1) New Salary Floor: October 1, 2007 (effective with November paycheck) Starting: Just under $42,100 Post-Six: Just under $46,500
2) Guaranteed Salary Increases: We are guaranteed three percent increases in each of the next three years. This October, the Senate faculty is slated to get a general range adjustment of 2.5%, so we will do better than the Senate in this regard. In October 2008 and October 2009, if Senate Faculty members receive more than 3%, we will get whatever they get, but if they get less than that, we will still get 3%.
3) New Salary Scale: The old salary scale is rather arbitrary. The difference between steps ranges between 1.4% and 2.8%. Therefore, most merit increases were much lower than 5%. Each step on the new scale will now reflect a 2.5% increase above the previous step.
4) Significant pay increases targeted to those who have taught the longest and to those who have the lowest salaries: In July 2008 and July 2009, two rounds of one-time salary adjustments will be implemented, according to the following rules.
On June 30, 2008, each NSF's length of service and full time annual salary will be noted. These special salary adjustments will be made based on this snapshot of service and salary. For purposes of this adjustment, one year of service is equal to two (2) semesters or three (3) quarters of employment as an NSF on a campus.
All lecturers who have taught on their current campus for at least 7 full years (21 quarters or 14 semesters) and up to 10 full years will receive a one step increase (2.5%) effective July 1, 2008 (paid on 1 August check).
NSF who have taught for more than 10 years and less than 20 years will get adjustments that vary based on salary. Those who make under $55,000 will receive 2 steps (5%) effective July 1, 2008, and another 2 steps effective July 1, 2009 (for a total increase of 10%). Those who make between $55,000 and $77,000 will get 2 steps in 2008 and 1 step in 2009 (for a total increase of 7.5%). Those who make over $77,000 will get 1 step in 2008 and 1 in 2009 (for a total increase of 5%).
NSF who have taught for twenty full years (60 quarters or 40 semesters) or more will get adjustments based on salary. Those who make under $55,000 (as of June 30, 2008), will get 3 steps (7.5%) effective July 1, 2008, and another 3 steps effective July 1, 2009 (for a total increase of 15%). Those who make between $55,000 and $77,000 will get 2 steps in 2008 and 2 steps in 2009 (for a total increase of 10%). Those who make above $77,000 will get 1 step in 2008 and 2 steps in 2009 (for a total increase of 7.5%).
5) Scale Adjusting Bonus: In October, your salary will be raised by three percent, as described above. Then, your salary will be translated onto the new salary scale. Because your increase will put your salary between steps on the new scale, your pay will again be raised to the nearest higher salary step. (Thus, if your salary becomes $46,720, it will not fall to $46,440; it will be raised to the next rung: $47,604).
This means that actual salary increases in October 2007 will range from 3% to over 5%!
Workload Changes:
1) Course Reductions for writing programs and language classes on campuses that use the quarter system: On all but two of the UC campuses, we have new rules that stipulate that a full-time lecturer will not have to teach more than eight writing or foreign language courses. Departments can either change the IWC (instructional workload credit) for such classes, or they can give full-time lecturers equivalencies for other work that lecturers do. This agreement includes some of the most absurd working conditions at places like UCSD. This change will take place in July of 2008.
2) Elimination of the discounted workload for teaching a second section of the same course. This will take effect in the first full term following ratification (around January, 2008).
3) A mechanism to challenge the IWC assigned to courses: When there are courses that are more work to teach than a normal class, lecturers or the union can ask for a committee to review the workload involved in the class. The committee will have two lecturers, one who is from the discipline involved and one who teaches in a similar discipline, two senate faculty members, one of whom will be from a similar discipline, and one campus administrator. The committee must make findings about the workload, and present these findings to a campus official who must make a decision about the workload involved. If the lecturer or the union thinks this decision is in some way inadequate, the union can appeal the decision to the University-wide Vice Provost for Academic Advancement, who will make a final determination. The process is meant to happen quickly; the campus must complete the process within 60 days of the lecturer's complaint. And the appeal to the Vice Provost must be complete within 30 days. IMPORTANT: the lecturer (or union) must make the complaint within 45 days of the time when the lecturer knows about the problem. If you have a problem with workload, you should let the union know soon after the contract is ratified.
4) A process to clarify equivalencies: Often lecturers do work for which the University does not pay them. So, the Union and the University are forming a committee this fall to codify activities for which the University should give equivalencies. If you are doing something for free, please let your local campus representatives know, so we can explore whether that activity merits an equivalency. Also, if you are getting equivalencies, let your local representatives know so that we can include them in the list to help others in your situation.
Duration Changes:
The reopener negotiations scheduled for 2009 have been cancelled, and the contract will expire in August, 2010. The Union and the University will begin successor negotiations, on the entire contract, in October, 2009.
The Articles