From: "Richard Vaughan" <vaughan@sfu.ca>
To: "JD Fleming" <jfleming@sfu.ca>
Cc: "Christopher Pavsek" <cpavsek@sfu.ca>, academic-discussion@sfu.ca
Sent: Tuesday, October 1, 2013 10:09:40 PM
Subject: Re: Faculty Unionization
"something like 94 percent of all contracts settled between unionized
faculty associations and administrations have been settled without a
strike"
And for comparison the fraction of non-unionized collective bargaining
units that settled without a strike is what?
On Tue, Oct 1, 2013 at 8:35 PM, JD Fleming <jfleming@sfu.ca> wrote:
> Matter of conscience? No doubt; but then there are the fines (amounting, if I remember correctly, to approximately 100% of wages) that TSSU claims the right to levy on dissenting members. Plus shaming, etc. Let's not be disingenuous about the coercive logic of collective action that always gathers around trade unionism.
>
> JD Fleming
> English
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Christopher Pavsek" <cpavsek@sfu.ca>
> To: academic-discussion@sfu.ca
> Sent: Tuesday, 1 October, 2013 19:45:36
> Subject: re: Faculty Unionization
>
> (I forgot to include the whole list in my original reply)...
>
>
> Hello everyone (or what portion of everyone is on this list!)--Though John's experience might be different, in the history of Canadian academic unionization -- at least in roughly the last 40 years or so according to the CAUT -- something like 94 percent of all contracts settled between unionized faculty associations and administrations have been settled without a strike. I might be off by a percentage point or two; I do not have the facts with me. So it strikes me (pun intended, and I beg forgiveness) that the fear of a strike compelling us to act against our will is misplaced. Furthermore, let's dispel another misimpression that many people have: if we certify it does not mean that each member of SFUFA must respect the picket lines of other unions on campus. That decision is a matter of conscience that rests with the individual member, exactly as it did this past year when TSSU and CUPE staged their work actions.
>
> Furthermore, there are unionized faculty associations that have waived the right to strike in their negotiations with the adminstrations, so that the decision to strike never even comes to a vote.
>
> And finally, indeed it is the members who decide these things.
>
> In debating these things, one can always resort to the language of "union bosses" and so on and thereby evoke an entire set of anti-union connotations, but I personally have a hard time envisioning Neil as such a boss (though correct, me, Neil, if I am wrong in this impression that I have of you) and I find Brian Green to be about as reasonable and respectful a person as I have ever met. And given that our current bylaws restrict the president of the union to a one-year term, it's hard to imagine a Hoffa-esque dynasty coming to power and using hardball tactics with our membership for years to come.
>
> All the best
> Chris
>
>
> Christopher Pavsek
> Associate Professor of Film and
> Associate Director
> SFU Contemporary Arts
> Simon Fraser University
> 149 West Hastings Street
> Vancouver, BC V6B 1H4
> Canada
> 778 782 4672
> cpavsek@sfu.ca
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Heaney" <heaney@sfu.ca>
> To: academic-discussion@sfu.ca
> Sent: Tuesday, October 1, 2013 8:13:35 PM
> Subject: Faculty Unionization
>
> 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.
>
> According to Neil in his recent missive:
>
> "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."
>
> 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.
>
> In my experience union bosses have no more interest in letting its members decide than Stephen Harper has in letting his MPs decide.
>
> John Heaney
>
>
> ----- 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
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Hello SFUFA Members,
>
>
>
>
> 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.
>
>
>
> There will be a couple of tables reserved, and a SFUFA sign. I'll wear my Tilley hat again so you'll know me.
>
> Please find a summary of the discussions from the first coffee Klatch below; ********************************
>
>
>
> 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.
>
>
>
> 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.
>
>
>
> 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.
>
>
>
> 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.
>
>
>
> I hope to see you at one of our upcoming events.
>
>
>
>
> All the best,
>
> Neil Abramson
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> James Dougal Fleming
> Associate Professor
> Department of English
> Simon Fraser University
> 778-782-4713
>
>
> " Upstairs was a room for travelers. ‘You know, I shall take it for the rest of my life,’ Vasili Ivanovich is reported to have said as soon as he had entered it."
> -- Vladimir Nabokov, Cloud, Castle, Lake
>
>