January 29, 2001 Dear Members: As you may have already heard, the parties settled the DGCE contract on January 24. The financial package is 3% on January 1 of each of the three years of the contract (beginning this semester). Language changes concern the definition of a graduate course, class size, and a standardization of the use of the course credit equivalency table, among others.
The MSCA Board of Directors will vote on a recommendation re: ratification at its meeting on February 2nd at Westfield State College. (The Board meeting will begin at 10:00 am, will be held in the Private Dining Room, Campus Center, and is open to all members in good standing.) We will recommend that the ratification vote be scheduled for Tuesday, February 27th, from 2:00 to 7:00 pm, at each local campus. A mailing with the contract changes and ratification information will go to all DGCE unit members in mid-February. We hope to hold some ratification information meetings at local campuses as well.
Any faculty member who has taught at least one course for credit in DGCE since Summer Session I will be eligible to vote in the ratification.
Thanks go to MTA consultant Bob Whalen, Chairperson Dave Twiss, Scribe Virginia Bliss, Tom Luddy (Salem), Stan Antoniotti (Bridgewater), Stan Jackson (Westfield), Josh Cohen (Mass Art), Phil Connors (Mass Maritime), Joe McAloon (Fitchburg), and Len Paolillo (MCLA) for their work on behalf of our membership.
The day bargaining committee developed and presented a counterproposal on post-tenure review at the bargaining session held on January 26th. The mediator reported that management's team responded with interest and asked that the counterproposal be given in writing and that the parties meet again as soon as possible. The next session is scheduled for Thursday, February 1st, at 4:00 PM in Worcester.
The February issue of the Perspective should be on campuses the second week of February. The issue will highlight local campus activism around the negotiations. We are very much interested in your feedback about your newspaper.
Pat Markunas MSCA President
MSCA Home/Messages to the Membership 1/29/01