From: "Neil Abramson" <nabramso@sfu.ca>
To: "John Heaney" <heaney@sfu.ca>
Cc: academic-discussion@sfu.ca
Sent: Tuesday, October 1, 2013 4:24:16 PM
Subject: Re: Faculty Unionization
Hi John;
I guess I am this year's big "union boss" or would be if SFUFA was a union as opposed to a "non registered trade union" (as the WCB puts it) or association. So I should be the one to respond.
At our last general meeting, members passed a resolution that SFUFA should explore formal unionization. SFUFA is obligated by its constitution to implement such a resolution, and that's what I am doing. We are holding a series of events to help members discuss the issues, and inform themselves. When members have a good idea where they stand, we can have a vote.
We've had two coffee gatherings (including today), a pub night tomorrow, a couple of lunches at the DAC (including next Monday). There will be more including something at Surrey, and hopefully downtown. The pro union side is organizing an afternoon of speakers on Oct 16 at Halpern. No one from the not-pro side has offered an equivalent event.
Personally, I am not committed to the idea of unionization. I am trying to keep an open mind. If the members vote for it, I will do my best to implement it according to the Cornell model (see google) of union management relations. Today at the coffee clatch, the majority were in favour. Last clatch, it was the reverse.
Personally, I would be pleased to have the same deal as UBCFA. When they unionized, they gave up the right to strike for interest arbitration. SFUFA currently has a formal application for interest arbitration that we submitted to the administration. If we were granted interest arbitration - the same deal as at UBC - I wonder if some of the pressure for unionization might not dissipate?
There are other issues that concern us: gender pay equity; tenure and promotion criteria for First Nations colleagues; hard salary scale caps. Parking was raised at the last coffee clatch. However, I think if we had interest arbitration, that would be a big gain achieved as an association, without the need to unionize to get it. However, it concerns me that the administration might say why should they give it toys unless we unionize. Then, I suppose in a way they would be encouraging us to do so if we wanted the treatment UBC has already achieved.
If you get the big bad union boss you are referring to, it will be because the majority of our members allowed some doctrinaire minority clique to win an election. Most of the professoriate are sensible. Surely they would not abrogate their responsibility to ensure good governance by declining to vote?
Anyway, you should be safe this year. We have organized this whole effort on unionization to help members inform themselves. Then we can all make an informed choice together. And I'll be voting against your bad guy next election. Hope you will too.
All the best
Neil Abramson
President, SFUFA
Sent from my iPhone
On 2013-10-01, at 11:14 AM, John Heaney <heaney@sfu.ca> wrote:
> I am not permitted to address you via sfufa-members (nor are most of your) and am obliged to use the corrupted replacement for faculty-forum.
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> According to Neil in his recent missive:
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> "The biggest concern expressed against unionization was that a union might force members to strike against their will. I pointed out that unionization does not necessarily mean strikes, and some unions, such as the UBC Faculty Association, continue to rely on arbitration. And in any event, it is always the members who decide."
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> From my experience that is not what happens. The union bosses urge a strike vote, telling the membership that it will strengthen their bargaining position, and that the vote will not be used to call a strike. Having secured the vote they call a strike. I was in a union on two different occasions when that happened.
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> In my experience union bosses have no more interest in letting its members decide than Stephen Harper has in letting his MPs decide.
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> John Heaney
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> ----- Forwarded Message -----
> From: "SFUFA Office" <sfufaea@sfu.ca>
> To: sfufa-members@sfu.ca
> Sent: Monday, September 30, 2013 4:33:53 PM
> Subject: Reminder: Should SFUFA Unionize: Coffee Klatch October 1
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> Hello SFUFA Members,
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> This is Neil Abramson again, president of SFUFA, inviting you to a second coffee klatch to discuss the question of whether SFUFA should unionize. This event will be held at the Renaissance Cafe in the northeast corner of the AQ, October 1 , 11am to 12:30pm. SFUFA will again buy the coffee and some baked goods.
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> There will be a couple of tables reserved, and a SFUFA sign. I'll wear my Tilley hat again so you'll know me.
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> Please find a summary of the discussions from the first coffee Klatch below; ********************************
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> After I invited everyone to the first coffee session Sep 9 , I got about 55 emails from people both passionately in favor, and opposed. There were even a few trying to make up their minds, like me. At the coffee itself, there were 4 strongly for, and 3 strongly against, and 3 not decided yet – a small turnout, perhaps, but not a bad one all things considered, and very successful when also we consider the email comments it generated.
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> The biggest concern expressed against unionization was that a union might force members to strike against their will. I pointed out that unionization does not necessarily mean strikes, and some unions, such as the UBC Faculty Association, continue to rely on arbitration. And in any event, it is always the members who decide.
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> On the pro side, people are very concerned we are falling behind other universities’ salaries. UBC faculty salaries are as much as 30% higher, and one colleague claimed the difference was 40% for business faculty. Some argued that our pay scales are so low that new faculty have to get large salary differentials or they won’t work here. So, new assistant profs might make as much as top-of- scale full profs, and more than most associate profs.
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> These are only a couple of the issues that were raised. But many did say they couldn't make the first coffee discussion so we hope these next opportunities will reach additional people. And we will be having a number of other events over the Fall to broaden the discussion.
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> I hope to see you at one of our upcoming events.
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> All the best,
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> Neil Abramson
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