Yesterday, we had an exciting and busy session, with 13 articles changing hands.
From our side:
- Grievance & Arbitration
- Employment Records
- PI Rights
- IP Rights
- Union Access and Rights
- Professional Standing
- Flexible Working Arrangements
From the administration:
- Access to Services
- Definitions
- Job Postings
- Employee Assistance Program
- Appointments and Reappointments (Time Caps)
- Protections from Abuse, Harassment and Discrimination
As always we invite you to RSVP to attend bargaining in-person or virtually for the February 24th or March 6th meetings. Show support by wearing a Button on Bargaining days (And let us know if you still need a button!).
Appointments and Reappointments
The administration moved from arbitrary time limits for all instructors to arbitrary time limits for an arbitrary subset of instructors. Namely, they proposed a new, indefinitely renewable Preceptor rank, but left Lecturers time-capped at 3 years, re-asserting the incoherent distinction between ‘skills-based’ and ‘disciplinary’ teaching that we’re seeking to eliminate.
This motion shows they are beginning to understand that time caps simply don’t make sense. Needless to say, while we are happy to get movement, we are not done. Especially since the administration wants to retain the option to arbitrarily fire teachers and researchers between appointments, and they would also force all current Preceptors to reapply for their own jobs.
Protections from Abuse, Harassment and Discrimination
The administration completely removed any contractual protections from their counterproposal, saying they “have covered the ground with these concerns through University-wide policies” addressing Abuse, Harassment and Discrimination. Of course, there is overwhelming evidence on the public record to the contrary, with Harvard being sued numerous times over exactly these issues. Even their own HESMA survey shows broad and growing mistrust of the built-in Harvard system.
The administration said we should rest assured that current policy and law will protect our workers from Abuse, Harassment, and Discrimination. In the context of eroding legal protections and a poor internal performance record, we will not agree to such a blatant lack of protections.
We have active working groups on both of these topics. Please email us at hawuawbc@gmail.com to join one or both of these groups and help plan our next steps to pressure the administration to continue moving on these important topics.
In Solidarity,
The Harvard Academic Workers FAS/HMS/HDS Bargaining Committee