------------------------------------------------------------ Graduate Assistants United eNewsletter Vol. 3, No. 2, September 24, 2003 http://www.ufgau.org ------------------------------------------------------------ You are being sent this newsletter because GAU represents you in employment matters as a Graduate Assistant at the University of Florida. GAU is your voice for improving workplace issues. ============================================================ IN THIS ISSUE: Out-of-State Tuition Waivers GAU Picnic Pay Raise GAU Happy Hour GAU Organizing Drive International Student Fee Q & A ============================================================ OUT OF STATE TUITION WAIVERS Tuition waivers for graduate assistants are specified in the collective bargaining agreement, which states that if there are insufficient funds to pay for everybody's tuition waiver, then returning graduate assistants have priority for getting their tuition waiver over new graduate assistants. All current graduate assistants will be classified as returning graduate assistants next semester if they are still doing work as graduate assistants. The University previously announced a unilateral change to the tuition waiver policy, and we believe is not legal for the University to make unilateral changes to the agreement. However, it turns out that apparently the University is not enforcing the new policy this Fall. Perhaps they realize that we already have provisions for tuition waivers in our agreement and that they can't legally make unilateral changes. The real solution to this problem is for ALL graduate assistants, including international students, to be charged only the in-state rate. The GAU lobbyists have been active last year trying to change State laws to allow this change. Last March, GAU made a presentation to the UF Board of Trustees asking for their support for this change as well. The text of this presentation is available online at http://www.ufgau.org/fg/BOTMarch282003.pdf The collective bargaining agreement is also online, see article 12.2(a) http://www.ufgau.org/2001contract.shtml GAU PICNIC GAU will once again hold a picnic to welcome all new and returning graduate assistants. This picnic will be held Sunday, September 28, from 1 PM-4 PM, at Lake Wauburg, North Pavillion. Food will be served at 1:30 PM. Bring a guest, the whole family, and a dish to pass if you wish to. There will be swimming, volleyball, sailing, canoeing, and other recreational activities available. No alcohol or pets, please. You will need one Gator One card per car for entry. Lake Wauburg is located approximately 8 miles south of University Avenue on 13th Street (US 441). Picnic flier is online at http://www.ufgau.org/fg/GAUpicnic2003.pdf PAY RAISE The Florida Legislature approved a 2.0% pay increase for graduate assistants at the State's 3 unionized campuses, namely UF, USF, and FAMU. This pay raise takes effect December 1, based on the November 30 rate of pay for all eligible employees. Eligible employees refer to those ..."who are, at a minimum, meeting their required performance standards." Last year, GAU (with the support of the hundreds of GA's who heeded GAU's call to sign the grievance forms) settled a grievance that gave the pay raise to 1,207 graduate assistants who formerly did not receive the pay raise. It is unclear at this time how the University Administration will interpret the eligibilty for the raise this year. Stay tuned. Text of Legislative Appropriations (page 345 and 346): http://www.flsenate.gov/data/session/2003A/senate/appbills/pdf/confrept.pdf Text of last year's grievance settlement: http://www.ufgau.org/fg/settlement.pdf GAU HAPPY HOUR The GAU Happy Hour is back by popular demand. Come meet and socialize with your fellow graduate assistants on Wednesdays, from 6 PM - 8 PM at the Shamrock, 1017 West University Avenue. The Shamrock is located within walking distance of much of campus, just a few blocks east of 13th Street on University Avenue. GAU ORGANIZING DRIVE After over 20 years of negotiating with GAU, the University Administration is refusing to negotiate a new contract with GAU. They have agreed though, to recognize GAU when we collect signed authorization cards from over 50% of the graduate assistants at UF. We are well into that effort already. If you have not yet signed an authorization card or would like to volunteer to help collect these cards, please call the GAU office at 392-0274. The more volunteer hours spent with this organizing drive, the sooner we can negotiate a new contract and the stronger our union will be. http://www.ufgau.org INTERNATIONAL STUDENT FEE For those who remember last Fall, the University unilaterally imposed a $50 fee per semester (Fall and Spring) for International Students. This fee was imposed without a public hearing and was also imposed retroactively after the Fall semester already started. GAU has objected strenuously to this fee since it's inception. Last Fall, GAU was the voice for 1,300 people who signed an online petition protesting this fee, and about 350 people who attended the protest rally at the Plaza of the Americas. GAU is now pursuing legal strategies, with the help of the union's legal staff, to either revoke this fee or at least force the University to hold a public hearing about the fee. More to follow. Q & A Q: Why isn't GAU supporting the changes the administration wants concerning out-of-state tuition waivers? Aren't you being obstructionist? Isn't it better that GA's be forced to apply for in-state residency, so that the University can use that money saved to pay for higher salaries and health benefits for GA's? A: Actually, GAU does not have a problem with the University encouraging graduate assistants to apply for in-state residency if they are able. We do have several problems though with the policy as it was described earlier: * It was not negotiated with GAU, when the collective bargaining agreement already contains tuition waiver provisions. The purpose of a collective bargainng agreement is so that changes are negotiated to assure that all parties get a fair deal. Graduate assistants had no voice in this new policy. * No exceptions to the policy were explicated. Some GA's are able to obtain cheaper health or auto insurance by remaining a resident of another state. Some Ga's also prefer to retain their voting priviledges in another state. * No appeal procedure was explicated, let alone an appeal that is decided by an indpendent third party aribtrator, as is the case with contractual grievances. * It was not fair to enforce this new policy this Fall, when there were returning GA's who did not know of this policy and did not apply for residency last year (it takes approximately 12 months for the entire residency application process). * There is no evidence that the money saved would actually go to graduate assistants. Perhaps the money would be used to help pay for President Young's $93,200 raise he received last year? (President Young received a 36.2% pay raise to $350,000, while graduate assistants received only a 2.5% pay increase) * Is the time spent applying for residency to be part of a GA's job assignment? How many hours should be allotted for this? Likewise, if there are any fees associated with applying for residency, these fees should not have to come out of the GA's pocket. * The REAL solution to this problem is for the University and GAU to work together to change the laws so that ALL graduate assistants are charged in-state tuition and fees. ----------------------------------------------------------------- You are being sent this email because Graduate Assistants United represents you in University employment matters. If you would like to be added to the list, please send an email to GAU Co- President frank.goeddeke@cba.ufl.edu -----------------------------------------------------------------