The United Faculty of Florida bargains and enforces a contract between the employees of the UFF USF Bargaining Unit and the USF System Board of Trustees. This contract is the legally authoritative document — superseding all university rules and regulations and handbooks — on the terms and conditions of employment.
The UFF USF Bargaining Unit consists of:
- All faculty except those in the Health Sciences Center — except that faculty of the Colleges of Nursing and Public Health are members of the Bargaining Unit. This includes instructors, lecturers, and visiting professors, but not adjuncts.
- All department chairs in the Colleges of Arts & Sciences and Education.
- Many professionals, including advisers, librarians, researchers and scientists, and departmental assistants and associates.
The ultimate source of influence and authority of a union is the membership of the employees it represents, which is why ALL members of the UFF USF Bargaining Unit — faculty and university professionals — should join the union.
In addition, faculty and university professionals within the bargaining unit are NOT automatically members of UFF. You must complete and sign a membership form and send it to UFF in order to become a member. In addition to guaranteeing yourself free representation in any grievance and arbitration proceedings that you may need to initiate in the future, by becoming a UFF member you will:
- Strengthen the voice of faculty in negotiations;
- Support our lobbying efforts for better higher education funding and academic excellence;
- Receive professional protection by way of a free $1 million professional liability policy;
- Obtain the right to vote in UFF elections and thereby influence UFF bargaining priorities;
- Gain access to a variety of “members only” workshops, events and services, including free life insurance policies and legal representation;
- Receive free professional publications and literature about national higher education issues.
In addition, UFF will not provide grievance representation to faculty who were not dues-paying UFF members at the time when the grievable incident occurred. UFF will represent any UFF member who was a member at the time of the contract violation.
To join the movement, download and fill in the membership form, and mail it to PO Box 30238, USF-Tampa via campus mail.