I voted in the union election. Do I still need to sign a membership card? How do I sign a membership card?
- That is great, your vote made a difference – we won with a huge margin (169 yes to 13 no).
- Yes, you still need to fill out a membership card to ensure you have all the rights of a full-fledged SEIU 721 member (like voting to ratify a contract). The membership card is easy to fill out, please follow this link: https://www.seiu721.org/welcome.php
- A reminder to use your personal contact information, including a non-USD email address and your personal phone number.
How much will I pay in membership dues? Why do I need to pay them? What are the dues for?
- Dues are no more than 1.5% of your base pay, before taxes. There are no initiation fees.
- You will not start paying any dues until you and your coworkers negotiate a contract that establishes agreed-upon terms of employment that results in better pay and working conditions.
- You and your colleagues approve the union contract with a majority vote through a democratic election.
- Dues go back into your union to make sure we have the resources needed to succeed and support members – that includes representation, advocacy, administrative, legal, etc.
- No NTT faculty member will pay dues for time that you are not receiving a paycheck from the university.
What/Who is the Bargaining Action Team (BAT)?
What:
- A Bargaining Action Team is a committee of SEIU Local 721 members from the bargaining unit who are elected by their peers.
- The BAT works with Local 721 staff and attorneys to identify issues and develop contract proposals.
- The BAT meets with Administration to negotiate contract proposals.
Who:
- On Wed., August 14, 2024, following two weeks of voting, our BAT members were announced. CLICK HERE to meet the members and learn more.
Will we vote on our first contract?
- Yes, once our Bargaining Action Team reaches a tentative agreement (TA), everyone who is an SEIU Local 721 member in the bargaining unit will vote to approve or reject the TA.
- If a majority votes yes to approve the TA, the contract is ratified and will go into effect.
How else can I get involved in bargaining?
- You can get involved with the Contract Action Team (CAT). The CAT is a dedicated group of member leaders who are at the center of leveraging our collective power during negotiations. CAT members communicate regularly and help disseminate information to their colleagues in their department about the progress of negotiations.
- To win a strong contract, every member must be engaged, so please consider joining the CAT. You can sign up up for the CAT here.
- Please be on the lookout for future communications on other ways you can get more involved.
I want to be sure the BAT knows what’s most important to me. How do I do that?
- It is important that we hear from everyone, and that the BAT collects data from colleagues to understand faculty priorities. Here’s how the BAT has gathered — and will continue to gather — information:
- Earlier this summer, we asked faculty members to complete a comprehensive bargaining survey to guide our proposals and priorities at the negotiating table. Many, many faculty members filled it out!
- Over the past few months, we’ve held listening sessions with faculty to hear directly from them, and the BAT plans to hold more!
How can I contact the Bargaining Action Team?
- Once the BAT is elected, we will send out an email with their names, department, and email information.
How long will it take to bargain a contract?
- The time length to negotiate a contract depends on several factors including frequency of meetings, reception of proposals by administration, involvement of faculty to apply pressure, etc.
- The average contract can be typically completed in 9 months to 12 months, but some contracts in higher education are ratified as quickly as 6 months from the start of bargaining.
- There is power in unity, and participation can make a big difference to have a contract settled sooner.
What if the university doesn’t agree to our proposals?
- While the expectation is for the university to come to negotiations in good faith, there is a possibility that the university does not agree to all our proposals.
- Participating in meetings and actions, filling out your union membership card, and staying active is very important to show USD managers that we are united and that we want them to take our proposals and priorities seriously. Robust membership with clear demands sends a strong signal of solidarity to the administration.
How will I get updates from the BAT or have a sense of what’s happening at the bargaining table?
- Communication and involvement on all levels will be key to ensure that faculty have the latest bargaining updates.
- The BAT will share a summary of each session with the entire bargaining unit every two weeks via email. If you are not receiving this update from your fellow NTTs, please let us know immediately. The update will also be posted on our website.
- We will also stay in communication through other various ways — in-person, phone, text, etc. to ensure that everyone has the latest updates.