Dear Temple/AFSCME bargaining unit member,

In this update I think it is important to give some history and context to our current contract situation. It is important to understand the current contract problems in light of a very long campaign by Temple Administration to weaken the collective voice we have through our Union, and to over time, lower our standard of living. Many in our bargaining unit were not here in 2003 when we negotiated our last contract. Much of what is happening to our Union and to other Unions on campus began just prior to the negotiations in 2003. A review of those years may be helpful to understanding why we are without a contract after these many months.

David Adamany, who had a long and well established reputation of being hostile towards unions, was hired as the president of Temple in 2000. During his 15 year tenure at Wayne State University in Michigan, his administration was responsible for many strikes, and he was successful at driving Union membership down. When he left Wayne State he became Chancellor of the Detroit public school system for one year. During that year the school district had the longest teacher strike in their history. He then came to Temple.

Shortly after coming to Temple, Adamany hired Debbie Hartnett as the director of Human Resources. Prior to the 2003 negotiations the University implemented a Professional Development Plan (PDP). This PDP became the basis for non bargaining employees’ raises. This so called “merit based system” was nothing more than giving the across the board raise out in an unequal way. It forces supervisors to rank their employees. No one can receive an above average raise unless someone receives a below average raise, and that is where forced ranking comes in. We were never consulted on what the PDP should address; the University imposed the system on us. Although AFSCME did not object to using the PDP for goal setting, it did object to it being used as the basis for pay increases. These plans have a long history of promoting favoritism and discrimination of all kinds. The Union took the position that merit should always be in addition to, and not instead of, a fair across the board raise for all members.

We settled our 2003 contract in the spring of 2004, five months after our contract had expired. The contract included across the board raises for all our members. The merit system resurfaced in these negotiations. Since the last negotiations some disturbing trends have developed for our Union and other Unions on campus. These trends signal an ongoing hostility to Unions and the collective bargaining process. If the situation is not addressed in these negotiations than the future of labor, and all our hard won salary and benefit increases, will be in jeopardy.

The process of lowering our standard of living began after our last contract was signed. The traditional work week for our bargaining unit at Temple had been 35 hours. After our last contract was signed the University began to hire new employees at 40 hours a week with no corresponding increase to weekly pay. They got a nearly 15 percent productivity increase with no cost to the University. We all know about the increase in adjuncts on campus. They receive lower pay than full time Faculty and no benefits, again a huge savings to the University. We have had reports from other Unions about unfilled positions and cuts in overtime. This is all happening as President Hart’s, and other administrators’, compensation packages continue to grow. The merit pay plan that the University is proposing is a power grab with the intention of weakening the Union, cutting our benefits and lowering our standard of living over time.

The University has the ability to resolve this contract. The University recently released a statement concerning our negotiations. In it, Debbie Hartnett said, “The University remains open to meaningful discussions to bring this matter to a close and allow the University to recognize the valuable contributions of AFSCME employees.” Taking Ms. Hartnett at her word the Union reached out to the University negotiating team on February 26, 2009 saying that we were willing to sit down and negotiate. The response was that the University has their final offer out to us. Although the University has said they are interested in negotiations, it has been clear from the beginning that their idea of negotiations is for the Union to accept their terms without having any real voice in the process.

The Union has continued its active resistance to the unwarranted attack on its members by not agreeing to a contract that seeks to take away our benefits and ultimately destroy the Union. In these difficult times when the University should be promoting unity, it instead promotes fear and insecurity. It continues to promote a pay scheme that pits one worker against another. After almost a year and a half without a new contract, the University says no to retroactivity, it says no to a fair across the board raise and it says no to fair share. At the same time, it insists on an increase to the cost share for our health insurance.

If you think this is not so consider this-after not getting their way at the bargaining table the University attacked the Union through an HR sponsored listserv. They released an out-dated proposal to the bargaining unit and didn’t clearly identify that it was an HR listserv. This desperate and deplorable action caused confusion and anxiety. But the University was not through with its illegal and unethical attack, it then opened the listserv to responses. This University moderated listserv became a forum for an assault on the Union leadership by anonymous persons, nonmembers and a small numbers of disgruntled members.
Many members who wanted to express support for their Union were blocked by the University moderator. These, and other actions, are in direct violation of fair labor law.

The Union remains committed to a fair contract, a contract that addresses both the immediate needs of our members and protects their long term interests. We are prepared to continue the struggle for as long as it takes and stand up to Temple’s Union busting. We will continue to reach out to our friends in Harrisburg as we have been doing. We ask all of you to join us when we demonstrate and leaflet University events as we have been doing throughout the fall and winter. Please call the Union at (215) 893-3756 to join the action committee and to find out what you can do to help our efforts.

In Solidarity

Paul L. Dannenfelser
President AFSCME/Local 1723