Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
Hi JD;
The LRB required 2 steps for certification. First, at least 45% of the entire membership had to sign cards requesting membership in a unionized SFUFA. We achieved 60% (of 100%) at the time of our application for the final vote, and this was confirmed by the LRB representative.
The second step was the final vote, supervised by the LRB and just completed. For the vote to succeed, we needed 50%+1 of whomever actually voted, as opposed to the entire membership. 73.3% of the membership voted. About 73.75% voted in favour. So the vote to certify was successful.
What pleases me in terms of overall consensus is that if you include the entire membership, including those who didn't vote, a clear majority of 54% voted for certification. This is different, for example, from UVic, where 63% voted, and 63% were in favour, so the absolute number in favour was less than 50%. There was also an absolute percentage in favour at UNBC.
I think the reason so many voted in favour at SFU was because we made the effort to present both sides as fairly as possible. I especially want to thank you for your comments on Academic Discussion, and your article in our newsletter. You really helped in getting a better rounded discussion of the pros and cons.
Now I hope SFUFA members will be united. There are a number of equity and justice issues I hope will get addressed over time. And there is the question of the contract, and salaries, benefits, and so on. And personally, I hope that members who are dissatisfied with the directions we have been going with SFUFA will run for the SFUFA executive or the presidency. SFUFA is a stronger organization the more its members take an interest in its governance.
All the best Neil Abramson, PhD
Sent from my iPhone Request for clarification: According to the messages we received yesterday, 590 out of 1091 eligible voters voted "yes" to certification.
I am under the impression that the criterion for certification is a percentage *of the membership* who vote in favour, not of votes cast.
The message below states: "SFUFA members have voted 73% in favour of legal recognition under the BC Labour Code."
This clearly implies that 73% *of the membership* voted "yes"; which, clearly, is not correct.
Yet the percentage who voted yes is the key determinant of certification, and, as such, merits clear acknowledgment.
So, Neil and Brian, please clarify, and please put an official percentage number *of the eligible voters* on the "yes" votes. And not just to me; but to the sfufa-members list, please. It would be a shame, I think, if the new era began under conditions of less than open information.
JD Fleming English
From: "Brian Green" < brian_green@sfu.ca> To: sfufa-members@sfu.caSent: Friday, 16 May, 2014 07:59:32 Subject: [SFUFA] Closing the certification chapter Dear Members: The following message is sent on behalf of SFUFA President Neil Abramson. ----------- Colleagues: As you will have seen, the results of the certification vote are now in, and SFUFA members have voted 73% in favour of legal recognition under the BC Labour Code. 800 members participated in the vote, with the result that a clear majority of ALL members, even counting those who did not participate, voted in favour of this step. SFUFA would like to thank all of you who participated in the process, and particularly recognize those volunteers across campuses, faculties and departments who answered questions and collected cards to bring the vote about. Certification provides a new legal framework to govern the work of the Association and its bargaining relationship with the University. More robust protections for the Association's rights exist now than has previously been the case, and we hope these will allow us to better serve and represent members. We will now begin to prepare for a new kind of collective bargaining - the negotiation of a first true collective agreement. We are proud of our positive and productive relationship with the University, and we look forward to working with representatives of the administration to make this transition as smooth as possible for all involved. The vote to certify was decisive. Members of the Association, however, do of course have a wide range of views on how SFUFA can best perform its work, what issues are of priority, and how those issues ought to be addressed. Whatever one's opinion on certification, SFUFA is your Association, and is committed to maintaining and strengthening the spirit of collegial debate we have so long enjoyed within the Association and across the university community. Indeed, the diversity of opinion is one of the great strengths of an organization such as this, and we encourage all members to continue to bring forward your thoughts, your questions and opinions, and to become active in the discussions and debates which guide SFUFA. Neil Abramson President, SFUFA -- James Dougal Fleming
Associate Professor
Department of English
Simon Fraser University778-782-4713
Burnaby -- British Columbia -- Canada.
And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Rev.22:3.
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