This week’s Point is written by FSU President Caroline Coscia.
As my term as your union president comes to close on May 31st, I thought I would use presidential powers to take over the final The Point of the semester.
Serving as your president has been a privilege. Each individual member conversation provided an opportunity to learn, to disagree, and to seek solutions for better working conditions, benefits, and a more inclusive community.
To many, the word union is tied to the contract. It is true that much of what we do is contract related. We negotiate changes and ensure contract implementation. Sometimes how we interpret contract language is not how a dean might interpret it. When any disagreement occurs, we are there to make sure you are not harmed and work to ensure compliance. When established processes such as promotions are not followed, we are there to ensure the process is followed.
A single word cannot describe the FSU. Our union was built by those who came before us and is sustained by each one of us standing together as colleagues, including faculty of all ranks and librarians. Whether it is joining our sister unions to fight higher parking rates or answering our request to call your state legislator, you have responded to make sure we stand together. Standing together is our collective power. It is our strength.
Stronger together does require that faculty and librarians become FSU members. Why? When in a meeting with administrators or at the bargaining table, when we state what FSU members want or what FSU members deserve – we are telling the administration we have the power of you behind us and will push to get what you want and deserve.
Yet the administration knows that since the 2018 Janus court case, our membership numbers have declined. No longer is union membership automatic. The decrease in the percent of faculty and librarians who are members directly impacts our ability to secure new or improved contract benefits. The greater the percentage of membership, the greater our strength, the greater our wins.
I came to UMB after years in the private sector. I knew nothing about unions. I saw a notice about a member meeting with ice cream, specifically make your own sundaes. I went for the ice cream, met Lorenzo and joined. I joined in hopes of being able to get free sundaes every year. What I got is much more than sundaes.
When department scheduling had a hiccup, someone told me to check with the union. I did. Problem solved. I began attending the 2010s Friday afternoon NTT caucus which was a group who met to talk about items related to NTTs. I was blown away. I learned so much about how other departments worked and treated NTTs. Meeting those beyond my department gave me a connection to UMB that I did not have before.
The thread from eating that sundae to being president is about service. I believe when one is helped, giving back to help others is required. I admit, I do enjoy organizational structures. Many would say I love getting into the weeds. To understand an organization and its internal and external operations requires knowledge and sharing that knowledge. From serving as a grievance officer to Vice President and President, I have worked to demystify the FSU.
The weekly Nuts & Bolts provides a variety of information from FSU actions taken, knowing your contract, advertising anti-racism grant recipient events and MTA actions/events. MTA Benefits highlights a cash benefit to FSU membership. Each issue was created to provide information about your union.
We sent numerous emails on a variety of items to inform and receive feedback. They included information on collective bargaining sessions, GIC changes, the Acceptable Use Policy, solidarity with our sister campus unions, parking and transportation bargaining, and funding our contracts. In addition, we held numerous pizza and cookie gatherings to get you out of your office, meet new colleagues, and share some conversations.
My first term I ran unopposed yet four opted for a write-in candidate, “Anyone but an NTT.” I believe I proved you wrong. On days when it seemed we could not solve an issue, I thought of you. I pushed on to prove you wrong. A person’s rank does not define their ability or commitment to serving an organization. A person with the desire, time, passion, knowledge and dedication to service should be applauded and not dismissed due to rank. At the end of the day, we are all educators.
Our union is strong, our union values are strong, and our members are our strength. Collective action is our secret weapon. I am confident in the strength, tenacity, and future of the Faculty Staff Union. I look forward to continuing my involvement as an active and supportive member.