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Rauner goes one way, workers go another

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Illinois

A second University of Illinois campus has formed a union for tenured faculty, even as organizing efforts continue at the Urbana-Champaign campus.

The Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board on Friday certified the faculty union at the UI Springfield, which has 137 members and is affiliated with the Illinois Federation of Teachers. […]

The UI’s Chicago campus signed its first faculty union contract in May 2014, and about 475 non-tenure-track faculty at Urbana won recognition for their union in July. The Campus Faculty Association is also pushing for a union to represent tenured and tenure-track faculty at Urbana.

The lecturers, instructors and other “specialized faculty,” as the campus refers to non-tenure-track faculty, represent about 20 percent of the total faculty at Urbana, according to the Campus Faculty Association Local 6546.

* From the IFT…

This win is part of a trend in higher education where faculties are pushing back against college administrators turning university teaching into an unstable, temporary job. Stability for educators means higher retention rates and more experience in the classroom. Faculty organized with the goals of: negotiating fair wages and benefits, sharing governance with the administration, and for freedom from retaliation when advocating for the rights of students.

posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 1:23 pm

Comments

This isn’t a win until the voting majorities within Illinois see it as a win.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 1:26 pm
==This isn’t a win until the voting majorities within Illinois see it as a win.==

What? Who. Cares.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 1:30 pm
“sharing governance with the administration” Yeah, that’s what I want professors and teachers doing.

Comment by Anonymous Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 1:34 pm
What needs to be done is for Illinois unions to take this news and spin it as proof that unions are more than just a wage.

Rauner wants Illinoisans to decided if unions are still good for our state by focusing on what unions cost. What unions have to do is switch the focus from what unions cost, to what unions deliver to everyone in the State.

Unions have to change the conversation away from costs towards benefits. Away from union members towards everyone living within communities with strong unions. This way people outside union membership can begin to consider the benefits unions give them as members of our communities.

AFSCME needs to stop playing defense using the conversation Rauner is abusing, and start playing defense using conversations that reinforce what unions can do for everyone in Illinois.

Rauner wouldn’t be attacking other voluntary societal organizations because he accepts what those groups give our communities. Rauner is blinded to a bottom line cost of unions, and completely ignorant of everything else unions do for our society.

Would Rauner attack religious organizations?
Would Rauner attack fraternal organizations?
Would Rauner attack civic groups?
Would Rauner attack other societal groups, like marrieds, parents, grandparents, or private schools?

No - he wouldn’t. He doesn’t value unions. He doesn’t know what unions do. He isn’t alone in his basic ignorance either. It is time for unions to start defending themselves by demonstrating what it is that makes them great for everyone.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 1:35 pm
===Faculty organized with the goals of: negotiating fair wages and benefits, sharing governance with the administration, and for freedom from retaliation when advocating for the rights of students.===

Agree that the unionization of college faculty is a trend that will likely spread to most campuses in the not-too-distant future. But I disagree that union faculty will have much, if any, say in shred governance. In fact, that is exactly what they are giving up by unionizing.

They are no longer on the same side as the university administration, and therefore they cannot be allowed to share governance of the university. Imagine the negotiations when the union is conflicted over getting the best contract or making the most prudent long-term financial decision? Do they negotiate for less money in order to make new investments in the university? Will the union veto any university budget it doesn’t like?

You can’t be both management and labor. They’ve chosen an either-or proposition by unioninzing and have therefore abdicated any legitimate role in shared governance as it’s historically been practiced in higher education.

A faculty vote of “no confidence” used to send presidents packing. Now it will be a badge of honor, and some presidents will probably even earn bonuses for the distinction.

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 2:00 pm
==“sharing governance with the administration” Yeah, that’s what I want professors and teachers doing. ==

Ya, dictatorial run organizations are always better. (snark)

Comment by Joe M Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 2:02 pm
VMan:

This issue isn’t unions. People know about unions. The issues is PUBLIC EMPLOYEE unions. You are never going to convince anybody to change their views on this subject.

Comment by Demoralized Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 2:08 pm
Shared governance is not a new concept at universities. Most universitiy administration has statements about shared governance.

Even the U of Illinois at Urbana Champaign:

“The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has a long and proud tradition of strong shared governance. Faculty members and faculty leaders in administrative roles are committed to ensuring that shared governance is practiced throughout academic programs, departments, schools, colleges, and the campus. In a shared governance system, decisions are made through a process that rests upon collegial and collaborative consultation. The University of Illinois Statutes express the centrality of the decision-making power of the faculty to the functioning of the University:
As the responsible body in the teaching, research, and scholarly activities of the University, the faculty has inherent interests and rights in academic policy and governance. Each college or other academic unit shall be governed in its internal administration by its faculty. . . Governance of each academic unit shall be based on unit bylaws established and amended by the faculty of that unit (University Statutes II.3.b)………
http://tinyurl.com/pn2mrlu

Comment by Joe M Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 2:33 pm
47th Ward, you may be unaware of this, but the university is already divided into management and labor, and faculty are most definitely seen by management as labor. Shared governance, as it exists now, is nothing more than a favor granted to faculty when management is willing to offer it, which basically amounts to the decisions that it cares little about (renaming majors, creating minors, etc). When it comes to the big decisions — finances, distributions of revenue, salaries, benefits, furloughs, and as of this year, hiring of faculty — we get sent to the “kids table” while the “grown-ups” make the decision. A union brings shared governance because these issues are negotiated, face-to-face, and locked in with a contract, rather than on the whims of administrators.

Comment by Filmmaker Professor Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 2:48 pm
For all of you who don’t understand “shared governance” read this from UI Statutes: As the responsible body in the teaching, research, and scholarly activities of the University, the faculty has inherent interests and rights in academic policy and governance. Each college or other academic unit shall be governed in its internal administration by its faculty, as defined in Section 3a (1) above. Governance of each academic unit shall be based on unit bylaws established and amended by the faculty of that unit. The bylaws shall provide for the administrative organization and procedure of the unit, including the composition and tenure of executive or advisory committees. Except that they may not conflict with these Statutes, or other specific actions of the Board of Trustees, or with the bylaws of a unit which encompasses it, the details of the bylaws are left to the faculty of the unit.

Comment by Ret Prof Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 2:48 pm
==This win is part of a trend in higher education where faculties are pushing back against college administrators turning university teaching into an unstable, temporary job.==

Wait — didn’t the story say that it was tenured professors who are now unionized? These are the “haves,” not the “have not” lecturers, instructors, and other non-tenure-track teaching positions.

Comment by Anon. Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 2:53 pm
==Shared governance is not a new concept at universities. Most universitiy administration has statements about shared governance.==

I should add to my previous statement, that I agree with the sentiments that Filmmaker Professor makes. Just because university administration may have statements about shared governance, doesn’t mean they practice it.

Comment by Joe M Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 2:53 pm
Filmaker Prof is right our sate universities were corporatized a long time ago ….most have been unionized for a long time

Comment by Illinois Manufacturer Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 2:57 pm
===When it comes to the big decisions — finances, distributions of revenue, salaries, benefits, furloughs, and as of this year, hiring of faculty — we get sent to the “kids table” while the “grown-ups” make the decision.===

Yes. Well. It’s never a good idea to let the inmates run the asylum, is it?. Be happy the pretense of shared governance is removed and good luck in contract negotiations. Don’t forget to ask for a lighter teaching load and more sabattical leave along with your raises.

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 3:05 pm
You are never going to convince anybody to change their views on this subject.

You sound like a loser.

Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 3:05 pm
I agree with Vanilla Man’s first comment. Unions must show non-union members the benefits of joining the union, and the benefits of being in a strong union state (such as the fact that non-union wages are higher in strong union states because non-union firms fear being organized). The opposite of Bruce Rauner’s divide and conquer strategy must be the all for one and one for all strategy of the labor movement. People must be convinced that it is better to turn their envy of their neighbor’s pension into action to get themselves a pension, instead of allowing their neighbor’s to be taken away.

Instead of trying to keep up with the Joneses, we’ve been allowing oligarchs like Rauner to convince us to burn the Joneses house down.

Comment by chi Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 4:23 pm
SIUC’s TT and NTT faculty have been unionized for 15-20 years. The concept of shared governance went out the window with unionization.

Comment by SIU Prof Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 5:04 pm
Shared governance can be enhanced by unionization of the faculty. At some colleges and universities, shared governance is given lip service: only those who agree with the admin are appointed to important committees or committee work and decisions are ignored. When the faculty are unionized, the union leadership recruits faculty to represent the faculty point-of-view, and, if committee work is ignored, the union leadership has a strong enough voice to raise concern.

No system is perfect, but unionization does not need to signal the end of shared governance.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 6:22 pm
==Wait — didn’t the story say that it was tenured professors who are now unionized? These are the “haves,” not the “have not” lecturers, instructors, and other non-tenure-track teaching positions. ==

Tenure & tenure-track faculty have a very strong interest in reversing the trend of shifting to contingent faculty. One of the best ways to achieve this goal is to improve the pay, reduce the workload, and improve the job security of those who are not tenure-track.

Comment by Pot calling kettle Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 6:28 pm
The “inmates” as you call us 47th Ward, as the people who are in contact with the students, in our classrooms, day after day. We are the ones who work with your kids, grade their papers, write letters of recommendation, and do our best to help them learn and achieve their dreams. The administration and Board of Trustees never set foot in a classroom. In fact, virtually every trustee has no education experience whatsoever. As everyone knows who has ever worked a non-administration job in any field, the workers on the floor are the ones who really know what is going on. Sorry if that offends you. I’m sure Rauner has a juicy spot in his administration for you.

Comment by Filmmaker Professor Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 8:48 pm
“are” the people

Comment by Filmmaker Professor Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 8:48 pm
==Tenure & tenure-track faculty have a very strong interest in reversing the trend of shifting to contingent faculty. One of the best ways to achieve this goal is to improve the pay, reduce the workload, and improve the job security of those who are not tenure-track.==

Which you would accomplish by unionizing THEM, not by unionizing the tenure track teachers.

Comment by Anon. Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 9:49 pm
You could teach in your basement too, perfessor, but because administrators raised the money and built the classrooms at your school, you don’t have to. The phrase you’re looking for is, “thank you.”

Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Feb 17, 15 @ 10:36 pm