UMass trustees, union reps clash on need for layoffs
Updated Dec 10, 2020;
Posted Dec 10, 2020
11/15/2019 - Amherst - The W.E.B Du Bois library on University of Massachusetts Amherst campus. (Hoang Leon Nguyen / The Republican)
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Union representatives described an autocratic, uncaring administration. University officials portrayed a staggering financial challenge that requires wrenching decisions.
The University of Massachusetts board of trustees meeting Thursday was filled with numbers and projections, but at its heart was a deep philosophical division that has dogged the system from the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Four union spokespeople excoriated administrators for furloughs and layoffs during the pandemic. Their comments during the Zoom meeting came after treasurer Lisa Calise laid out an uncertain 2021 scenario with only partial reopening of campuses, and projections of encouraging news and unanticipated losses running about equally.