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What's Really Happening - 2003/02/02

Posted On: 2/2/2003


What's Really Happening

Columbus State Education Association Newsletter of February 2, 2003

NEGOTIATIONS RESUME TUESDAY

In response to a request from CSEA, the Board's negotiating team has agreed to resume negotiations at an off-campus location on Tuesday, February 4. This meeting will not include any outside third party (mediator). CSEA does not believe that it is helpful to constructive negotiations to shop around for new mediators simply because one party disagrees with the findings of a neutral third party. We hope that some breakthrough can be made before the escalating situation on campus leads to further erosion of morale and, at worst, a strike.

ALL-FACULTY MEETINGS

Anxiety regarding a strike and its potential impact on work and relationships within the College is at an all-time high. To keep all faculty abreast of rapidly developing events and to clarify the sometimes rumor-fueled stories circulating on campus, CSEA will host two sets of meetings open to only faculty.

We invite all full-time faculty, regardless of union affiliation or membership, to attend one of two meetings scheduled for Thursday and Friday, February 6 and 7, from 3-5 p.m. in Nestor Seminar D. Bring your questions and concerns, and we'll provide whatever information and insights we can.

A second set of meetings will be held for adjunct faculty the following week, on Thursday and Friday, Feb. 13 and 14, from 3-5 p.m. in Nestor Seminar C.

Prior to its dissolution by the Board following full-time faculty's union representation vote in 2001, Faculty Senate had developed strong advocacy positions in support of adjunct faculty. This work included establishing the Standing Committee on Adjunct Faculty Concerns, whose efforts included advocating for increased pay for adjuncts and creation of a Lecturer position (to include year-long contracts and partial medical benefits) for long-time adjuncts.

Any type of job action by full-time faculty will test the shared bond with adjuncts, whose questions and concerns we hope to address in these meetings.

BEING PRUDENT & SETTING PRIORITIES

Several faculty members report that they have begun to set aside money and cut back on unnecessary expenses so that they are prepared if negotiations go to impasse and a strike becomes the only option to reach a settlement. We admire their foresight.

If you have been putting off paying your dues and receiving the benefits and protections of CSEA membership, now may be the time to set new priorities.

THE FACT CHECKER

In a global email to the campus last Thursday, Dr. Moeller referred to a January 28 administration proposal to CSEA, stating that the proposal was "within the financial framework of the Teamsters Fact-Finder's report" covering negotiations between the College and its Public Safety officers. She further noted that at its meeting January 23, "the Board indicated its interest in having us continue all bargaining within this framework."

THERE YOU GO AGAIN! To clarify, for those who are confused:

CSEA is negotiating a contract for full-time faculty, not for Public Safety officers.

It is an affiliate of the Ohio Education Association, not the Teamsters.

It is negotiating its own contract that covers salary and work issues that are specific to faculty and their instructional duties in fulfillment of the College's mission; as staff who are responsible for law enforcement on campus and not classroom instruction, Public Safety officers have work and salary issues that are distinct from those of faculty. To speak as if these contracts are intertwined is to misunderstand the differing issues, blur important distinctions between faculty responsibilities and specialized staff duties, and mislead the entire campus community.

Finally, fact-finding recommendations in one set of contract talks do not dictate solutions in another. If this were so, both faculty and Public Safety officers would have salary schedules that allow them to actually move up within their fictional pay "ranges", since the fact finder's report issued in November to address the issues in faculty negotiations recommended that faculty receive a fair and truthful pay schedule comparable to their peers in other state community colleges.

It is not surprising that the Board wants to "continue all bargaining" within a framework that does not require it to address the fundamental flaws in its compensation package for faculty. It is, nonetheless, unrealistic.


What's Really Happening is produced by the Communications Committee of the Columbus State Education Association. We welcome your comments, news, and insights.

Steve Abbott, President / x5096
Karl Rieppel, Vice President / x2500
Amy Brubaker, Secretary and Association Representative / x5068
Greg Goodhart, Treasurer / x5431
Darrell Minor, Parliamentarian / x5310
Bill Mundy, Association Representative / x5176
Dr. Jane McDowell, Association Representative / x2656 
Dave Busch, Association Representative / x5079
Dr. Charlie Gallucci, Association Representative / x5499
Leslie Smith, Association Representative / x5302
Dr. Wendy McCullen-Vermillion, Association Representative / x2693
Lisa Schneider, Association Representative / x5124


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