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What's Really Happening - 2006/01/05

Posted On: 1/5/2006


What's Really Happening

Columbus State Education Association Newsletter of January 5, 2006

NEGOTIATIONS RESUME NEXT THURSDAY INFORMATIONAL MEETING WEDNESDAY

CSEA and administration negotiators will resume bargaining next Thursday, January 12, with additional sessions scheduled for January 13, 19, and 20. The resumption of bargaining is the result of an agreement reached November 29 during mediation of an unfair labor practice complaint filed by CSEA.

The agreement provided for a resumption of bargaining on specific dates as well as the dismissal of three unfair labor practice charges filed by CSEA against the College. A State Employment Relations Board (SERB) mediator will participate in the negotiations, and SERB retains jurisdiction over the bargaining process. In preparation for bargaining, CSEA's Negotiating Team is reviewing documents provided by the College as part of the settlement agreement.

Tentative agreements reached during negotiations during Spring and Summer Quarters of last year are still in place. Provisions in some of these tentative agreements have already been put into effect, including changes in promotion & tenure processes, reverse banking of hours (allowing faculty to teach 14 or 15 hours one quarter and make up the balance of their 16-hour classroom assignment the following quarter), and various elements of Association business.

There will be a SHORT, ALL-FACULTY MEETING next Wednesday, January 11, at 3 PM in Delaware 121 to address any questions that bargaining unit members may have about the outstanding issues of salary and health benefits. Whether you are a CSEA member or not, we encourage you to attend.

This will be a SHORT meeting and will deal only with questions from faculty about the outstanding issues. Bring your questions, and if you are unable to attend, send your questions with a colleague.

WHAT ABOUT LEAD INSTRUCTORS & PROGRAM COORDINATORS?

The agreement to return to the bargaining table does NOT change the status of lead instructors and program coordinators who have refused those roles since Summer Quarter.

Although some program coordinators have resumed their duties in order to maintain the integrity of their programs, we urge other faculty to refuse the voluntary lead instructor/program coordinator work until we have a fair, mutually agreed contract.

WHAT ABOUT "WORK TO THE RULE"?

Work to the Rule-performing only scheduled classroom assignments, office hours, and 14 hours of weekly mission & learning support-remains in force. We urge all faculty to decline any additional "value-added" work until negotiations are concluded successfully. Preparing for classes, teaching, revising curriculum and evaluation tools, and holding office hours will consume more than 40 hours for most faculty. We recommend that faculty not participate in any other college-related activities such as committee and governance meetings, special events, or additional student advising until we have a fair, mutually agreed contract.

We have agreed to return to negotiations. We have not reached an agreement. Until the issues are resolved and we have an agreement, we encourage every faculty member to Work to the Rule. Your solidarity has taken us this far, and our goal of a fairly negotiated contract is in view. Don't let down now. Keep wearing your "Working to the Rule" badges.

WHO CAN SIGN STUDENTS INTO CLASSES?

There seems to be some confusion about processes for registering students once the quarter has begun. An interim process that was informally begun in Autumn 2004 (after the initial problems with Datatel) provided that faculty would have the sole authority to add students to their classes once the quarter had begun. Initially there was an exception that allowed staff or department chairs to approve registration for students trying to enroll in a section that had not yet met, but this process has caused problems for more than a few online instructors.

We hope to clarify the procedure so faculty, staff and department chairs can avoid these problems Spring Quarter.

NEA PROVIDES HURRICANE RELIEF

The National Education Association (NEA) has provided $500,000 in direct aid to students, teachers, and school employees affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Funds provided by NEA are helping displaced students buy school supplies, textbooks, and sin some cases clothes. In addition to efforts to raise $1 million in aid, NEA set up a toll-free help line for school employees affected by the hurricane and created an Adopt-A-School program to match donors with schools and classrooms in need of assistance.

In other relief-related action, the NEA Foundation donated $100,000-including $50,000 in matching funds from Staples, Inc.-to provide public school employees with housing, food, clothing and other necessities. NEA also deployed staff from its national office to work with businesses to develop joint projects to benefit schools taking in displaced students and schools in need of repair, and advocating with government agencies to address issues that have arisen from the rapidly changing needs related to students affected by the storm.


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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