Faculty Staff Union

Representing Faculty Members and Librarians at UMass Boston Since 1976

Nuts & Bolts: Weekly Updates from Our Union

Dear Colleagues,

Hope you’re settling into the rhythm of the semester. We’ve been busy here at union headquarters, seems like every week there’s a new issue to address.
Microsoft Teams Calling
Last week the administration announced that the university will be moving from office phones to Microsoft Teams Calling. That saves the university money but does so by shifting the cost of work phone service onto faculty, librarians, and staff. It also blurs the boundary between work and home even further, expecting us to use our personal phones for work (beyond Authenticator) to be reachable for work calls when we’re not in the office. The university can’t change our working conditions without negotiating with us. We are seeking answers from the administration and assessing our options.
The Latest on Healey Library
  • You probably saw the email from VC Kathleen Kirleis that on Sunday the Lower Level of Healey Library flooded due to a problem with a hot water expansion tank in the building’s mechanical room. There is water damage on the Lower Level and at one point several feet of water filled one of the library’s elevator wells. Classrooms and staff offices on this floor remains closed. This incident—which, ironically, was unrelated to this weekend’s storm—underscores the urgent need for the Administration to address the dangerous physical conditions in Healey Library.
  • While we wait on the administration’s response to our formal information request, we learned one startling fact: since 2023, UMB Campus Police responded to 67 calls for library elevator entrapments.
  • At the Oct. 5 Faculty Council meeting, we’re introducing a resolution for a vote, and look forward to working with Councilors to hold the administration accountable for the working conditions in the library.
  • The Mass Media wrote a great article about our campaign to address the health and safety hazards in the library. Read it here.
A Few More Updates
  • Anti-Racism Fund: FSU has $50,000 in funds to distribute to faculty and librarians to support anti-racism initiatives. Learn more here about how to apply. Deadline is October 9th!
  • New Union T-Shirts: We’ve got brand new T-shirts with our new logo and colors, printed by a local union shop. Email us your size and office number and we’ll send one to you through campus mail.
  • Sabbatical Deadline: Applications for sabbaticals or leaves of absence for AY 27-28 should be sent by Oct. 26 to your Department Chair or, for librarians, to the Associate Dean of University Libraries.