March 16, 2008

Dear MSCA Faculty and Librarians:

As you know, the MSCA day unit contract expires on June 30, 2008. We commenced negotiations with the employer's representatives on February 4 and have held a total of three bargaining sessions this semester.

In the fall we were told that the governor's administration would provide economic parameters for its negotiators in mid-January. This did not prove to be the case. To date the employer's representatives have not provided any proposals, either economic or non-economic (language). Further, we were told that no proposals would be forthcoming until the governor's administration provides the economic parameters for negotiations.

Last week, several of the higher education affiliates, including ours, were informed that the governor's administration is not likely to authorize any economic parameters for bargaining until mid to late May at the earliest and possibly even later than that. Further, we have heard reports that the parameters to be proposed will be grossly unacceptable to the state employee unions whose contracts expire at the end of this fiscal year.

These reports, if true, would make it nearly impossible to settle a new contract prior to the expiration of the current one and could jeopardize retroactive payments of pay raises implemented after the contract's expiration.

These are alarming developments that call for prompt action. The MSCA Bargaining Committee will meet on March 20th to develop a bargaining strategy to present at the March 28th MSCA Board of Directors meeting at Framingham State College. We urge all faculty and librarians to be aware that actions will be needed during the last half of the spring semester if we are to have any success in countering the failure of the governor's administration to provide proposals and bargain with us in good faith.

The MSCA Bargaining Committee

Previous Messages to the Membership
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000

MSCA Home/Messages to the Membership
3/19/08