Bargaining

 

     Bargaining at USF between UFF’s and the Board’s bargaining teams has gone steadily forward this semester.  At this rate, it is possible that there will be a proposed contract sometime soon.

     A contract comes into force if and after it is approved by both parties.  The bargaining teams merely represent the two parties:  the contract must be approved by the Board of Trustees and by the faculty.  That means that if bargaining is completed during Summer, then during Summer or Fall (depending on circumstances):

• The Board will meet to ratify or reject the contract, and
• The faculty will vote in a “ratification election” to approve or reject the contract.

Of course, bargaining isn’t finished until it’s finished, and anything can happen.  Stay tuned.

 

Election Returns

 

     Each Spring, the USF Chapter of the United Faculty of Florida elects its officers, senators, and delegates.  The officers are the President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.  The Senators represent the chapter in the statewide meetings of the UFF Senate.  The delegates represent the chapter in the statewide meetings of the Florida Education Association Assembly.

     Any UFF faculty member can run for any of these positions, and all UFF members can vote.  Here are the results of the last election:

     For President: Roy Weatherford.

     For Vice President:  Mark Klisch.

     For Treasurer:  Sherman Dorn

     For Secretary:  Maggie Doherty

     For the UFF Senate:  Sherman Dorn, Lilyan Kay, Mark Klisch, Greg McColm, Jana Martin, Steve Permuth, Arthur Shapiro, Tomaro Taylor, Nancy Tyson, Harry Vanden, Robert Welker, and Keith White.

     For the FEA Delegation:  Sherman Dorn, Mary Kaplan, Lilyan Kay, Nancy Jane Tyson, Roy Weatherford, Keith D. White, and Sonia Ramirez Wohlmuth.  Mel Pace is an Alternate Delegate.

     Note:  other offices, like the Chief Negotiator, the Grievance Chair, the Membership Chair, and the Publicity Chair are either appointed by the President or by the Chapter.

 

The Union and the Senate

 

Things would go better, quipped Patrick Oliphant, if people would just follow orders.

     It seems inefficient to have a bunch of organizations paw over some issue, composing contradictory position papers and ultimately coughing up a compromise, when all we need is a competent administrator who can make a sensible decision.

     There are two problems with such a centralized approach.  First, even with the best of intentions, an administrator makes decisions based on what (s)he sees, and what (s)he sees depends on where (s)he sits.  Problems of faculty are further away, in other buildings, so however clearly the administration may see the faculty concerns intellectually, the psychological distance between the administration and the faculty will make faculty concerns less pressing.  A broader perspective requires a broader reach than a single person has.

     It is also a matter of morale.  After all, the university does not function well if many people feel frozen out.  That is how many faculty felt after the 1960s – when USF was censured and then sued in a sequence of spectacular academic freedom cases.  And that is why faculty formed the Faculty Senate and then the United Faculty of Florida in the 1970s.

     The Senate and the Union do work that needs to be done.  The Senate oversees the academic side of the university.  Legally, its role is advisory, but in practice the Senate provides the primary route for higher-level decision-making on academic policy to be informed by the experience of active scholars.  The Senate not only empowers faculty, but provides the faculty expertise to the process.

     The union bargains and enforces a contract that covers some of the faculty.  Thus the union is worried primarily about work conditions, compensation, etc.  By defending the rights and interests of faculty, from commoners to superstars, the union keeps the administration honest and the faculty informed.

     Both the Senate and the union represent the faculty, albeit in different ways.  And while there is some overlap, they mostly handle different issues.

     The different missions of the Senate and the union engender different points of view.  But as representatives of the faculty, it is important that they respect each other, and cooperate with each other, especially as the issues of joint concern (e.g., academic freedom and tenure) tend to be very important.

     Both the Senate and the union have a common issue at the moment.  Salaries.  The Senate is concerned that low salaries will compromise faculty recruitment and retention.  The union wants higher salaries for faculty because, hey, that’s what unions are for.  We have different points of view, but with cooperation, we can work together towards a better university.