UFF-UCF wants to welcome everyone to the fall semester and we hope for everyone’s continued health and safety during our most recent turn in the pandemic. The New York Times is reporting over 200 hundred deaths as an average for the state of Florida with over 23,000 daily cases still. Right now Orange County’s daily average COVID cases are 1,278 and Seminole County is 428. The Orlando Sentinel also reported yesterday that we are fast approaching peak daily cases of COVID for Florida.

While Faculty Excellence reminds us we “Teaching in a Pandemic… Again,” we want to alert everyone in the Bargaining Unit that we will be meeting with UCF to negotiate a Fall COVID MOU. UCF has been reluctant to agree to negotiate a new COVID MOU since the summer one expired, however we have agreed to an impact bargaining session for this Wednesday August 25th from 2pm-3pm. We are asking everyone who can to join us by emailing Briannis Weston
[Briannis@ucf.edu] and ask her for the Zoom link. You do not have to be a union member to watch impact bargaining, it is a public meeting.

Last week I alerted you to revisions made to the COVID Decision Triggers behind closed doors, so that the triggers can no longer trigger an actual COVID Decision. Public Schools Boards around the state are electing to require a mask mandate indoors. We are asking UCF to put the popsicle down and bring solutions to the problems and concerns of the Delta Variant that the Bargaining Unit faces. We need you to join us. Email Briannis Weston [Briannis@ucf.edu] and ask her for the Zoom link.

In Solidarity,

Robert Cassanello
UFF-UCF