  Miami's TCPL and tenured, and tenure-track faculty have won the right to collectively bargain through FAM, and librarians are not far behind. Bargaining will start soon! FAM has already contacted Miami University to express our intent to bargain. For a strong contract, it's important that as many colleagues as possible are informed and involved in the bargaining process. Here's what you need to know about the bargaining survey, raises, and getting involved. Bargaining SurveyWhy is it important to fill out the bargaining survey? Regardless of how you voted, FAM is your union. FAM’s bargaining council (see below) will use your input to develop a bargaining platform for members to vote on. For this first contract to be as strong as possible, input from as many faculty as possible is essential. Please complete the bargaining survey by June 2! Why does the bargaining survey ask for my name and information?
Raises during the bargaining processWill I get a raise during the bargaining phase? That depends on the administration! The University made a decision to carve out certain folks from receiving raises, but there is nothing legally that prevents the University from meeting with FAM to discuss raises, even prior to the election being certified. While Miami leadership can no longer make decisions on raises and working conditions unilaterally, if they contact FAM, we will happily discuss raises. FAM has already reached out. Get involved How can I be part of the negotiating process? The best way is to join the bargaining council, which will develop contract proposals and from the bargaining council, we will create the negotiating team. Submit this form to join or nominate a colleague for this crucial work! All are welcome on the bargaining council! We need a diverse (in all ways) council to represent all faculty in the unit. The only requirement for service on the council is signing a FAM membership card. Become a member now! If you haven’t yet signed a membership card, contact your liaison (department organizer) or write info ar famiami dot org. Note that no one pays dues during the negotiating period. Dues are voted on by membership only after a final contract is approved — meaning that members will know what raises and benefits have been negotiated before they vote on or pay dues. You can start or end membership at any time. The stronger a union's membership, the stronger the contract it can negotiate...  Questions?
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  It's Time To Vote Yes!FAM librarians! Voting for your FAM Librarians AAUP-AFT union begins May 23 and continues through June 6. To count, your confidential ballot must be correctly filled out (please mark your vote with an "X," not some other mark!) and mailed within this two-week window.  Be sure to sign the outside of your ballot envelope after marking your ballot with an "X."
Mails were slow with the TCPL/tenured/tenure-track election, so get your ballot in the mail as soon as you receive it! Votes will be tallied June 14 in Columbus. Congratulations and solidarity!  Yes colleagues, you WON! That's what time it is! Here's an article in today's Cincinnati Enquirer and our press release is below. For more, check the @famiamioh tweets from today in Columbus. OXFORD, Ohio — In a historic union election at Miami University, faculty won their union and therefore the power to bargain for better working conditions protected by a legal contract. An overwhelming majority of faculty cast ballots in favor of being represented by the Faculty Alliance of Miami (FAM), part of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and American Federation of Teachers (AFT). The results (450 to 241) were certified on May 17th at the State Employment Relations Board (SERB). Join FAM for a Celebration —  FAM's had an amazing year. Come celebrate with food, drink, crafts, outdoor games, music, and cheer(s) at the uptown park in Oxford on Thursday, May 18, 4-7pm. All FAM supporters and allies welcome! Optional: bring a blanket and/or lawn chair(s). Check your email for an Evite invitation; reach out to info@famiami.org with questions.
 The vote on Faculty Alliance of Miami's first collective bargaining unit, which concluded on May 2, will be counted this Wednesday, May 17 in Columbus (be there!). In an ironic twist, on the same day at the same time, the Higher Ed Destruction Act — anti-labor sub Senate Bill 83 — will likely be voted on by the Ohio Senate. And opposition testimony will be heard by the House Workforce and Higher Ed Committee on the companion bill, House Bill 151. Take action now! These expensive unfunded mandates will threaten academic freedom and diversity efforts at Miami and across Ohio. Plus, they would block our union from negotiating on tenure, evaluation, and retrenchment as well as workload, and ban strikes — the most important leverage a union has (even if it is never used). The best way you can oppose the Higher Ed Destruction Bills is to submit testimony by Tuesday morning, May 16. You can also help by packing the house to show legislators how passionate the opposition to these bills is. Making calls to senators before the floor vote on SB 83 (Wednesday 1:30pm) will also help a lot. Here's how to take action now.u FAM is running a car pool on Wednesday, May 17 for the vote count and SB 83 & HB 151 hearings. Join us!*b. SB 83 Written Test  We are thrilled to announce that Miami University's librarians will be voting on whether to form a collective bargaining unit as part of the Faculty Alliance of Miami (FAM AAUP-AFT) from May 23 to June 6! LIke all faculty, our librarians need and deserve academic freedom, genuine participation in shared governance, fair salaries, and good working conditions. Congratulations to our librarians on the terrific organizing work they have done to get this far.
Ballots will be tallied in Columbus on Monday, June 14 at 11:30am. Librarians, read about how to vote!  What will it mean to have a faculty union at Miami?
A seat at the decision-making table. Without a union, your employer can continue to make unilateral decisions about our working lives. Together, you and your colleagues can set your own priorities and negotiate binding agreements. It’s the difference between speaking and being heard. Uniting against threats to higher education. Our educational mission is in danger due to attacks on academic freedom; racist suppression of DEI efforts; shrinking public funding; corporatization; and more. Unions can organize faculty in great numbers within and across institutions to fight these trends — at Miami, in Ohio, and across the country. Strong support for transformative diversity and equity. FAM is following in the footsteps of other academic unions that are working to recognize diversity-related service, protect against bias in teaching evaluations, create equitable salary review processes, and more. Miami AAUP has had an explicit commitment to antiracism and worker equity for many years, supporting DEI efforts on campus and fighting anti-CRT legislation. As Department of Labor data shows, unions offer an unparalleled pathway for achieving equity. Better salaries and benefits. Through a union — with increased access to financial information — you and your colleagues can negotiate raises and benefits Miami can afford and you deserve. The evidence is overwhelming that unions have a positive impact on worker compensation. Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that unions raise wages across industries. In 2021, union workers in education occupations made an average 24% per week more than their non-union counterparts—far outstripping the cost of dues. Inclusive and transparent union governance. Over the last year, a FAM committee representing a broad range of disciplinary areas, faculty categories and demographics has been working to draft our constitution and bylaws. They designed equitable governance and leadership structures to ensure that faculty from all divisions, as well as underrepresented colleagues, participate powerfully in union decision-making. Similarly, bargaining will be undertaken by elected members of the faculty from across campus. Ater the election, all faculty have the opportunity to discuss and vote on our constitution & bylaws and select the negotiating team. This is your union! Building a pathway to unionization for visiting faculty and librarians. Although Miami administration succeeded in excluding our colleagues from the current unit, FAM is actively supporting them as they organize their own units. These units will remain part of FAM and part of FAM decision-making. We are one union. Benefits to our community. Anti-union rhetoric has contributed to a long trend of worker disempowerment in the US that has increased precarity and flattened real wages across industries (including higher education). But the tide is turning—to the benefit of not only Miami faculty, but the entire community. 71% of Americans support unionization, and new union filings are up by 57%. Increased density of unionized workers in a community have demonstrably positive effects on local wages, living standards, and democratic rights. Need more information? Read this FAQ on unionization and find out why your colleagues are voting yes. If you haven’t voted yet, do it now! Be part of this hard-won and transformational moment at Miami. Happy voting! FAM Organizing Committee  Faculty across disciplines, divisions, ranks and categories share their reasons for unionizing in our new Faculty Voices quotebook — check it out!
 Librarians at the FAM Prom on Friday, April 7 GREAT NEWS: FAM's proposed librarian bargaining unit has been agreed to by the Miami administration. Our librarians can move forward with a vote!
Next, we'll work on the election consent agreement with Miami administration. We hope for a vote sometime this summer. If you're a librarian who would like to participate in organizing, reach out to info@famiami.org! Other faculty can show support by VOTING YES in the upcoming FAM election for TCPL and tenure-line faculty. That will pave the way for success not only for librarians but for visiting faculty organizing at Miami. One Faculty! One FAM! It's almost time to vote yes!Voting for your union begins April 18 and continues through May 2. To count, your confidential ballot must be correctly filled out (please mark your vote with an X, not some other mark!) and mailed within this two-week window. Check the Election Countdown at famiami.org!  Vote in solidarity.
Stop Senate Bill 83!Ohio Senate Bill 83, the so-called "The Higher Education Enhancement Act," was introduced on March 14. The bill would radically reshape higher education as we know it. Among other things, SB 83:
Take Action on SB 83.
FAM PROM is Friday! FAM’s spring social, “FAM Prom: Solidarity Under the Sea” is Friday, April 7, from 6:00pm - 9:00pm at Kofenya in Oxford! Come as you are for refreshments, music, and to take amazing pics at our prom photo booth — props provided! Social Media Highlights |
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