Articles Discussed:
Article 6 - Vacation Leave – We (UCPEA) proposed that denials for vacation time be provided in writing to our members and have a business justification.
Article 35 - Tuition Waiver – We (UCPEA) proposed a dependent tuition waiver death benefit. We also proposed a spousal tuition waiver, and eliminating delayed registration, and out-of-pocket fees for services employees enrolled as students are either not allowed or are unable to use.
Article 19 - Employee Files - UConn proposed a move toward delivering copies of personnel files electronically.
Observer Report:
There is a certain amount of mysticism around contracts. Who is doing the negotiating? How are decisions made? What is it like in the room? I haven't observed a negotiation session before, so this was a brand-new experience. It's fairly easy to do--get approval to sign up from your supervisor, sign the observer form, and just show up! It's a great way to learn new things and get connected with other members. As a bonus, the observer chairs are very comfortable.
-Dan Lis