UCATS Membership Meeting March 13

UCATS Membership Meeting
When: Tuesday, March 13, 5:30 pm
Where: Vanderbilt Hall, 40 Washington Square South, Rm. 216

We are meeting primarily to elect our delegates to the 2012 American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Convention. This event is where elected delegates from affiliated union locals set the agenda of our national federation.

This year, the convention will be held in Detroit, MI from July 27-30 (Thursday-Monday). All UCATS members are entitled to run for a delegate position and to make nominations of other members to be delegates. UCATS is allotted a total of 12 delegates.

The election will be conducted by secret ballot at the meeting. If you have questions about being a delegate, please contact UCATS president Stephen Rechner at ucatspres3882@hotmail.com.

General Membership Meeting - Contract Tentative Agreement

The tentative agreement we reached with NYU on December 8 will be presented to the membership at a meeting on Thursday, January 12, at 5:30 pm. We have reserved the Eisner & Lubin Auditorium on the 4th Floor of the Kimmel Student Center for this meeting. The floor will be open for questions and comments. The tentative agreement only becomes the contract if a majority of members who vote in the ratification election vote to accept the agreement. Ballots will be mailed the week of January 16.

There will be additional area meetings as follows:

Thursday, January 12
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
NYU Dental Center, Room 612

Wednesday, January 18
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Furman Hall, 245 Sullivan St., Rm. C10

Wednesday, January 18
6:00 PM
7 East 12th Street, Rm. LL-23

Bargaining update

We went back to the bargaining table with NYU last night, and have scheduled an additional bargaining meeting for next Thursday, December 8.

We are hosting a town hall meeting for all UCATS members on Wednesday, December 7 at 5:30 PM in Vanderbilt Hall, Room 210. One of the purposes of the meeting is to update everyone on the status of contract negotiations.

We are up to 420 hard-copy signatures on our petition for a fair contract, and the online version is doing even better, with over 700 signatures as of this morning.

Have you signed the petition yet? If not, please do it now.


http://signon.org/sign/support-union-workers?source=c.em.mt&r_by=1550400

Please feel free to share the petition on your Facebook page or other social media outlet of choice!

Back to Bargaining

We are returning to the bargaining table with NYU on Thursday, December 1.

There will be a membership meeting on Wednesday, December 7, at 5:30 p.m., in Vanderbilt Hall, 40 Washington Square South, Room 210.

In addition to discussing the status of contract bargaining at the meeting, we will also be electing our delegates to the 2012 NYSUT Representative Assembly (RA). This event is where elected delegates from affiliated union locals set the agenda of our state federation. This year the NYSUT RA will be held in Buffalo, NY from April 26-28, 2012. All UCATS members are entitled to run for a delegate position and/or to nominate other UCATS members to be delegates. UCATS is allotted 14 delegates. The election will be conducted by secret ballot at the meeting. If you have specific questions about being a delegate contact Stephen Rechner at ucatspres3882@hotmail.com.


UCATS TOWN HALL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Wednesday, December 7
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
40 Washington Square South
Vanderbilt Hall, Room 210

News from Monday's membership meeting

From Membership Meeting November 7

Monday night's general membership meeting was a full house, with good discussions about strategy, actions, and the state of bargaining. One topic that several members brought up and were quite passionate about: reaching members through social media. The UCATS leadership team will be discussing these options at our council meeting on Tuesday.

General Membership Meeting TONIGHT

Greetings,

The union contract between UCATS and NYU expired on October 31.

NYU has proposed a six-year contract with increases to health insurance costs that far outstrip the wage increases they have offered. In fact, they have proposed no raise at all for 2011!

Please join us tonight at 5:30 pm in Kimmel Student Center, Room 808, for an overview of where we stand and what we can do.

Best,
Stephen Rechner
UCATS President

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
TONIGHT
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square South
Room 808

What moves NYU? You do.

At the bargaining table Tuesday, there was posturing by NYU that they might be willing to make some minor improvements to the proposals that our members found the most objectionable. And the reason NYU was willing to move at all on these issues? In their own words, it was hearing from all of you at last Thursday's meeting that made the difference.

How much they are willing to move remains to be seen, and we still have more bargaining to do, but we thought you should know that your actions and words are having a real impact.

We also wanted to let you know that NYU agreed to extend the terms of our current contract--which expired on Monday--while we continue to negotiate.

Come to the general membership meeting on Monday, November 7 to find out what you can do to support your bargaining team at this crucial time.

UCATS GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Monday, November 7
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Kimmel Center, 60 Washington Square South
Room 808

Tonight we meet! Thursday we MARCH!

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
TONIGHT
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Vanderbilt Hall, 40 Washington Square South, Room 206
Come get the latest update on the status of bargaining and find out what you need to do to get the contract you deserve.

MARCH ON THE BOSSES
Thursday, October 20
1:15 PM
Meet at the Washington Square Arch and march with us to Bobst Library. We'll be led by a fellow UCATS member on the bagpipes!

Bargaining Update #5

In a stunning move at our October 12 bargaining session, the university asked the UCATS bargaining team to agree to strip the constitutionally guaranteed rights of members to seek relief for discrimination with the EEOC. This suggestion is particularly alarming given the recent EEOC Consent Decree at NYU.

What was no surprise is that the university is proposing that you pay more for your health insurance coverage; how much more, they have not said.

Some good news: In a show of support for the UCATS bargaining team, members assembled in the lobby of 7 E. 12th Street last night to "greet" university negotiators as they left the building.

UCATS GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING REMINDER:

Tuesday, October 18
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Vanderbilt Hall, 40 Washington Square South, Room 206

Come get the latest update on the status of bargaining and find out what you need to do to get the contract you deserve.

Bargaining Update #4

We had two more bargaining sessions with the university on October 5 & 6. We put forward a number of proposals about economic and flexibility issues, and backed them up with your stories about the hardships you face every day. NYU listened to what we had to say but were not encouraging on many issues. 


What we are experiencing at the bargaining table is what unions are facing all across the country: a downward pressure on wages and benefits. But with your support and with your stories, we will continue to push back against NYU.


HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT THE BARGAINING TEAM?


GET INFORMED.
Come to the general membership meeting on Tuesday, October 18. It will be a dedicated contract bargaining meeting where we will have the latest updates for you. Ask us questions and give us feedback. Find out what you can do to help. This is your union and your contract!


General Membership Meeting
Date: Tuesday, October 18
Time: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: Vanderbilt Hall, 40 Washington Square South, Room 206


GET ACTIVE.
Come out in person to show your support! Our next bargaining session is Wednesday, October 12. We would love to see you in the lobby of 7 E. 12th Street when we finish our session. NYU's negotiators will see you too, and that will give them something to think about.


Post-Bargaining Session Action
Date: Wednesday, October 12
Time: 5:30 PM
Location: Fairchild Building, 7 East 12th Street, Lobby

Contact your shop steward or the union office for more information.