Official Updates from USFFA

May 13, 2020
Update on Bargaining

On May 2, the USFFA received notice from the University that they wished to reopen the contract under Article 45 of the CBA. In particular, the University wanted to reopen Article 45.1 (renegotiate salaries and benefits in the event that enrollment in schools represented by the Association drops by 5% or more) and Article 45.3 (reopen wages and FDF in the event that net tuition is forecasted to fall 2% short of budget). All other articles of the contract remain in force - this article on reopeners is strictly confined to economic terms. The USFFA responded on May 7 with a request for the relevant data so that we could ascertain whether the contractual stipulations for reopening the contract had been met. The USFFA is currently reviewing these data very carefully. However, in the meantime, the USFFA has signalled its willingness to talk to the University in general terms about the current crisis, its economic impacts and ways of moving forward. No formal agreements or commitments have been - we have simply indicated a willingness to talk. The USFFA recognizes the severity of the current crisis and stands ready to help the University in meeting the challenges it now faces while also doing its best to protect the jobs, salaries, pensions, and benefits of our members.