My dear Ghosts and Ghouls,
I'm sorry to report things are getting SCARY in bargaining.
Friday, 10/2 from 2:00-4:00PM is bargaining session #10.
Last Friday your FSU administration threatened to withhold signing Article 16 (health insurance) of the contract until the ENTIRE contract is closed, breaking a precedent they set as recently as last year. As the payroll deduction deadline is fast approaching for the health insurance subsidy,this would mean your health insurance would increase TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SIX DOLLARS until this matter is resolved.
The FSU administration is threatening us in this way because they are tired of bargaining. Well, we're tired too. Tired of 1/3 of our GAs being paid LESS than the minimum stipend because their departments are PRORATING them below the $15,600 minimum set in our contract (already outrageously low). We're tired of paying for fees for facilities we can't even USE right now because of COVID-19. We're tired of doing double the work throughout these entire past 6 months of chaos and receiving half the pay we deserve.
But just because we are tired doesn't mean we are going to stop fighting.
We need you to SHOW UP this Friday and send the message to FSU administration that they cannot THREATEN us into sacrificing the stipends and fee relief our GAs DESERVE. They cannot RENEGE on a promise to cover the rising costs of health insurance during a GLOBAL PANDEMIC. And if they're so TIRED of bargaining, maybe they should show up on time, prepared with responses to our articles, instead of taking fifty minute caucuses to discuss an article they've had for weeks, or worse,not returning a SINGLE counter-offer on fees and tuition waivers, an article they've had for NINETY-EIGHT straight days.
Look, you know the deal by now.Send me your impact statements, send me your questions and concerns. But you know what, if you haven't shown up to a single bargaining session yet: now's the damn time.FSU administration just asked your collective bargaining unit to shut up and stop asking for money, like we're little orphan Oliver begging for more, and they did it by reaching into YOUR pockets and grabbing $236 of money THEY ALREADY PROMISED.
Are you going to just let them do that to you???
In Solidarity,
Vincenza Antonetta Berardo
Chief Negotiator, UFF-FSU-GAU
Ph.D. Candidate
Philosophy Department
Florida State University
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