The University of Akron

Staff Union

ONE VOICE UNITED FOR

RESPECT, OPPORTUNITY AND SECURITY

UA Staff Union Mission Statement:

RESPECT To secure a voice on our health care, working conditions, pensions, enrollment bonuses, classification and wages.

OPPORTUNITY To advocate for opportunities for advancement, longevity pay, career development & transferring without losing wages.SECURITY To defend against threats to our benefits and job security.

Read more about why we are supporting a UA staff

union. uastaffunion.org

The University of Akron works because we do!

• Staff are crucial to the success of our university.

• The University of Akron works because we do.

• Our crucial work is often unseen or taken for granted.

• Our important contribution is why we deserve respect, opportunity and security!

University staff discovers E=mc2 .

UA Staffgetting squeezed?

• Health coverage costs rising• Enrollment and workloads rising• Wages not keeping up with cost of living• Inequity rising - top 10 UA ft employees’

wages = wages of least paid 110 UA ft staff

• Low wages for many - more than 150 UA staff make less than $12 per hour

The time is now!

• This is the time. We are one of the few groups of employees on campus not represented by a union.

• Faculty have won big by forming a union. Are staff receiving enrollment bonuses, market value wage adjustments, or any path for advancement? NO. We cannot afford to wait any longer to get a seat at the negotiating table.

• Unprecedented support of public sector unions and collective bargaining through repeal of Senate Bill 5.

• Unprecedented attacks on public workers, national economic insecurity, threats to pensions, health insurance, job security.

• We no longer have Civil Service protection. We need the benefit of power in numbers and a legally binding contract.

Having a union works!

• 18,000+ OH union public higher-ed workers • 350,000+ OH union public employees • Higher-ed union office staff at:

Central State University (AFSCME) Cleveland State University (CWA)Medical University of Ohio (AFSCME)Shawnee State University (CWA) The University of Cincinnati (SEIU)The University of Toledo (CWA)Youngstown State University (OEA)

1,000 UA employees arein four campus unions:• Faculty (AAUP)• Trades & service workers

(CWA)• Campus police (FOP)• EJ Thomas Workers

(IATSE)

Source: State Employment Relations Board. All public sector union contracts are available at www.serb.state.oh.us

Right now staff are left out of

regular union negotiations on

conditions, benefits & wages.

We need to be at the table.

The University of Akron Around Ohio

union mean

What can a union mean for us?

• Respect, opportunity and security

• A real voice for staff • Workplace

representation• Unity- acting as a group • Collective bargaining• Timely updates and info• Political or legislative

action • Large network of public

higher education unions

United we stand and divided we

fall.

The Union DifferenceEvery union contract is different, with specific priorities set by the employees on each campus. Contract language is reached by bargaining between employees and management on that campus. No union can make any guarantees or promises that staff will get specific raises, benefits or protections from a union contract; no union contract has everything. This list provides the facts about what other public higher education employees have negotiated in their CWA contracts. Don’t take our word for it: read the contracts and see for yourself.

All public higher education contracts are available at www.serb.state.oh.us .

Average Wages (per hour) Union vs. Non-union

The University of Akron

Cleveland State University

Shawnee State University

The University of Toledo

Job Title

Admin Asst $16.85 $18.13 no such title $20.98

Admin Secretary $16.00 $18.24 $17.24 $25.10

Delivery Worker $10.70 $14.67 no such title $17.28

Library Associate $15.70 $19.27 no such title $22.61

Parking Worker $9.82 $14.65 no such title no such title

Secretary $13.74 $15.70 $15.75 $19.71

Software Spec $28.69 no such title no such title $31.16

Student Account Specialist

$16.38 no such title no such title Acct Spec $18.85

Loan Spec $20.13

Student Services Counselor

$16.86 $17.14(only one person)

no such title $21.85Source: 2011 staff wage data from UA, CSU, SSU, & UT. Simple average taken of current workers, not controlled for years of service. All public higher education staff wage info is available by name and university at buckeyeinstitute.org. NOTE: No union can promise specific raises. Union wages are negotiated between union members and that university. This info demonstrates what unionized staff have won elsewhere.

UNION!

UNION!

UNION!

NON-UNION

Why we choose CWA:

• Already on campus - combined we would become the largest bargaining unit on campus.

• Union for higher-ed staff in Ohio and nationally

• Strong tradition of union democracy

Over 3200 Ohio public university employees are represented by

CWA

Cleveland State University

Shawnee State University

The Ohio State University

The University of AkronThe University of Toledo

The Next Steps• Fill in your card to help call an election• Secret ballot election by mail • UA staff committee negotiates first contract• Contract approved by majority vote of staff• No dues paid until first contract passed, no initiation

fees • Dues are 1.3% of base wages or approx. 2¼ times your

hourly wage (ex. $16/hr wage earner pays $36/month dues)

We need your participation. Have you had an opportunity to sign your union authorization card yet?

Being Pro-union• Being pro-union is pro-University. We share

the same goal – to make UA the best university it can be.

• Being pro-union is reasonable. We want the same representation that other employees on campus already have. We need to speak up for ourselves as a group.

• Being pro-union is proactive. We are putting OUR future in OUR hands by having a say in what goes on at UA.

Get informed!

• Speak to one of the advocates for the UA Staff Union• Facebook.com/theuniversityofakronstaffunion• Ask us questions, get informed, and get involved

uastaffunion.orgOne voice united for respect, opportunity and

security!

Get involved!