RAFO Contract Survey

What Do You Want to Bargain For?

The Roosevelt Adjunct Faculty Organization is launching its campaign for its second contract with Roosevelt University. We will begin bargaining this fall and the new contract will go into effect with the fall term of 2004.

The first step is to find out what we, the members, want. You can help by taking ten minutes or so now to answer a few questions. 

First, please let us know who you are and where you teach:

First Name
Last Name
Home Phone
Office Phone
Street Address
City
State
Zip Code
E-mail
College
School (if in Arts and Sciences)
Program
How long have you taught at Roosevelt?
Where else do you teach? 

Salary

  1. In the first contract, R.A.F.O. sought and won adjunct salaries tied to a proportion of full-time salaries. Do you favor continuing such a pro-rata approach to determining our salary level?

  2. Steps on the current salary schedule are based on the number of semesters taught. Should they also be based on
    1. number of courses taught?
    2. level of education or highest degree achieved?

  3. As RAFO negotiates pay increases at all steps of the salary schedule, what should its goal be?

    How much?

    Benefits

  4. Which of these benefits is most important to you? Rank from one to four.
    1.  Access to and/or employer contribution to group health insurance
    2.  employer contribution to retirement plan
    3.  disability insurance
    4.  increased tuition and professional development benefits

  5. Which of these forms of paid leave or paid time off is most important to you? Rank from one to six.
    1.  personal time off
    2.  individual medical leave (without losing seniority)
    3.  family/medical leave (without losing seniority)
    4.  academic leave (without losing seniority)
    5.  leave for jury duty
    6.  leave for military service

    Job Security

  6. How do you think adjunct job security could best be improved? Rank from one to four.
    1.  Improved grievance procedure
    2.  Earlier access to remediation
    3.  Stricter adherence to seniority, based on a published seniority list.
    4.  Longer part-time contracts (e.g. one-year contracts).

  7. Assignment of courses is currently made on the basis of several criteria. How much weight should each of these have? Assign a total of 100 points to one or more of these criteria:
    1.  Seniority (length of service to the university)
    2.  Student evaluation (e.g. the IDEA survey currently used)
    3.  Portfolio review (e.g. syllabi, assignments)
    4.  Peer evaluations

  8. Again assigning 100 points to one or more of these options, which of these ought to be pursued by RAFO to improve the ongoing employment relationship between Roosevelt University and non-tenure-track faculty:
    1.  A “first review” policy whereby qualified adjuncts are given preference for full-time positions
    2.  Establishment of “teaching track” full-time positions, with preference given to current, qualified adjuncts.
    3.  More temporary (e.g. one- or two-year) full-time positions, covered by the RAFO contract.

    Working Conditions

  9. How important would these improvements be to you? Assign a total of 100 points to one or more of the following:
    1.  improved classroom facilities (e.g. computers, network connections, etc.)
    2.  improved office facilities (e.g. more desks, phones, phone books, filing cabinets, shelves)
    3.  adequate computer access in adjunct faculty offices
    4.  easier access to copying and clerical help

    Overall Priorities

  10. Considering the issues discussed above, assign 100 points to one or more of the following:
    1.  Salary
    2.  Benefits
    3.  Job Security
    4.  Working Conditions

    Other Concerns

    Use the space below to describe any other issues that ought to be addressed in contract negotiations, or to elaborate on any of the issues described above:

    What We Win Depends on You! Please Volunteer

    As you know, what we win in this contract will depend on our active involvement as union members. Our bargaining team is only as strong as the membership standing behind them. Now that you’ve thought about priorities for bargaining, please indicate which responsibilities you can share to help build our negotiating strength. (Put an X in the appropriate box(es).)

    1.  Serve on coordinating committee (coordinates bargaining support activities in colleges and programs)
    2.  Distribute leaflets and newsletters when needed.
    3.  Be part of a phone tree.
    4.  Attend rallies or special events to show support for the negotiations.
    5.  Help with research to develop and support our bargaining proposals.
    6.  Other:

    We need help now administering this survey to RAFO’s membership. We have several hundred people to contact.

    Would you be willing to call a few other adjuncts?

    Confirm and Send Your Information

    • To confirm your contact information,click on the "Confirm" button below. This will display your information in the boxes below. You must do this before sending the information.

    11. Name:
    Home Phone:
    Work Phone:
    Address:
    College (and School):
    Program:
    E-mail Address:
    How long at RU?
    Where else teaching?

    You may ignore this box:

    • If this information is correct, click the Send button below. If not, correct in the original form above and click on the Confirm button again. You will know that your information has been sent when you are redirected to a "Thank You" page.

    The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts today. Let us move forward with strong and active faith.
    F.D.R., March 1, 1945

    Last revised on August 13, 2003 by the Webmaster.