Full Time Contract Negotiations Reach Impasse

 

After a prolonged bargaining process, United Academics and the administration of the University of Vermont reached impasse on Thursday, August 28th at approximately 3:45 pm.  It is unfortunate that we were unable to reach a fair contract through the bargaining process and equally unfortunate that the administration led us to believe that they had one last offer to bring forward after begging us to delay impasse.  We declined a delay in declaring impasse (which had already happened at the request of the Administration team), agreed to suspend our public campaign until 5pm today in anticipation of UVM’s offer and were blindsided by their press release in place of an actual offer. For all of that we are confident in the strength of our union and the justice of our positions. 

We thank our bargaining team, our members and our community allies for their support in the process thus far. We ask all of you to support us as we continue along the path that will ultimately lead us to a fair contract.

At this point, we begin the public phase of our campaign. We will be speaking out for the principle of a democratic University as a community of faculty, students, staff and administrators committed to learning together and working together for the public good. We are disappointed in the Administration’s behavior, typified by their last “faux impasse” stunt, that has led to our being unable to reach an agreement on a contract that respects these principles. We welcome the opportunity to work with the wider Burlington labor movement for justice for all workers.

United Academics is in solidarity with students and staff in support of high quality, affordable, personalized, public higher education. Our working conditions are our students’ learning conditions!

Contact:

Denise Youngblood

President, United Academics

e-mail:denise.youngblood@uvm.edu

phone: (802) 238-8785