UFF Rights
4.1 Use of Facilities and Services.
The UFF shall be provided with the same campus office it currently uses or a campus office with equivalent meeting and storage space. The office shall be provided with secure locks and standard office equipment, including standard campus software, a telephone for local access calling (no long distance service provided), access to the internet, a desk, and a conference table with an appropriate number of chairs.
4.2 Communications.
(a) UFF shall have the right to post bulletins or other materials relevant to its position as the collective bargaining agent on a reasonable number of existing bulletin boards. All such postings shall bear the date of the posting and may be removed after having been posted for thirty (30) days.
(b) The University shall maintain links to the local UFF Chapter on the University web site.
(c) The UFF shall have the right to use without cost the University’s campus mail and e-mail systems (including use of the standard delivery mode to send messages to all faculty) in order to communicate with the faculty. The mails may not be used for election campaigns for public office, except that the UFF may announce endorsements made by the UFF or its affiliates. Faculty members who are e-mail recipients of UFF listserv(s) shall have the right to be removed from the listserv(s) upon written request.
4.3 Released Time.
(a) The University shall provide eighteen (18) units of released time to full-time faculty members designated by the UFF for the purpose of carrying out the UFF’s obligations in representing employees, bargaining, and administering this Agreement. This allocation is for the life of this agreement. Unused units will not accrue beyond this contract. No more than three of these units may be used in Summer.
(1) Each “unit” of released time shall consist of a reduction in teaching load of one (1) course per Fall or Spring semester for faculty with instructional duties or, for faculty without instructional duties, a reduction in workload of ten (10) hours per week. Faculty on 9-month contracts who receive release units in the summer shall be paid 12.5% of regular annual salary.
(2) Each “unit” of released time for P. K. Yonge Developmental Research School faculty members shall consist of a reduction in teaching load of one class per day during a semester for secondary school teachers, or its equivalent for other teachers One DRS faculty member may be designated by the UFF as a member of the UFF/UF bargaining team and be released from assigned duties for up to twelve (12) days. These days are to be used in increments of one whole day.
(3) A faculty member may receive more than one “unit” of released time per semester.
(4) Where the schedule of classes will allow, the University shall, whenever practicable, arrange for Tuesday-Thursday teaching schedules for faculty members who are bargaining.
(b) Released time during the academic year is subject to the following conditions:
(1) In departments with ten (10) or fewer faculty members, no more than one (1) faculty member may be granted released time at any one time without consent of the department supervisor.
(2) UFF shall provide the University with a list of requested designees for each semester of the academic year no later than May 1 of the preceding academic year.
(3) Substitutions for the Spring semester shall be made upon written notification submitted by the UFF no later than October 31.
(c) Faculty members who are on leave shall not be eligible to receive released time.
(d) Salary Increases. Faculty members on released time shall be eligible for salary increases on the same basis as other faculty members.
(e) Released time activities may require a significant commitment of time and shall be acknowledged.
(f) Faculty members on released time shall not be considered representatives of the University for any activities undertaken on behalf of the UFF. The UFF agrees to hold the University harmless for any and all claims arising from such activities, including the cost of defending against such claims.
4.4 Leave of Absence—Union Activity.
(a) At the written request of the UFF, provided no later than May 1 of the prior to the beginning of the academic year when such leave is to become effective, a full-time or part-time leave of absence for the academic year shall be granted to up to three (3) faculty members designated by the UFF for the purpose of carrying out UFF’s obligations in representing faculty and administering this Agreement. For faculty members on 12-month appointments, such leave shall also be granted for the entire summer term, upon written request by the UFF provided no later than March 15.
(b) The UFF shall reimburse the University for the salary and benefits of the faculty members approved for leave granted under the provisions of this Article.
(c) A faculty member on such leave shall not be evaluated for this activity, but such activity shall be considered service.
(d) Salary Increases. Faculty members on leave under this paragraph shall be eligible to receive salary increases on the same basis as other faculty members.
(e) The University shall not be liable for the acts of omissions of any faculty member granted leave under this Section, and the UFF shall hold the University harmless for any such acts or omissions, including the cost of defending against such claims (except for claims brought by the UFF alleging a violation of the Agreement or Chapter 447, Florida Statutes).
4.5 Faculty Orientations. UFF shall be afforded the opportunity to set up a table for the purpose of distributing materials at the University New Faculty Orientation, and the existence and location of that table shall be mentioned during the orientation presentation. Notification by email of the date, time, and location of new faculty orientations shall be made to the UFF/UF President no later than two (2) weeks prior to the event.