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UFAS Updates

TTC and YOU: How UFAS Can Help

The UFAS Compensation and Benefits Committee (CBC) wants to thank everyone who responded to our survey last month about the TTC experience. It seems that many of us are able to negotiate position descriptions and titles that we think are suitable for the jobs we actually do. But it is clear from the survey that often it requires much back-and-forth between us and our supervisors or HR. In other words, we must advocate for ourselves—and for our colleagues.

The survey also revealed that not everyone is satisfied. There are still significant clusters of workers on campus, including academic staff, who are not placed in the titles that correspond to the jobs they perform and the duties they have. If you are still in what HR calls the “job title process” and haven’t been given a title that suits your job, there are at least two things you can do: first, advocate for yourself using this tip sheet that your UFAS colleagues put together. Second, come to a CBC meeting (every other Wednesday at 4 p.m., email Parthy Schachter or Anya Paretskaya for the Zoom link) to share your experience, get advice, and get connected to people with similar experiences. You can also contact us privately if your situation requires confidentiality.

As you probably know, there will be an appeals process later this year (towards the end of the fall semester) for those who do not receive titles they believe are appropriate for their duties and responsibilities. UFAS is communicating with the UW-Madison OHR to make the appeals process fair and transparent. We are also preparing materials and people power to help our colleagues in this process. Get in touch with us if you want to be prepared for the appeals—for yourself and your coworkers.

Our survey also revealed deep dissatisfaction with the lack of transparency of the TTC Project and especially transparency about salary structure (about half of those who took the survey commented on this). While the administration has tried to justify the TTC with promises of “competitive and equitable compensation” for our work, the university administration has not yet released salary ranges for the job titles that we’d have come November. This is a bad-faith practice that does not instill confidence in many of those who took the survey that the compensation would be equitable and adequate. The CBC has filed an open-records request for this information, as we believe it should be available to all as we review our job responsibilities and accept new titles.

If you have concerns or ideas about the TTC Project, need help or want to help others through this process, come to the CBC’s meetings: July 21, August 4, and August 18 (dates for meeting during the semester are TBD).

Introducing Your New Steering Committee

The UFAS Steering Committee had a retreat on July 10 to discuss big picture goals for the union: strategizing how to grow our membership and organize other campus workers, power-mapping our connections with other campus labor unions, labor organizations, and activist groups to continue to build solidarity, and planning some member engagement opportunities. (Keep reading for details about an upcoming UFAS picnic!)

This year’s Steering Committee includes Katherine Charek Briggs and Jason Lee (Co-Presidents), Emily Reynolds (Secretary), Hannah Eldridge (Treasurer), Anya Paretskaya (Compensation & Benefits Committee Chair), Michael Childers (Grievance Committee Chair), and Clare Michaud (Equity & Diversity Committee Chair).

Image caption: Katherine, Clare, Emily, Michael, Anya, Hannah, and Jason discussing UFAS goals and strategies for the year at the Steering Committee Retreat.

Mark Your Calendars for the UFAS Picnic

Join your UFAS colleagues at Brittingham Park on September 12, from noon-5 p.m. to picnic and get to know each other. Families are welcome, too! Keep an eye out for more details coming later this summer.

UFAS Members Endorsed Two Important Documents About Returning to Campus

Remote Work Needs to Stay

The UW-Madison Graduate School’s Engagement, Equity & Diversity Committee produced the Report on Remote/Flexible Work Policies creating a better workplace for all: the data and research done in these areas indicate that having remote and flexible work policies in place is important to the institution successfully recruiting and retaining employees, but that it is to the betterment of marginalized employees across the axes of gender, race, and disability. This report has been distributed to our campus administrative leaders, in the hopes of influencing smart decision-making to create a better work environment for all employees. UFAS endorsed this report at the June 14 GMM. If you are experiencing any issues or difficulty with remote or flexible work in your department, please reach out to us.

We Urge Required Vaccines for Campus Workers, Students

UFAS members wrote a letter to the UW System Board of Regents urging leadership to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for UW System schools and to follow the recommendations put forth by the American Colleges Health Association (ACHA), of which UW System schools are members. The letter expresses many of the same concerns as the Report on Remote/Flexible Work Policies: the call to return campus operations to normal without mandated vaccines and more flexible policies around remote work will continue to put campus members at risk, while failing to address worker needs.

UFAS Mutual Aid Fund

The switch to a bi-weekly pay schedule means that we will miss a paycheck in July, which could put many campus workers in a place of financial precarity. UFAS provides a mutual aid fund to its members to fight austerity politics with our own resources to support each other. UFAS members can request funds once per month, up to $300 per month. We cannot emphasize enough: you should not feel guilt, shame, or uncertainty about applying. The request form is here.

Meet a Member: Page Metcalf

Each month, we’ll be featuring a different UFAS member in this section, as a way to get to know each other, especially while we’re organizing virtually.

Tell us a bit about your involvement with UFAS and the labor movement.

I was excited when I accepted my job at UW-Madison five years ago because it was the first time I’d be able to join a labor union. I spent the first few years organizing with AFSCME 2412, the union for university staff. Then, when I was reclassified into an academic staff position, I joined UFAS. My union is an important part of my life.

Right now, I’m working on figuring out how to help our colleagues across UW who are confused and concerned about the TTC process. And, I’m always trying to build our collective power by talking to my coworkers about our union.

What do you do at UW-Madison?

At UW, I’m involved in supporting researchers in the College of Engineering. My office works on promoting industrial outreach, large-scale federal grant proposals, and helps researchers start new centers of excellence. My job is to run a grantmaking program, keep track of data and write a lot of reports, and manage budgets.

What’s something you enjoy doing in your free time?

I love free time! You can find me backstage running live local theater, or trying to do a handstand, or watching the Bucks in the NBA Finals (!!!). Right now, on top of my full-time job at UW, I’m also a full-time grad student, so free time is precious and rare.

Photo caption: My sister Katie Zaman and I hanging out at a hometown bar. Katie taught me why unions are important, and showed me why we need to build solidarity and worker rights to promote a just society.

ULC Summer Retreat and Fun Times

Join the University Labor Council (ULC) for a summer retreat on July 24 from 12-6 p.m. and July 25 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.! All UW workers are welcome and encouraged to attend! If you’re a worker at UW, you’re a part of the ULC (the folks who brought us the Moral Restart last year) and we hope you will join us. It’ll be a great opportunity to get to know workers across sectors and across campus.

• Day 1: the focus will be on community building. Activities will create opportunities for workers to gripe about work in a productive and cathartic manner. Afterwards, we want to create a chill environment for folks to hang out.

• Day 2: We will present attendees with 5 campaign options for how we’ll use our collective energy — modeled on successful campaigns at other universities. Our aim is for attendees to recommend one to the ULC, followed by lunch.

Please RSVP here, and indicate if you have dietary restrictions or needs for the day (daycare, large-print materials, translation/interpretation, anything else) and we’ll work with you to make it happen.

Celebrate Unionism at Labor Fest

The South Central Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO invites you to Labor Fest 2021, on September 6, from noon-5:30 p.m. at the Madison Labor Temple (1602 S. Park Street). The event will include live music by The Periodicals and Cris Plata with Extra Hot, and there will be a Solidarity Roll Call to recognize the labor unions in our community. This event is for those who are vaccinated, age 12 and over.

Donate to SCFL’s Labor Relief Fund

SCFL’s Labor Relief Fund will help workers who have been laid off, furloughed, or lost their jobs during the COVID-19 crisis. Checks can be made out to “Community Labor Working Together” or “CLWT”. Write “Labor Relief Fund” on the memo line and mail to: South Central Federation of Labor, 1602 S. Park St, #228, Madison, WI 53715. You can also donate online here.

UFAS Event Calendar

Steering Committee Meetings: July 21, 6-7 p.m. (meets every other Wednesday)

Equity & Diversity Committee Meetings: Every Tuesday, 5-6 p.m. For Zoom details, email ufas.edc@gmail.com. Current focus: education around campus police abolition, and the AbolitionUW book club.

Academic Workers’ Rights Campaign Meeting: July 21, 4-5 p.m. (meets every other Wednesday). To join, email Parthy Schachter or Anya Paretskaya.

General Membership Meeting: August 26, 5 p.m. | https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84011416487, Meeting ID: 840 1141 6487, Passcode: 635879