17 provided written statements. Please find these statements attached below.

In addition, the Tampa Bay Times is covering the impasse along with recent Creative Loafing reporting on the impasse.

In case you missed it, we also posted the statements from FUSA’s initial call to action and photos.

Creative Loafing recently reported on the contract impasse between FUSA and Administration. Read the full article here:

‘Morale doesn’t pay the bills’: Hillsborough Community College faculty, administration at impasse over pay talks

This election will be monumental in its impact on the future of higher education in Florida. Not only is there a Senate race on the ballot but the governorship as well. It is imperative that we encourage all members, faculty, friends, students, and family to register and then vote this coming November. To that end we have some information to share with you.

United Faculty of Florida believes in supporting pro-public education, pro-public employee candidates up and down the ballot. Pro-Education leadership in our state would have an immediate impact on all campuses across Florida, with a change in the Board of Governors and appointed Board of Trustees of our colleges and universities.

Prioritizing pro-education candidates in all down ballot races will aid in changing the face of the Florida Legislature, which has dealt some hard hits to our education system in FL, both higher ed and K-12.

Things you can do & share with your classes

• UFF General Election Guidance
  • includes important legal dos & don’ts for sharing information with students
• Why reach out to our students?
  • In 2018, the gubernatorial race was decided by only around 32,000 votes, the closest race for governor in the country during that cycle.
  • Student turnout in 2020 jumped to a record high 66%. With 86,00 members around the state we can mobilize even more students to vote.
    • Inside Higher Ed news article: “College Students Voted at Record-High Rate in 2020”
• Include a link in your email signature. Examples:
  • Are you #VoteReady? Register to vote | Check your status
  • 2022 Midterm Elections! Are you registered to vote? Find out!
  • Or, a simple URL: https://registertovoteflorida.gov/home
• Include a FUSA branded #UFFVotes background for Zoom
  • FUSA branded #UFFVotes background (square)
  • FUSA branded #UFFVotes background (rectangle)

Information for you and your friends and family

• UFF $10 to Win campaign
• Make a plan to Vote
• FEA Voter Toolkit
• Voting & Elections Information & Resources
• #UFFVotes
• Send a digital GOTV postcard

Things FUSA is doing

• Providing a conduit of communication between UFF & local members
• Communicating voting & election information to members
• Reaching out to membership to correct registration issues
• Organizing local GOTV activities

If you have any questions, or would like to know how to get involved, feel free to Contact Us.

The FUSA Council will hold its regular monthly meeting on Friday, September 23^rd at 9 a.m. at the Ybor campus, room YLRC 305. All Faculty are welcome to attend Council Meetings.

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