October 12 _ 13 2007 Single Payer Universal - United Academics .doc

							                 October 12th and 13th Meeting Minutes
                         (Approved 2/9/2008)
Hampton Inn, Anchorage, Alaska
Friday, October 12th, 2007

1. The meeting was called to order by President Carl Shepro at 1:00 p.m. President
   Shepro thanked everyone in attendance for coming. The roll was called by
   Secretary/Treasurer Dan Walsh.

       Attendance:

              Present:   Carl Shepro                              John Riley
                         Tim Hinterberger                         Pat Fort
                         Abel Bult-Ito                            Jerry McBeath
                         Randy Magen                              Dan Walsh
                         Terry Reilly                             Cecile Lardon
                         Burns Cooper                             Sharon Chamard
                         Jenifer McBeath                          Kate Gordon
                         Jordan Titus                             Nina Chordas
                         Allan Turner                             Lisa Hoferkamp
                         Jonathan Rosenberg

              Absent:    Sherry Tamone                            Greg Protasel
                         Joseph Thompson

2. President Shepro gave an overview of the importance of contract enforcement, and
   described how Pat Shaw from AAUP had provided a weekend training session for
   interested individuals. The training was valuable and provided members training on
   how to continue to represent the union.

3. President Shepro relayed how involving the Grievance Chairs in the monthly
   meetings of the Executive Board was helping to keep issues current and was
   providing ways to deal with the administration. This practice also allows each campus
   representative to present views on an issue, in order to ensure we are consistent in
   administering the contract for the whole unit.

4. President Shepro stated that the issue in the College of Education, closing the HOPE
   program, continued to be addressed by the union and that a settlement had been
   reached for the members who were affected.

5. President Shepro briefed the assembly on the status of the Upper Division dispute
   with ACCFT. The item is now before the Alaska Labor Relations Agency.

6. Dr. Allan Turner presented a formal vehicle to build communications and small
   working groups for the union. However, the RA took no action on the proposed
   language.

7. The issue of ORP Tier 1 employees being impacted by the TRS contribution rate by
   the University of Alaska was discussed at length and a committee was formed to
   further investigate the issue and report to the E-Board and RA at a future date.

8. Dr John Riley, Chief Negotiator for United Academics, told the RA that the joint
   healthcare negotiations with ACCFT and 6070 had not resulted in an agreement on
   health care. He relayed that the administration was pushing hard for an 80/20% split
   of total net health care costs, which would have a dramatic impact on our members'
   take home pay. The 6 to 8 million dollars over collection from all University
   employees will be used to keep premiums in check over the life of the future contract.
   He stated that communications to the members would be more frequent as the
   negotiation process moves forward.

9. The RA meeting adjourned at 4 p.m. and will reconvene at 10:00 a.m., Saturday,
October 13, 2007.


Saturday, October 13th, 2007

1. The meeting was called to order by President Carl Shepro at 10:00 a.m. President
   Shepro thanked everyone in attendance for coming. The roll was called by
   Secretary/Treasurer Dan Walsh.

       Attendance:

               Present:   Carl Shepro                             John Riley
                          Tim Hinterberger                        Pat Fort
                          Abel Bult-Ito                           Jerry McBeath
                          Randy Magen                             Dan Walsh
                          Terry Reilly                            Cecile Lardon
                          Burns Cooper                            Jenifer McBeath
                          Kate Gordon                             Jordan Titus
                          Nina Chordas                            Allan Turner
                          Lisa Hoferkamp `                        Jonathan Rosenberg

               Absent:    Sherry Tamone                           Greg Protasel
                          Joseph Thompson                         Sharon Chamard

2. A motion was made and seconded for approval of the agenda. (The motion passed)

3. A motion was made and seconded for approval of the minutes from the February RA
   meeting. (The motion passed)

4. The following committee reports were presented.
President’s Report:

President Shepro presented his written report to the RA and congratulated the negotiation
team for their work and dedication to bargain a new CBA.

Organizational Vice Presidents’ Reports:

UAA Organizational VP Tim Hinterberger reported that little was happening on the UAA
campus. He stated that he had attended the scheduled new faculty orientations at UAA
and was able to meet some of the new members. He said he had future plans to hold
more regular meetings at UAA and communicate via email more often.

UAF Organizational VP Jordan Titus gave a brief overview of the events that were taking
place at UAF. She highlighted the attendance at new faculty orientation at UAF and the
huge success of the reception in August. She talked about the importance of building the
membership by regular communications and holding regular meetings.

UAS Organizational VP Sherry Tamone had Nina Chordas give the update due to her
absence. Nina reported that UAS was still holding regular meetings and that everything
was going smoothly at UAS.

Secretary/Treasurer's Report:

Dan Walsh reported on the financial condition of the union and presented current bank
balances to the RA. A future Budget and Finance Committee meeting will be held in
order to establish a fiscal year budget for United Academics.

a. Other Reports:

      a. Healthcare: Terry Reilly discussed the UMC on health care. He gave an
         example of how the PPO model used by BC/BS does not work particularly
         well in Fairbanks and stated that members should make informed decisions
         regarding health treatments.

      b. Faculty Development Funds: Each MAU has agreed to provide matching
      funds. Jordan Titus said she would stay on top of this issue at UAF and Jerry
      McBeath agreed to serve on the UAF committee. Tim Hinterberger said he would
      report on how the process was working at UAA. UAS members did not know
      that the buy-out funds were going into the Wilson Fund.

5. Future Planning – It was suggested that a meeting of the Representative Assembly
   take place in Juneau in February 2008.

6. Good of the Order:
   President Shepro introduced the “Single Payer Universal Health Care” resolution:

HR 676 - SINGLE PAYER UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE
WHEREAS: Workers, their families and their unions are waging an increasingly difficult
struggle to win or to keep good health care coverage.
WHEREAS: Almost every union at every contract deadline must battle and sacrifice
merely to sustain health care benefits. The rising costs of health insurance are blocking
workers’ progress in wages and other areas. All of our unions face a healthcare crisis.
But the crisis extends far beyond union members. Nearly 50 million people in the United
States are currently without health insurance, more than 75 million went without for
some length of time within the last two years, and millions more have inadequate
coverage or are at risk of losing coverage.
WHEREAS: People of color, immigrants and women are denied care at disproportionate
rates, while the elderly and many others must choose between necessities and life
sustaining drugs and care. Unorganized workers have either no coverage or inadequate
coverage. The Institute of Medicine has found that each year more than 18,000 in the
U.S. die because they had no health insurance.
WHEREAS: While we in the United States spend approximately twice as much of our
gross domestic product as other developed nations on health care, we remain the only
industrialized country without universal coverage. Our problem worsens each year as
insurance costs increase and gradual solutions have failed to make a dent in the problem.
WHEREAS: The U.S. health system continues to treat health care as a commodity
distributed according to the ability to pay, rather than as a social service to be
distributed according to human need. Insurance companies and HMOs compete not by
increasing quality or lowering costs, but by avoiding covering those whose needs are
greatest.
WHEREAS: Economic necessity and moral conscience compel us to seek a better way.
WHEREAS: Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) has introduced HR 676, the United
States National Health Insurance Act, also called Expanded and Improved Medicare for
All. This single-payer health care program proposes an effective mechanism for
controlling skyrocketing health costs while covering all Americans. The bill also restores
free choice of physicians to patients and provides comprehensive prescription drug
coverage to seniors, as well as to younger people.
WHEREAS: HR 676 would cover every person in the U.S. for all necessary medical care
including prescription drugs, hospital, surgical, outpatient services, primary and
preventive care, emergency services, dental, mental health, home health, physical
therapy, rehabilitation (including for substance abuse), vision care, chiropractic and
long term care. HR 676 ends deductibles and co-payments. HR 676 would save billions
annually by eliminating high overhead and profits of the private health insurance
industry and HMOs. The transition to national health insurance would apply the savings
from administration and profits to expanded and improved coverage for all.
WHEREAS: A single payer program as provided by HR 676 is the only affordable option
for universal, comprehensive coverage.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the United Academics AAUP/ AFT local 4996
Representative Assembly Members wholeheartedly endorses Congressman Conyers’ bill
HR 676, “Expanded and Improved Medicare for All,” a single payer health care
program.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That United Academics AAUP/ AFT local 4996
Representative Assembly Members will work with other Labor Organizations and
community groups to build a groundswell of popular support and action for single payer
universal health care and HR 676, until we make what is morally right for our nation into
what is also politically possible.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That United Academics AAUP/ AFT local 4996
Representative Assembly will send a copy of this resolution to Congressman Conyers, to
all members of the U.S. House and Senate and to all members of the Alaska House and
Senate.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED: That United Academics AAUP/ AFT local 4996
Representative Assembly will take other actions to mobilize our members and our
community at the grassroots to encourage other members of the House to sign on as co-
sponsors of HR 676 and to encourage Senators to introduce a companion bill in the
Senate.


Discussion of the resolution followed. A motion was made and seconded to endorse the
resolution. 17 members voted for, 6 members voted against and 1 member abstained; the
motion carried.

7. The meeting adjourned at 4:50 p.m.