UW System has informed UWM that that representatives of the American Federation of Teachers – Wisconsin (AFT-Wisconsin) have contacted employees at other campuses, in the workplace, seeking to interview them about their job duties as part of AFT-Wisconsin’s effort to pursue unit clarification (the process of assigning employees to classified staff unions) despite the President of AFT-Wisconsin being informed that such contacts are prohibited. Per guidance from UW System, the following has been implemented at UWM:

1. UWM is tolerant of any conversation in which employees wish to participate regarding unit clarification, provided that the conversations take place outside of the work unit and expected work hours.
2. If union members seek to interview employees on work time, the Director of Human Resources will contact the union and offer to make space available as mutually agreed upon for purposes of unit clarification discussions. Such space will be made available outside of normal work time.
3. Supervisors should instruct employees that if they receive telephone contacts on unit clarification, they should inform the caller that they must arrange any conversations or meetings on this topic outside of business hours, in accordance with this protocol. Supervisors should further instruct employees to report any telephone contacts in which the caller persists in efforts to expand the conversation into an interview, so that institutional officials can engage in immediate corrective follow-up.
4. In the event workplace contacts related to unit clarification continue to occur, supervisors should request the union representative to leave and immediately report the circumstances of the event to the Director of Human Resources.
5. If the union refuses to leave, the Director of Human Resources will immediately notify the UWM Office of Legal Affairs.
6. The Director of Human Resources in consultation with Legal Affairs will evaluate the situation and determine whether to alert the UWM Police Department with a request to have an officer go to the reported location of the contact, identify the person entering work units without authorization, and escort that individual from the building.
7. If the UWM Police Department is required to intervene, the officer will be asked to warn that individual that he/she is violating University rules and that if the individual repeats the behavior, he/she may be subject to citation as appropriate under applicable institutional and UW System rules.

For more information/resources on UW System's Faculty and Academic Staff Bargaining Legislation, please visit UW System website.