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Nov 4, 2022

FSU Executive Committee Meeting Minutes

November 4, 2022 (hybrid: ISC 1-1400 and Zoom)

Executive Committee Members Present: Caroline Coscia (President); Jeff Melnick (Vice President); Chris Barcelos; Lynne Benson; Dana Commesso; Monique Fuguet; Jessica Holden; Meghan Kallman; Linda Liu; Brian White

Others Present: Lorenzo Nencioli (FSU Senior Staff Member); Katie D’Urso (MTA rep); María Carvajal Regidor; Diego Mansilla; Steve Striffler

 

  1. Approval of Agenda: Motion to approve the agenda. Motion seconded. Motion passes unanimously.

     
  2. Approval of Minutes: Motion to approve the minutes of the October 19 Executive Committee Meeting and the October 25 e-vote on Spring 2023 CLRs and stipends. Motion seconded. Motion passes unanimously.

     
  3. Committee Vacancies: The Health and Safety Committee (multi-union coalition) meets once per month. Caroline has been attending their meetings, but we need one FSU member to serve on this committee. This week’s Nuts & Bolts will include a call for a volunteer. Motion to approve Brian and Sana to the Salary Anomaly Committee. Motion seconded. Motion passes unanimously. Discussion of HEPA filters in Wheatley and Quinn being left unplugged or turned off, which negates their effectiveness.

     
  4. Faculty Council Meeting on November 7: Faculty Council will meet on Monday at 1:00. Discussion of an FC motion regarding Africana Studies that will be presented at the meeting.

     
  5. December 2 Campus Closure: The campus unions submitted an MOA to the Administration regarding teaching modality in the event that Prince William visits the JFK Library on December 2 but were informed that the Administration cannot negotiate on this issue in such a short timeframe. The visit has not yet been confirmed. FSU will send a communication to the membership to prepare faculty in case the visit occurs.

     
  6. Core Bargaining Team: The 2023-2026 CBT had their first meeting at the end of October. The CBT has drafted a bargaining survey which will be sent to the MTA for review. The CBT intends to send the survey out to the bargaining unit before Thanksgiving. At the November 16 the Executive Committee will vote on some bylaws changes regarding bargaining.

     
  7. Labor Management Meeting on November 2:
  • The FSU has received confirmation that the university will be open in January 2023, although many courses will be offered remotely.
  • Discussion of the timing of RES fund letters.
  • Discussion of background checks: several years ago, the FSU agreed that the university could require background checks for new hires. Background checks include information regarding previous employers, the candidate’s academic credentials, and any legal cases involving the candidate. Creative Services, Inc. conducts the background checks and attempts to contact each new hire three times. If the individual does not respond, Creative Services informs Human Resources. If the individual still does not respond, they are terminated.
  • Discussion of next Monday’s The Point: we will share a recent Mass Media article on Africana Studies.

     
  1. FSU Audit (Monique): Before the Supreme Court decision outlawing agency fees, the FSU was required to be audited every year. Even though agency fees no longer exist and union membership is now optional, the JCC has decided to do an audit this year. Discussion of a list of members with uncollectable dues. Motion to approve writing off the uncollected dues. Motion seconded. Motion passes unanimously. We will start thinking about next year’s budget this month.

     
  2. Additional Discussion Items (Lynne): Discussion of NTTs on Faculty Council and their priorities. Discussion regarding course caps being raised. Discussion regarding U.S. News college rankings and how faculty numbers are reported. Discussion of logistics at Faculty Council meetings.

EXECUTIVE SESSION