Salem MSCA Newsletter
MSCA/Salem Chapter - Pat Johnston, Editor - Kathleen Ell, Production Manager
 
 

October 4, 1999

President's Message - Pat Markunas
As is typical, there is good news and bad news from the bargaining table.  The good news: promotions, chairs stipends, and terminal degrees will be paid, including equity adjustments for last year and this year.  The bad news:  progress on the next three-year contract was minimal despite four long days of meetings.  See the reports below.

The MSCA Board of Directors is planning a large-scale demonstration at the November Board of Higher Education meeting.  Mark your calendars now:  Tuesday, November 16th, at 9:00 am at Bridgewater State College.  It is hoped that a longer lead-time to encourage members to attend will increase much needed participation.  Further details will follow.

In addition, the MSCA Board of Directors is awaiting management's response to its proposal that all unit members receive professional development monies for this academic year, before governance committees will be convened for this year.  The parties will meet on Friday to consider the MSCA's proposal as well as other items of local concern.

Bargaining Report–Paul McGee
Although we bargained intensely with the Board of Higher Education (meeting four times in five days), we did not progress to the level we hoped to reach. The meetings focused on four issues: governance, post-tenure review, merit pay, and salary.  At the fourth meeting, we presented a proposal with significant changes to governance and a comprehensive salary package, which the representatives of the Board of Higher Education indicated would take time to analyze. Therefore, bargaining sessions have been scheduled for October 22nd and 27th.

On a positive note, on September 30th the parties signed a Memorandum of Agreement authorizing payment of the following:

a. Academic promotions  -- any member of the bargaining unit who was promoted with effect on September 1, 1999 shall have his/her annual salary rate, as it existed on August 31, 1999, increased in an amount equal to five percent (5%) or Two Thousand Dollars and forty-four cents ($2,000.44), whichever is greater, retroactive to August 29, 1999.

b. Terminal degrees -- any member of the bargaining unit, who first secured a terminal degree after the date of hire, on or after September 1, 1997, shall, with effect on the September 1 next ensuing, have his/her annual salary increased by an amount equal to Two Thousand Dollars and forty-four cents ($2,000.44).  Any salary increase payable with effect on September 1, 1998 shall take effect on August 30, 1998, and any salary increase payable with effect on September 1, 1999 shall take effect on August 29, 1999.  This provision does not apply to any members who received credit for a terminal degree on their Appendix O (Salary Formula) at the time of hire, or any member who received a terminal degree after September 1, 1999.

c. Department chairs -- any member of the bargaining unit who is or has been employed as a department chair during the academic year 1999-2000 shall, for each academic semester in such year, be paid a stipend in the amount equal to Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), pro-ration for department chairs who serve for less than the whole of any academic semester.

d. Equity -- after the academic promotions and/or terminal degree adjustment are made, individual salaries will be subject to the equity formula in Article XIIIA of the collective bargaining agreement on the appropriate date.  This provision applies to members promoted effective 9/1/98, as well.

It is not known when payments will be made to those individuals in the promotions and terminal  degree groups.  When we are informed of this date, we will notify all affected members at the same time.  Worksheets will be provided so that members will be able to verify their adjusted salaries and retroactive payments.

Also on September 30th, the parties signed a second Memorandum of Agreement applicable to our librarians.  On July 1, 1999, every full-time member of the bargaining unit who is employed to work a twelve (12) month work year shall be credited with three (3) personal leave days which may be taken during the following eighteen (18) months at a time or times requested by the employee and approved by the Vice President.  Beginning on January 1, 2000 and on each January 1st thereafter, every member of the bargaining unit who is employed to work a twelve (12) month work year shall be credited with three (3) personal leave days which may be taken during the following twelve (12) months at a time or times requested by the employees and approved by the Vice President.

I will keep you informed of any developments.

Unit Member Status For Part-Time Day Faculty- Bill Mahaney
Once a part-time day faculty member becomes a unit member, that individual must continue to teach every semester to maintain status as a day unit member.  Such continuous service can be interrupted for only three reasons: (1) if the interruption is caused by management (e.g., you are not offered a course to teach); (2) if the interruption is for study toward a graduate degree "as approved by the Vice President" (such approval should be sought ahead of time); and (3) if the interruption is "caused by injury, illness, or pregnancy."  Please remember that, in each case, the interruption can be for one semester only.

You will lose your day unit status if you are offered a course to teach but decline to do so for any reason other than (2) or (3) above. You cannot interrupt your continuous service and maintain your day unit member status if you decline to teach because you want to travel to Europe that semester, or you want to take some graduate courses not part of a degree program, or you find the time you would teach to be inconvenient for any reason, or you don't like the course you were asked to teach.

Any part-time unit member who has questions about interrupting continuous service should consult the Salem Chapter/MSCA as soon as the possibility arises.  (This requirement does not apply to any faculty or work in DGCE).
 

Update On Student Evaluations for Fall 1999-Bill Mahaney
(1) The parties to the contract have not yet reached any agreement regarding student evaluations for the fall 1999 semester.
(2) Until the parties reach agreement, there is no acceptable way to conduct student evaluations.
(3) Vice President Hamilton has informed the Salem Chapter/MSCA that the College will not order the new IDEA forms until an agreement is reached regarding their use.
(4) It is the position of the Salem Chapter/MSCA that if student evaluations are not conducted for fall 1999, the absence of such evaluations cannot be used negatively against any unit member in his/her future evaluations.

Department Chairs' Workshop
Pat Markunas and Bill Mahaney will meet with department chairs about contractual issues important to chairs.  This workshop will be held on Monday, October 18th, at 11:30 am in the Presidential Dining Room.  The workshop is open to all interested members, but you are asked to call the Chapter Office at x6366 if you plan to attend, so that lunch and appropriate materials can be provided.

Web Pages Are Now Available For Both The Salem Chapter and State MSCA! - Nancy George, Chapter WebMaster
The MSCA page - http://www.gis.net/~kiml/index.html - will be offering information such as the 1995-98 BHE/MTA Contract, the MSCA Constitution, the MSCA Board of Directors and Officers directory, the MSCA Board of Directors Meetings Calendar, minutes of the Board of Directors’ meetings, the MSCA budget, the Board of Higher Education meetings calendar, legislative reports, bargaining updates, and bargaining proposals.

The MSCA/Salem Chapter’s page -http://www1.shore.net/~ngeorge/msca.htm- contains many resources of interest to our members.  You may also access the Chapter's WebPage through a link on the Salem State College WebPage.  Included are committee directories; minutes of meetings of the Salem Chapter/MSCA; a calendar of MSCA/Salem Chapter events; directories of local legislators and the SSC Board of Trustees; and links to the MSCA contract, Massachusetts newspapers, and state or national organizations such as the MTA, NEA, and MSCA.  Please send comments and suggestions to Nancy George, the MSCA/Salem Chapter’s web coordinator, at nancy.george@salem.mass.edu.

Salem/MSCA Home

Salem Chapter/MSCA e-mail: msca@salem.mass.edu

Revised 10/26/99
URL: http://www1.shore.net/~ngeorge/msca1049.htm