Part-time faculty seek access to benefits and job security
Vermont Business Magazine Following nine months of contract negotiations, United Academics, the University of Vermont's faculty union, said they and the UVM administration reached a state of impasse on Thursday for a new part-time faculty contract. UVM, for its part, said they are not at an impasse and the administration will continue to negotiate.
Part-time faculty at UVM are currently working under the terms of a contract that was set to expire in June 2021. The union said in a statement Thursday that nearly 18 months later, they are still operating in a state of uncertainty based on pre-pandemic working conditions with unprecedented inflation and cost of living increases.
The part-time bargaining unit at UVM includes over 100 lecturers, as well as part-time research, clinical, extension and library faculty.
“We are seeking basic job security and access to benefits for part-time faculty at UVM,” said Brian Tokar, a part-time lecturer in environmental studies at UVM for 14 years. “Many of us have been teaching for ten years or more, offering a wealth of knowledge and professional experience to our students, and still have no job security, nor access to fair benefits.”
Enrique Corredera, News and Information Director at UVM, said in response to the union statement, "From the university's standpoint we are not at impasse. The university intends to continue negotiating in good faith with the part-time faculty union."
The union seeks four weeks of prorated paid parental leave for part-time faculty, who currently have no access to this benefit. As a result, said union lead negotiator Katherine Elmer, “We have members who have had to forgo a full semester of teaching and income because they are pregnant, and we have members who have had to return to work just days after having a baby.”
Other benefits sought by the faculty union include consistent application of UVM’s annual appointment provision, which is intended to provide job security to lecturers with seniority. Part-time faculty teach essential courses, but most are hired on a semester-by-semester basis, regardless of their years of teaching experience and demonstrated excellence. State universities from Massachusetts and Connecticut to California commonly offer year-long and multi-year contracts to experienced part-time faculty members.
The union also said it is seeking modest employer retirement contributions for part-time faculty – currently, UVM offers none – and a wage increase that more closely reflects the current rate of inflation.
"I have taught every semester at UVM for 27 years, and UVM has never contributed toward my retirement,” said Clyde Stats, a part time faculty member in music. “Having recently retired from a position at another institution which included a matching employer contribution to retirement, it has become abundantly clear to me how important this benefit is. The Vermont State Colleges offer this benefit to part-time faculty; it’s only right that UVM part-time faculty should have this benefit as well.”
The parties have one further session scheduled with a federal mediator to assist with negotiations. The next stage of negotiations after mediation involves a fact-finder to determine fair contract terms.
UVM United Academics represents over 700 full-time and 100 part-time faculty at UVM and is affiliated with AFT Vermont, which represents 5000 higher education and healthcare professionals in Vermont, and AAUP: unitedacademics.org.
Burlington, Vt: 10.6.2022