Summer Signup Drive!

Dear RA Union Member:

I hope you’re having an excellent summer! We’re currently in the middle of a signup drive in order to get lots of members signed prior to negotiations. Please check out this packet of information that we put together for you about upcoming events and news from the union, as well as some great perks that you get just for being a union member.

Newsletter – June 2012

Also, please check out our contract survey. This is our first look at what members want from the next contract, so fill it in as completely as possible!

Click here to open the survey.

I hope to see some of you as I canvas this summer! Please stay tuned for upcoming summer events!

Best wishes,
Cayden

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2013 Contract Negotiation Survey

SBRA Union 2013 Contract Negotiation Survey

Instructions: please fill out this survey to the best of your ability and as honestly as possible. All questions are optional, but your participation in this survey will directly influence the things that the union will negotiate for you with the Research Foundation. The more complete the information we receive from you and your colleagues, the better our case is for these contract increases! The union will never sell your contact information to any third party, and will only use contact information that you provide to communicate with you regarding your contract, conditions of employment, and union-sponsored events that might be of interest to you. If you have any questions about this survey, please contact Cayden at cayden.mak@gmail.com. You can also refer to the original text of the contract here: http://sbraunion.org/ra-union-the-rf-contract/

Salary Increases

The union negotiates a minimum salary for all .5 FTE Research Project Assistants. The current minimum salary for a .5 FTE RPA is $16,067. The current contract provided for a 2% increase for the first year; an optional 1% increase for the second year; and a 0% increase for the third year.

Housing & Living Expenses

How many members of your household are there, including yourself & dependents? Do not count roommates.

How many of those household members are children under 18?

About how much do you spend a month on other essentials, such as food and transportation?

Health Care Usage

Are you covered by the RF's student employee insurance?

Yes
No
Not sure

About how many times in the past year have you used your health coverage?

Out-of-pocket Health Care Expenses

Approximately how much have you paid out-of-pocket for health care this year? Please include copays, deductibles, and care not covered by your plan.

Preventative Health Care

By preventative care, we mean exams, screenings and tests, and procedures intended to prevent rather than treat illness or injury.

Have you used your coverage for preventative health care?

Yes
No
Not sure

Are there other preventative procedures you would like covered?

Dependent & Family Health Care

Are your dependent(s) and/or spouse/domestic partner covered by YOUR health insurance?

Yes
No
Not applicable
Not sure

How many times in the past year have your dependent(s) and/or your spouse/domestic partner on your plan used your health coverage?

Approximately how much have you paid out-of-pocket in the past year for health care for your dependent(s) and/or spouse/domestic partner?

Dental & Vision Care

Which dental benefits have you used in the past year?

What dental benefits would you add to your plan?

Approximately how much have you paid out-of-pocket in the past year for dental care?

Which vision benefits have you used in the past year?

What vision benefits would you add to your plan?

Approximately how much have you paid out-of-pocket in the past year for vision care?

Medco Prescription Service

Your health care plan includes some discounts and benefits for using the mail-order Medco prescription service. See your insurance handbook for details.

Do you use Medco mail-order prescription services?

Yes
No
Not sure

Negotiation Priorities

Rate the following items in order of importance to you, 1 being least important and 5 being most important.

Other Conditions of Employment

Conditions of employment are enumerated in the contract. If they are not met, the union can pursue a grievance to ensure that you receive them. Conditions of employment that are monetary in nature (such as a guaranteed tuition waiver) are taxable as income.

Are there other conditions of employment which you would like to see protected by the contract?

Have you encountered any difficulties on the job related to terms covered by the contract?

Yes
No
Not sure

General Feedback

Please provide the negotiating team with any general feedback or ideas that might not have been covered by the previous questions.

Have you signed a yellow membership card?

Yes
No
Not sure

Email address:

Mailing address:

Phone number:

Please:

add me to the SBRA Union email list.
contact me about volunteer opportunities with the union.
contact me about my answers to any of these survey questions.

Never submit passwords through Google Forms.

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Signing the authorization cards!

Dear Research Assistants!
Now that RA Union contract with the Research Foundation has been ratified and you are drawing the benefits from it – I hope you all got your 2% salary increase this fall and a part of your university fees waived and more – it is time to pay the dues (this year the dues are 1.5% of your salary). Every individual RA must authorize the Research Foundation to deduct the dues from their paycheck. And in case you wander if you have to do this then the answer is yes, you are obligated by the National Labor Act to pay union dues.

You can download the form here RA Union Card. When you finish filling it out, please email it to info@sbraunion.org or send it to:

Betul Pamuk

Acting Business Agent

Department of Physics and Astronomy
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY 11794-3800

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SUNY Research Foundation has signed their first union contract!

Let’s make sure this is the first of many contracts to come.

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Signatures Collected!

All members of the RA Union Bargaining Committee have now officially signed the contract!

We are mailing the signed contract to the Research Foundation. We look forward to building our organization and implementing the contract!

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“Like” us on Facebook

We are launching a campaign to mobilize RAs to “Like” our new Facebook community page. Click on the image below to “Like” us on Facebook.

This new Facebook page is a tool to help us communicate with you, the membership, about issues that affect you. When we post updates on this Facebook page, they will appear on your Facebook news feed and keep you in the loop.

Once you “Like” us on Facebook, ask your friends to “Like” us, too, by clicking on the icons below.

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Salary
General health care
Preventative health care
Dependent & family health care
Dental coverage
Vision coverage
Child care

Stony Brook RA Union