|
news
CFA, CSU in midst
of fact-finding stage
By Phil Witte
On-line Forty-Niner
After seven months
of negotiations that have failed to provide resolution to
the differences between the California Faculty Association
and the California State University Chancellor's Office regarding
the faculty's contracts for this year, setbacks have become
expected and almost predictable.
Since regular negotiations failed to resolve the matter, it
now rests with a three-member fact-finding panel, scheduled
to hold its hearing from Feb. 13 to 15.
"We're hoping for an effective settlement; one that both
the administration and the CFA can live with," said Jim
Smith, communications director for the CFA.
The three members of the panel consist of one representative
of the CFA, one representative of the CSU, and one neutral
member agreed upon by the two organizations selected from
a list provided by the Public Employees Relations Board.
"We hope to reach an agreement soon so we can begin distributing
salary increases for our faculty," said Clara Potes-Fellow,
manager of media relations for the CSU Chancellor's Office.
Since the dispute is between two groups, not an individual
and a group, the panel's decision is not binding in any way
and either side is free to accept or reject its findings.
This is not exactly a recipe for resolution, as both sides
have rejected decisions from the board in the past few years.
In 2001, the panel ruled in the CFA's favor, but the Chancellor's
Office rejected the decision as it recommended an end to merit
pay. Two years before, the CFA voted to reject the panel's
findings.
"We're hopeful of a favorable report, but Chancellor
[Charles] Reed has not demonstrated respect for faculty in
the past," CSULB CFA Chapter President Martin Fiebert
said.
Many issues divide the two sides in negotiations. The CFA
contends that only one tenure-track position has been added
over the last five years, during which time the CSU system
has grown by more than 35,00 students. The Chancellor's Office
contends that 2,315 tenure-track positions have been added
over that time.
Also complicating the hiring issue is the Faculty Early Retirement
Program, which allows faculty near retirement age to work
half of the school year for half of his or her salary.
While the CFA contends that when two faculty members enter
the program, enough money for a full-time faculty should be
available, the CSU's position is that based on the high salary
rate of a retiring faculty member, even at half-pay, only
enough money for a part-time teacher is available.
"Some of our main concerns are teacher workload, job
security for part-time lecturers, and step increases for junior
and associate faculty," Smith said.
After the success of the protest outside Reed's office last
November, the CFA is planning a similar event on Feb. 9 when
Reed is scheduled to address the American Council of Educators
at the Marriott in San Francisco.
The event, called the Day of Action, is being joined by the
Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union,
which is protesting hiring practices and anti-union activities
by the hotel.
"Anywhere else the Chancellor goes to speak, we'll be
there," Smith said.
If the decision of the fact-finding panel does not resolve
the dispute, the CFA will hold systemwide votes of its members
to decide its next course of action.
In March, the CFA job action committee will meet to decide
whether a strike is the next course of action, followed by
an April vote on that decision.
"The CFA leaders from each campus will meet and the job
action committee will decide on the next course of action,
up to and including a strike," Smith said.
A strike is not a foregone conclusion and the CFA may choose
some other way to protest its displeasure with the stalemate.
"It may not be a total shutdown," Fiebert said.
"It may be selected campuses or selected classes."
|
|
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Search our site
DEPARTMENT
OF
JOURNALISM
ONLINE 49ER
DEPARTMENTS
ADVERTISING
ADMINISTRATION
DAILY
49ER ALUMNI
SUBSCRIPTION
SERVICE
GIVE
FEEDBACK
|
