FAQs

What is a union?

A union is a group of individuals working together to represent the interests of their colleagues, advocate for the workplace rights of its members, and serve as a voice for workers within the organizations to which they dedicate their labor and expertise. The union represents its members during collective bargaining negotiations and works to ensure fair wages, benefits, equity, and workplace protections.   

How does the union differ from UMD Faculty Governance?

Faculty Governance is also a representative body for faculty at UMD. It leads discussion of faculty issues, advises and consults administration, and recommends policies related to: undergraduate and graduate curricula, research, scholarship and creative activities, liberal education policies, and policies to promote a diverse university body. Faculty Governance is advisory to the Chancellor. 

While Faculty Governance is mainly concerned with educational policies, the union is concerned with the terms of employment of its members, such as wages, benefits, workload, leaves, and protections. 

While some of the work of Faculty Governance and the UEA-D might overlap, specifically in the case of policies that affect union issues, the two bodies have different powers and responsibilities. The  President of the UEA has a non-voting seat on the Faculty Senate.

The Faculty Senate represents the faculty at UMD; it is not part of the University of Minnesota  system-wide Faculty Governance, which is also advisory. The UEA maintains direct relationships with the Board of Regents, and attends BOR meetings. This, along with the power of collective bargaining can make the UEA more influential with University of Minnesota Administration than Faculty Governance is by itself.  

What is collective bargaining?

Collective bargaining is the process by which the union negotiates the rights of its members. It is a process that plays a crucial role in  the working relationship, cooperation, and respectful disagreements between the faculty and their employers. Collective bargaining helps to spell out and codify the terms of employment and how faculty should be treated. Collective bargaining means that individuals are not negotiating their terms of employment alone, but as a body of peers with one voice who are more powerful and stronger together. 

What is the CBA? 

The CBA is the collective bargaining agreement. It is a legally-binding agreement that represents a compromise between the union and the administration. The CBA is renegotiated on a regular (usually 3-year) basis. The union works to uphold the CBA and defend its terms on behalf of all union members, including those who do not pay dues. The objective of the union is to maintain a  CBA that provides the best compensation and working conditions possible for its members. 

Who is included in the UEA-D bargaining unit?

At UMD, faculty with an appointment of 35% or greater (and longer than 67 days) are included in the UEA-D bargaining unit. 

What is a grievance? 

The Union exists to protect the working conditions of its members. If there is a dispute about working conditions between the Employer (UMD/UMN) and union members, then the Grievance Officer can start a process (the “grievance procedure” outlined in the CBA starting in section 801.000) to attempt to resolve that dispute. A dispute about working conditions might be related to your contract, how you are treated in your Department/College, discipline taken against you, and other conditions of your employment. For something to rise to the level of a fileable grievance it must violate a specific section of the CBA. A grievance always has a request for a specific and concrete resolution to the issue. The grievance procedure is just one of many tools UEA-D uses to strive for good working conditions for members.

What is the difference between the contract, letter of appointment, and the CBA? 

Letters of appointment are drafted and offered by the different colleges within UMD, in consultation with departments and deans. The CBA is negotiated at the campus level and outlines terms of employment for all faculty who are a part of the bargaining unit. 

What can the UEA-D bargain for?

The union can negotiate salaries and wages, and benefits such as parental leaves. They also negotiate workload, academic credit and student contact hours, leaves, safety, workplace environment/climate issues, and academic freedom concerns. The UEA-D can negotiate health benefits and retirement plans, but traditionally, our CBA has anchored UEA health benefits to those of our colleagues on the Twin Cities campus through an “us too” clause.

What are some of the wins?

The UEA-D has successfully bargained for: the right for tenure and promotion to be decided on the UMD campus, rather than at a system level by the Twin Cities administration; gains in academic freedom; the inclusion of a non-sexual harassment section to the CBA; parental leave; parental leaves for fathers and adoptive parents; policy to address the biases of student ratings of teaching; and the definition of a disciplinary process and due process, including union representation to ensure individual rights and the rights of the CBA.  

What issues are we continuing to advocate for?

The UEA-D continues to advocate for: parental leave for partners and non-birth mothers; multi-year contracts for term faculty members; job security for term faculty; better promotion opportunities for all faculty; fair wages compared to our peer institutions; fair allocation of system resources; and equitable workloads. 

Which issues do we not bargain? 

The UEA-D does not bargain for: governance policies; the organizational structure and administration of the university; educational policies; the budget; hiring, evaluation, and promotion policies; the use of technology. However, the UEA-D can lobby and provide a voice for faculty on these issues, enacting influence often in collaboration with the Faculty Senate. 

How can I become a member and what are typical union member dues?

Becoming a member is very easy and can be done online.  Signing up only takes a few moments and your membership is effective immediately. For more information on becoming a member and dues, see the Membership page. 

Why should I become a UEA-D Member?

Joining the UEA-D helps to maintain the health of the union; the greater the number, the greater the power of the union. There are three motivations to becoming a member.  Self-interest: Faculty at unionized campuses have better wages, better benefits, and better working conditions.  It is a concrete way to exercise power surrounding our working conditions.  Solidarity: With rights come responsibilities.  We join to stand with our fellow faculty members because we are stronger together.The CBA only exists because a majority of faculty have demonstrated their support for our union by signing a membership card. If everyone were to leave it to  their colleagues to pay union dues and get involved in leadership,the benefits of our CBA  would disappear. 

What are the benefits of becoming a member of the UEA-D?

UEA-D members are eligible to vote on bargaining issues and contribute to the impact that the union makes on the UMD campus. They are also entitled to legal representation (beyond cases involving grievance and arbitration). Through affiliated organizations like Education Minnesota, the National Education Association, and the American Federation of Teachers, members are also eligible for grants and professional development opportunities. In addition, our membership strengthens the power of EdMN and NEA to advocate for education policies at the state and national levels.

What is Education Minnesota?

Education Minnesota (EdMN) is a state-level union and an advocate for public education in Minnesota. EdMN is made up of 472 local unions, including the UEA-D, each of which is organized to meet the specific needs of members in their job settings and communities. Education Minnesota gives “voice” to the issues that affect educators and their students anywhere decisions get made that affect public education—whether it’s at the state Capitol, in Washington, D.C., or with local administrators at schools or institutions. Education Minnesota is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association and the AFL-CIO. Through membership in EdMN, the UEA lends its support to these organizations that work in collaboration  to provide a unified voice for public education and educators. 

For more information, see https://educationminnesota.org/home.