The next time you are speaking to a colleague who is not in the Union, share some of these points of view.

• Why You Should Join
• Take an aptitude test
• How much is it?
• What's in it for me?
• Aren't I already in the Union

• Because the UFF negotiates with the FIU administration the collective bargaining agreement that determines our salaries and conditions and terms of employment
• Because more members means a stronger union and a better agreement
• Because the collective bargaining agreement has the status of law, and is therefore enforceable by the grievance and arbitration procedure
• Because without a grievance procedure, the only way to defend your rights would be for you to hire a lawyer and sue the university over issues like academic freedom, assignments, evaluations, leaves, tenure, discrimination, discipline, intellectual property rights, summer pay, and a host of others
• Because without the union, the administration will impose a top-down corporate management structure, which would treat us as expendable employees, rather than the collegial governance approach the union is trying to defend
• Because membership brings a $1 million liability insurance policy, in case you are sued in connection with your job
• Because you have a free consultation with an attorney on non-employment related issues, and reduced attorney charges if you need to retain one
• Because you can save hundreds of dollars a year on your auto and home insurance
• Do your part in winning a decent collective bargaining agreement!
• Join!

Which of these diagrams best reflects the relationship between the number of union members and the quality of a contract?

1. The quality rises as the membership rises.
2. The quality decreases as the membership rises.

How much is 1% of salary?

Before the administration tried to disband the Union, we applied pressure to the Legislature to change a 2.5% bonus into a 2.5% raise.

When the administration was refusing to recognize UFF as the bargaining agent of the faculty, it granted salary increases to only a third of the faculty; worse, those recipients were chosen by administrators, not their faculty peers.

After the UFF won recognition, we bargained in May, 2005, a 4% across-the-board raise.

In the first locally-negotiated full bargaining agreement, ratified in spring, 2006, in addition to the 3.6% increase from the legislature, we won an additional 1.4% merit raise, allocated by democratically determined committees of faculty in each department.

We also negotiated that we be paid 12.5% of our 9-month salary for the first summer course, 11% for the second, and at least $5,775 for the third.

The bargaining agreement ratified also increased promotion raises from the previous 9% to 10% for Associate Profs and 12% for Full Profs.

We added "sexual orientation" to the discrimination article, increased the number of sabbaticals available, etc.

For 2006-2007, UFF bargained a 2% across-the-board raise retroactive to December, 2006, in addition to the 3% raise from the legislature.

For 2007-2008, in addition to the $1000 bonus from the legislature, bargaining is still proceeding. And we are still bargaining raises for 2008-2009.

Aren't I already covered by the Union

Yes. The Union at FIU is an open shop, meaning that every faculty member is covered by the collective bargaining agreement without becoming a member of the Union. However, if everyone did this , then there would be no Union. This is particularly true now. We are now a separate entity unto ourselves. We bargain directly with the Board of Trustees. We no longer have the power of a large statewide membership behind us at the bargaining table. The only membership that will affect the Board of Trustees is the number of members at FIU.

The Union Contract covers a lot more than salary

• Academic Freedom
• Nondiscrimination
• Self Governance
• Greivance Process