From: "Brian
Green" <
brian_green@sfu.ca>
To: "JD
Fleming" <
jfleming@sfu.ca>
Cc: "sfufa
forum" <
academic-discussion@sfu.ca>,
"Neil Abramson" <
nabramso@sfu.ca>
Sent: Friday,
16 May, 2014 08:34:57
Subject: Re:
[SFUFA] Closing the certification chapter
It was sent yesterday morning, right after the
results were received.
If you missed it, here is the message that was
sent yesterday morning.
-----
Dear members:
The following message is sent on behalf of SFUFA
President Neil Abramson and SFU Vice President
Academic Jon Driver.
-----------------
May 15, 2014
SFU Faculty and Librarians Approve Certification
as a Union
Members of the Faculty Association of Simon
Fraser University have voted to become a
certified union under the BC Labour Relations
Code.
The results of the certification vote are as
follows (the results are unofficial until
confirmed by the Labour Relations Board):
Eligible voters: 1091
Votes cast: 800
Percentage turnout: 73%
The question voted upon was: “Do you want the
Faculty Association of Simon Fraser University
(SFUFA) to be recognized as a certified union,
under the Labour Relations Code, to represent
you in collective bargaining with your employer,
the University?”
Total ballots: 800
Spoiled ballots: 0
Valid ballots: 800
In favour: 590
Opposed: 210
As a result of the vote, the Administration and
Faculty Association must now begin negotiation
of the first collective agreement.
The University Administration and Faculty
Association respect the choice made by faculty
members and librarians regarding their preferred
form of representation. Both the Administration
and the Association are committed to maintaining
the positive working relationship we have
enjoyed.
Jonathan Driver
Vice-President, Academic, Simon Fraser
University
Neil Abramson
President, Faculty Association of SFU
----- Original Message -----
From: "JD Fleming" <
jfleming@sfu.ca>
To: "Brian Green" <
brian_green@sfu.ca>
Cc: "sfufa forum" <
academic-discussion@sfu.ca>,
"Neil Abramson" <
nabramso@sfu.ca>
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2014 8:31:40 AM
Subject: Re: [SFUFA] Closing the certification
chapter
Well then, I guess we await that "main
announcement of results," after you guys have
had time to, like, crunch the numbers on the
590/1091.
To everything there is a season; or rather,
turn, turn, turn.
jdf
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian Green" <
brian_green@sfu.ca>
To: "JD Fleming" <
jfleming@sfu.ca>
Cc: "sfufa forum" <
academic-discussion@sfu.ca>
Sent: Friday, 16 May, 2014 08:25:56
Subject: Re: [SFUFA] Closing the certification
chapter
Hi JD.
Yes, the vote is decided based on those who cast
ballots.
The original message announcing the votes
provided the full details - number of votes case
(800), percentage who participated (73.3),
number in favour (590), number opposed (210),
and percentage of voters who voted YES (73%).
This last note was a short message to close the
chapter, rather than the main announcement of
results, hence the shortened report on the vote.
We did try to make clear that the 73% referred
to votes cast by including the statement that
the number in favour constituted a majority even
if non-voters are included in the count.
----- Original Message -----
From: "JD Fleming" <
jfleming@sfu.ca>
To: "Brian Green" <
brian_green@sfu.ca>
Cc:
sfufa-members@sfu.ca,
"sfufa forum" <
academic-discussion@sfu.ca>
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2014 8:13:57 AM
Subject: Re: [SFUFA] Closing the certification
chapter
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
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian Green" <
brian_green@sfu.ca>
To:
sfufa-members@sfu.ca
Sent: 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
--
J ames Dougal Fleming
Associate Professor
Department of English
Simon Fraser University
778-782-4713
Burnaby -- British Columbia -- Canada.
And the leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nations. Rev.22:3.
--
SFU Faculty Association
778-782-8181
brian_green@sfu.ca
--
J ames Dougal Fleming
Associate Professor
Department of English
Simon Fraser University
778-782-4713
Burnaby -- British Columbia -- Canada.
And the leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nations. Rev.22:3.
--
SFU Faculty Association
778-782-8181
brian_green@sfu.ca