Following discussion at a UTSF membership meeting, the Executive Council met with the union’s MEA attorney and UniServ Director to address two urgent concerns arising from MSU administration actions:
- The administration’s effort to stop Academic Governance from taking its customary role in recommending the faculty salary-pool percentage for the coming academic year.
- The administration’s rejection of faculty grievances and established grievance procedures.
Salary-pool raise percentages
Legal counsel advised UTSF to move promptly into bargaining over the raise-pool percentage that would be distributed to colleges for faculty raises in October 2026, covering the 2026–2027 academic year.
This bargaining covers the coming academic year only. UTSF will not make an agreement through this process that extends into future academic years. Any tentative agreement is subject to a vote of the membership and does not bind the union during negotiations for its first full contract.
The established methods used by individual colleges and units to allocate raise-pool funds remain part of the status quo. Those processes differ across the university, but each unit should continue to follow its existing practice rather than changing its allocation method unilaterally.
Under the bylaws, the Executive Council consulted with Association Representatives about the next steps for forming a negotiating team. An AR/EC meeting was scheduled for April 28 from 10 to 11 a.m., with virtual meeting information distributed separately.
Faculty grievance procedure
MSU administration made a unilateral decision to stop faculty grievance procedures. Because UTSF had not yet negotiated its first contract, that decision left faculty without an available process when they believed they had been harmed by a university policy, practice, or decision.
UTSF’s position is that established grievance practices must continue. Removing them harms faculty and violates the status quo. The union attempted in good faith to resolve the issue through dialogue, but the administration had not restored the process when this update was published.
Faculty should contact UTSF if they:
- Were told they could no longer file a grievance.
- Received a letter from the Faculty Grievance and Dispute Resolution Office saying it could not proceed.
- Were denied promotion or tenure and may need to challenge the decision.
- Have another grievance-related concern.
Email union@utsfmsu.org so the union can help assess the issue. UTSF will continue defending faculty rights, established procedures, and status-quo obligations while preparing to bargain the first contract.
In solidarity,
NiCole Buchanan, UTSF President
Zachary Kaiser, UTSF Vice President
Musaib Ashraf, UTSF Treasurer
Julie Libarkin, UTSF Secretary
Join UTSF or contact the union to volunteer for a standing committee or communications work.