United Academics Glossary of Common Union Terminology

Academic Freedom

The longstanding tradition in academic institutions of the right to express or investigate information without negative outcomes, regardless of its popularity but subject to the quality controls of academic peers. Academic freedom ensures that research, creative works, and teaching are independent of and protected from political or economic interference. Academic freedom is separate from the rights protected in the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Bargaining Unit

A group of employees (in this case, UA faculty and post-docs) with a clear and identifiable community of interests, who are (under US law) represented by a single labor union (United Academics) in collective bargaining and other dealings with management.

Bargaining Unit Members

All faculty and post doctoral fellows who work more than 51% FTE anywhere in the UA system are considered ‘bargaining unit members’ of United Academics. Bargaining unit members are not required to pay dues but are required to have fair representation from the union for issues of grievances, complaints, or using Weingarten Rights. Dues payers are bargaining unit members who pay dues to keep United Academics functioning and strong, making ‘fair representation’ possible.

Duty of Fair Representation

United Academics is bound by Alaska’s Public Employee Relations Act (PERA) to fairly represent all bargaining unit members regardless of their status as dues payers. This applies to contract enforcement items such as grievances, complaints, or in utilizing your Weingarten Rights. UNAC is funded solely on dues, so the ability to provide fair representation regardless of dues status depends entirely on the dues of our bargaining unit members. Dues payers ensure the rights of all. When all pay their dues, representation grows more effective.

Collective Bargaining

The process in which working people (in this case, UA faculty and post docs), through their elected union leadership, negotiate contracts with their employer (UA) to determine terms of employment, including pay, benefits, hours, leave, job health and safety policies, ways to balance work and family, and more. Through collective bargaining, working people in unions – including faculty and post docs – have higher wages, better benefits and safer workplaces.

Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)

The contract that embodies the outcome negotiations between the employer (UA) and the union (United Academics), and sets forth their agreements in terms of compensation and workplace rights and responsibilities.

Complaint

In the UNAC CBA, a “complaint” is a contract violation involving substantive academic judgement, i.e., a person’s workload or promotion, tenure, or non-retention. (CBA article 7.3.1, p. 17) Complaints follow the same process as UNAC grievances but end at the provost level, without the option of binding arbitration if no agreement is reached.

Grievance

Grievances can be filed when UA management violates the CBA. These violations may be related to issues such as working conditions, pay, benefits, or treatment by supervisors. UNAC staff files the grievance with Labor Relations in coordination with the affected bargaining unit member and relevant Org VP.

UNAC’s CBA explains the time limits and other criteria for filing a grievance. If your supervisor has violated UNAC’s CBA, contact your Org VP and Contract Manager immediately.

Just Cause

Just Cause disciplinary procedures in our CBA guarantee that UNAC members will not be arbitrarily fired or non-retained mid-contract without a proper investigation or inquiry, as laid out in our CBA article 11. Prior to or during any investigative meetings, UNAC bargaining unit members should invoke Weingarten Rights (see below) for union assistance.

Local

A union representing workers who share similar job duties, usually within one workplace. Local unions are often affiliated with larger, state or national union organizations. The University of Alaska system has multiple union locals: UNAC, UNAD (adjuncts), 6070 (Crafts & Trades), AGWA (graduate student workers), UAF Firefighters, and CAUSE (staff).

Organizational Vice President - Org VPs

United Academics has four Org VPs. See our Executive Board page and by-laws for more information.

Shared Governance

The longstanding tradition in academic institutions of stakeholders sharing the responsibility of governing and running their institution. It is the process of decision-making encompassing everything from budgets, hiring and discipline, to curriculum and academic standards. Faculty generally have primary control over curriculum and academic standards, while administrators have primary control over hiring and discipline and budgets. However, each group provides feedback and plays a role in decision making processes of the other. Shared governance protects (and illustrates) academic freedom, and ensures that UA works for the common good.

Union

A legally recognized group of workers who have been determined by state or federal labor boards to have enough similar workplace interests to be represented by one local, or union.

Union Dues

1.25% of a bargaining unit member’s income, taken out biweekly by UA payroll to sustain the day to day operations of your union and ensure that our CBA is enforced and strengthened.

Dues pay for UNAC’s faculty leadership and negotiators to have small workload buyouts dedicated to union service, from assisting at grievances and investigations to maintaining a balanced union budget and negotiating our Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Dues fund two UNAC staff positions to assist with union operations. Dues also fund legal advice when needed during grievances, arbitrations, and negotiations; accounting and auditing services; affiliation with national and state labor unions that assist us in various ways; and more.

Beyond the finances, a commitment to pay dues shows solidarity with colleagues. Bosses notice. Unions work best when ALL bargaining unit members pay dues to support one another.

Weingarten Rights

Any bargaining unit member who is called into a meeting with your supervisor that could reasonably be assumed to lead to discipline has the right to union representation during that meeting. The meeting must be scheduled at a time when your union representative can attend.

YOU must assert this right when called into such a meeting and then call or email your Org VP.

Workload

A document that details your agreed-upon professional responsibilities for each academic year, signed by you, your department chair (some exceptions), and your supervisor. If you successfully complete all items on your workload, you should anticipate a satisfactory annual evaluation. If your duties change during the academic year, submit a revised workload to be signed by all relevant parties in order to ensure an accurate record of your work.

Common Acronyms used by United Academics:

UNAC: United Academics
E-Board: Executive Board
RA: Representative Assembly
AFT: American Federation of Teachers
AAUP: American Association of University Professors
APEA: Alaska Public Employees Association
CBA: Collective Bargaining Agreement’
MAU: Main administrative unit for each of UA’s 3 accredited universities (UAA, UAF, UAS)
WLU: Workload unit