Below is a brief summary of the main provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for 2013-2016 signed by the UFF-UF and BOT negotiating teams last Friday. For the agreement to go into effect, it must be ratified by both the faculty in the bargaining unit and the BOT. You will have an opportunity for an up or down vote. (Details of the ratification vote process will be sent to you and will also be posted on the web site.) A more detailed summary of the CBA will be posted on the UFF-UF website soon, as will the complete CBA itself.
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- The articles in the previous CBA on academic freedom, layoff, grievance, tenure and promotion and most other matters affecting faculty rights and working conditions remain in effect and are, in some instances, strengthened.
- Salaries
i) A total salary increase of 5%, effective 1 October 2013, to include a $1400 raise for faculty members whose regular salary is $40,000 or less and a $1000 raise for those with higher salaries. These increases are limited to those who have a satisfactory annual evaluation for 2012-13.
ii) In addition, there is to be a merit pool of 3.85%, to be distributed according to departmental merit criteria.
iii) In establishing merit increases, all research, teaching, and service activity since the 2010 merit increases must be considered.
iv) The deadline for grievance regarding salary is 60 days from the receipt of first paycheck at the new rate.
- Promotion raises 9% to be effective at the beginning of individual’s annual appointment.
- Other than the promotion raises, these increases to be effective 1 October 2013.
- Minimum salary for summer appointments regularized at 12.5% of annual salary for a 3-credit course (proportional for lower or higher credit-hour courses).
- Salary raise for PKY for 2013-2104: $2000. New supplement schedule added, including degree supplements.
Research support:
- Awards
The sabbatical and professional development programs have been revised to provide choices suited to the diverse research and development needs of the faculty, including a pilot program for an alternative sabbatical (which incorporates parts of the previous Faculty Enhancement Opportunity program).
The university will offer 50 two-semester full-pay sabbaticals and 40 one-semester full-pay sabbaticals each year for tenured faculty with six years of full-time service. (The pattern of applications pattern may modify this distribution, but no fewer than 140 semesters of sabbatical leave is to be allocated).
The university will allocate $500,000 per year for the alternative sabbaticals pilot program for tenured faculty in the bargaining unit.
There will be a program of professional development awards offering one semester of leave at full pay or a mutually acceptable alternative for faculty who are not tenured or in the tenure track, including PKY faculty. The number of these awards is one for each 20 eligible faculty members.
The alternative sabbatical pilot program is for research and development that does not require a one- or two-semester sabbatical. The professional development award has also been expanded to include possibilities different from the one-semester full-pay award, such as a summer stipend, internship support, or other activities that do not fit a standard semester schedule.
- Process
Faculty may apply for only one of the programs for which they are eligible: two-semester sabbatical, one-semester sabbatical, alternative sabbatical, or professional development award.
Sabbatical proposals, once they have been recommended for funding by the chair, elected college committee, and the dean, are funded in order of those with the most years of service since a previous sabbatical until allocated funds are exhausted. In the case of a tie with allocated funds remaining, the college committee will rank those proposals.
Alternative sabbatical proposals, once they have been recommended for funding by the chair and the elected college committee, will be forward to a bargaining-unit-wide elected committee that will determine the number and specifics of the awards.
Professional development awards, once they have been recommended for funding by the chair and the college committee, will be decided by the dean.
Parental Leave
The pilot program ended with the previous contract. The university has agreed to a paid leave of six weeks for either or both parties for the birth, adoption or placement of a child in foster care of the employee. This leave must be paid back within a six-year period from the leave hours available to the faculty member. If a faculty member resigns before paying back the leave owed, the remaining balance will be taken by the university before any eligible pay-out.
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I ask you to join me in thanking the members of our faculty bargaining team, John Leavey, Pradeep Kumar and Sumi Helal, for the many months of hard work they have devoted to arriving at this result.
Sincerely,
John Biro
President, UFF-UF