• About
    • Our History
    • Why Labor Unions?
    • Budget and Procedures
    • FAQs
    • Executive Committee
    • Constitution & Bylaws
  • Our Contract
    • Collective Bargaining Agreement
    • Health Insurance
    • Bargaining Blog
    • Contract FAQ
    • Contract Enforcement
  • Advocacy
    • Fee Relief
    • Family & Child Care
    • Health & Dental Care
    • Mental Health
    • Graduate Housing
    • Racial Equity
    • HB7
  • Take Action
    • Join
    • Member Benefits
    • Get Involved
    • Events Calendar
  • Contact Us
    • Office Hours
    • Media Room >
      • News Stories
      • Press Releases
    • Partner With Us
    • Changing Your Membership
Graduate Assistants United at UF
  • About
    • Our History
    • Why Labor Unions?
    • Budget and Procedures
    • FAQs
    • Executive Committee
    • Constitution & Bylaws
  • Our Contract
    • Collective Bargaining Agreement
    • Health Insurance
    • Bargaining Blog
    • Contract FAQ
    • Contract Enforcement
  • Advocacy
    • Fee Relief
    • Family & Child Care
    • Health & Dental Care
    • Mental Health
    • Graduate Housing
    • Racial Equity
    • HB7
  • Take Action
    • Join
    • Member Benefits
    • Get Involved
    • Events Calendar
  • Contact Us
    • Office Hours
    • Media Room >
      • News Stories
      • Press Releases
    • Partner With Us
    • Changing Your Membership

BARGAINING BLOG

BARGAINING PROCESS
WATCH

Tell President Fuchs: #MOUNow!

4/16/2020

Comments

 
Fellow graduate assistants and allies,

This pandemic presents a choice to all of us. Graduate employees are depending on the University of Florida to institute fair standards and protections due to the disruption of academic and personal life caused by Coronavirus (COVID-19).

3 Ways to Support GAU​

Here’s how you can take action:​

Call, email, or tweet, President Fuchs and demand that he directs the Office of the Provost to immediately come to an agreement with GAU on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) including the following relief and protections for graduate employees:
  1. Suspension of all terminations and non-reappointments of graduate employees for failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress during the duration of the COVID-19 crisis.
  2. Provide additional paid personal time off for graduate employee parents who need to care for children kept home from school due to the COVID-19 crisis.
  3. Waive all graduate employee student fees for the Summer 2020 semesters.
Picture

Call President Fuchs

Click here to call President Fuchs. Call now to ensure President Fuchs supports graduate employees. 
Picture

Email President Fuchs

Ready to ensure the University protects its graduate employees? Email President Fuchs and tell him to support an MOU today!
Picture

Tweet President Fuchs

Tweet President Fuchs and tell him you demand that his administration supports an MOU with GAU!​ Use our social media templates to spread the word! #MOUNow
As president, Fuchs is responsible for the everyday operations of the University and for setting UF's goals and missions, including protecting its students and workers. Tell him you stand with GAU!

With Love,

GAU
Comments

Bargaining Update: April 8, 2020

4/11/2020

Comments

 
Fellow graduate assistants,

On Wednesday, April 8th, GAU's Bargaining Committee conducted an informational bargaining session on GatorGradCare with the President and Medical Director of GatorCare, Dr. Jill Sumfest. The purpose of the meeting was to receive information on GatorGradCare, so the administration and GAU can effectively negotiate health care coverage for our next collective bargaining agreement.

During the approximately two-hour virtual session, Dr. Sumfest provided detailed information on GatorGradCare's benefits, as well as the plan's medical, pharmacy, and financial performance over the past three years (the length of our contract). A video highlighting GatorGradCare and its current benefits is provided below. Dr. Sumfest also previewed possible benefit changes to GatorGradCare under a 2020-23 contract. Many of these proposed changes would make available benefits provided to other GatorCare members but not yet GatorGradCare members. Increases to premiums, deductibles, co-pays, and coinsurance were also suggested.

GAU's Bargaining Chair Javier Mesa and members of the Executive Committee pressed Dr. Sumfest on the consequences of the proposed changes, as well as the availability and cost of current benefits, such as online therapy from TalkSpace.

​GAU will continue to fight for quality and affordable health care services. Please comment below or send us an email at [email protected] if you have questions or concerns about health insurance.

With Love,
GAU Bargaining Committee
Comments

Bargaining Update: March 30, 2020

4/1/2020

Comments

 
Fellow graduate assistants,

On Monday, March 30th, GAU's Bargaining Committee conducted an impact bargaining session with UF's administration over the impacts of its emergency measures and mandates during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency. Impact bargaining is the process by which a labor union negotiates with the employer over the impacts of decisions they have made. In this case, GAU is bargaining over the impacts of the University's instructions to graduate employees during the current public health crisis. This includes physical and mental safety, family and child care, access to buildings, materials, and resources, availability of Graduate and Family Housing, compensation for increased work, and COVID-19 testing.

During the virtual bargaining session, which lasted roughly an hour, GAU's Bargaining Chair Javier Mesa presented University administrators with a memorandum of understanding (PDF), which is a document by which two parties can agree to binding terms. Over the course of the session, it became clear that administrators were not ready to come to an agreement. When pressed on his willingness to sign a memorandum of understanding at all, UF's Chief Bargainer Dr. Bill Connellan responded by saying: "Do I think that we're likely to come to a memorandum of understanding? Probably not at the current time."

​This is an extraordinary moment for our community and country. GAU will continue to work to represent and protect the interests of graduate employees. GAs deserve better, it's that simple.

Please watch our first impact bargaining session below or on our YouTube channel, and let us know what stands out to you. Is there a specific topic or argument that you believe we missed, a response from the Administration that angered you, or a topic of particular importance to you and your family? We have identified relevant segments below for viewing.

  • Provision 4 - Holding GA's Harmless for Online Transition (9:30-14:35)
    • Dr. Bill Connellan: "I'm not gonna do anything that would eliminate our ability to terminate someone who is not making satisfactory progress in their degree program."
  • Provision 7 - Increased Workload (35:00-38:36)
    • Dr. Bill Connellan, in response to a GAU proposal for $200 in GA compensation for increased work: "The answer to that is absolutely not..."
  • On bargaining for a memorandum of understanding (51:15-53:25)
    • Dr. Bill Connellan: "Do I think that we're likely to come to a memorandum of understanding? Probably not at the current time."

​In addition, during bargaining with UFF, Dr. Bill Connellan stated that the University is not responsible for caring for parent-GAs, ignoring the concerns of parent-GAs that they will be unfairly penalized for failing to maintain regular work hours due to caring for a child at home, a loved one, or themselves.
​
Please comment below or send us an email at [email protected]. We want to hear your feedback. We are your union, your voice.

With Love,
GAU Bargaining Committee
Comments

    BARGAINING

    Collective bargaining is the process by which labor unions negotiate with employers to reach a contract on terms of employment, including salary, health care, benefits, and workplace safety. Each year, GAU bargains with UF over such terms.

    Archives

    August 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    April 2023
    December 2021
    September 2021
    October 2020
    April 2020

    Categories

    All
    2020
    Call To Action
    Impact Bargaining
    Impact Bargaining 2020

    RSS Feed

Picture
Connect with GAU
[email protected]

Mailing Address
PO Box 112014
Gainesville, Florida 32611

Physical Address
Yon Hall 224
1908 Stadium Road
Gainesville, Florida 32611


Office Hours
View Schedule
Follow GAU
About GAU
Leadership
​
Media Room
Press Releases
​Events


Membership
Join Us!
Take Action
File a Grievance
​
Member Benefits
Cancel Membership
Copyright © 2002-21 Graduate Assistants United at the University of Florida. All rights reserved. Affiliated with United Faculty of Florida, Florida Education Association, National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, and AFL-CIO.
  • About
    • Our History
    • Why Labor Unions?
    • Budget and Procedures
    • FAQs
    • Executive Committee
    • Constitution & Bylaws
  • Our Contract
    • Collective Bargaining Agreement
    • Health Insurance
    • Bargaining Blog
    • Contract FAQ
    • Contract Enforcement
  • Advocacy
    • Fee Relief
    • Family & Child Care
    • Health & Dental Care
    • Mental Health
    • Graduate Housing
    • Racial Equity
    • HB7
  • Take Action
    • Join
    • Member Benefits
    • Get Involved
    • Events Calendar
  • Contact Us
    • Office Hours
    • Media Room >
      • News Stories
      • Press Releases
    • Partner With Us
    • Changing Your Membership