June 26, 2002
Q & A #2
Open
Forum - Open Dialog
On June 13, 2002, from 3 to 5
p.m., President Creighton and senior administrators sponsored an Open
Forum with faculty. The focus of the meeting was to pursue a dialogue
about issues and topics of interest to the University community. The Forum
was well attended and highly interactive. Many topics were discussed,
including the status of EOU leadership, governance, faculty salaries,
faculty input into budget decisions, collective bargaining, and the union
representation election.
The following is a set of questions and answers that highlight
the discussion at the Open Forum. It is the second in a "Q &
A" series that will be published by EOU to provide follow-up and
additional information from the ongoing dialog. The first Q & A focused
on union representation and the election process. Both documents are available
on EOU's website at www.eou.edu/president/representation
EOU's leadership is undergoing
change. How can faculty be assured of continuing support?
EOU has a new provost, Dr. John Miller, and a new Dean
of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Anne Patterson. Both were offered their positions
because their values are consistent with EOU's mission and vision. They
believe in building strong and productive relationships with faculty,
which was demonstrated in their prior work history. Faculty who participated
in the search process can attest to this commitment to collegiality. Together
with President Creighton, Vice-President Morgan, Vice President Shelton,
Dean Jaeger, Dean Lund, and the faculty, they will bring stability to
EOU's leadership and continue EOU's tradition of success in achieving
EOU's mission, vision and goals.
How does EOU's administration
balance faculty's participation in governance with the administration
ultimately making decisions that affect faculty - is it a power struggle?
It is not a power struggle - rather one complements the
other. Faculty can and do play an important and strong role in decisions
made by EOU's administration - faculty and the administration just have
to take advantage of the avenues available to them in their respective
college and by attending Open Forums, participating in the Assembly, and
providing input to the Assembly Personnel Committee. For example, EOU
has decentralized budgeting, which gives faculty and the Deans control
over their own spending and strategic budget planning. To the extent faculty
do not think they have enough voice in this regard, they should seize
the opportunity to talk to their Dean. Centralized decisions may be more
complex, and some decisions need to be made by administration. Regardless
of where decisions are ultimately made, however, faculty and administration
currently have the ability and freedom to decide how to ensure and improve
involvement. EOU administration is open to suggestions to improve this
process.
Salary is a very important issue
for faculty. How can faculty address salary issues?
The amount of funds available for faculty salaries is
dependent on what EOU receives from various sources - primarily legislative
appropriations and tuition. In the new Resource Allocation Model (RAM),
resources follow students. As we increase our enrollments, we receive
additional resources to provide support for those students. Alternately,
should our enrollments decline, so will our available financial resources.
With the funds that are available, EOU adjusts the faculty salary plan
to the extent possible to keep moving salaries towards a more competitive
level, and not jeopardize internal equity. EOU has the flexibility to
address internal and external equities, and correct inequities. EOU also
has a bonus component to the faculty salary plan, which provides a financial
reward to faculty who are chosen by their peers in recognition for their
accomplishments. If the base plan and bonus plan no longer meet faculty
needs, the Assembly and the Assembly Personnel Committee are two means
by which faculty can have input. If those two avenues are not sufficient,
faculty members are welcome to suggest alternatives.
Salary is a mandatory subject for bargaining, and the
law requires an employer and union to negotiate salary, which includes
base salary, bonuses, annual increases and salary upon promotion. Bargaining
is a give and take process, and no one - neither EOU nor a union -- can
predict the outcome or promise what the faculty will receive.
What is EOU's plan for faculty
salaries?
Prior to the initiation of the union representation process,
in December 2001, President Creighton and EOU administration presented
a plan for faculty salaries to the Assembly Personnel Committee that has
a goal to provide an annual increase of 4%, beginning in 2002, similar
to what has been done over the past several years. The 4% would be the
floor, providing EOU sustains its current growth rate - EOU's key to success.
Assuming EOU experiences continuing growth in student retention and recruitment,
EOU would allocate a portion of additional income to provide faculty salary
increases above 4%, with a portion being allotted for new faculty hires
and additional related operating expenses. The Assembly Personnel Committee
will be very involved in implementing this salary plan.
What is the status of the AFT
election and when will it be conducted?
The Employment Relations Board (ERB), who is authorized
by the Governor to enact and enforce provisions of Oregon's Public Employee
Collective Bargaining Act, governs the procedures for union representation
elections. On May 23, AFT filed a petition with ERB requesting an election.
The following events have occurred since May 23:
> June 3 - EOU posts ERB notices about the election
> June 10 - EOU provides ERB names, titles and addresses of faculty
described by AFT in its proposed bargaining unit
> June 11 - ERB acknowledges receipt of the employee list and validates
AFT petition
> June 17 - EOU files an objection to AFT's proposed bargaining unit
with ERB
> June 19 - ERB begins process to schedule a unit determination hearing
ERB is in the process of scheduling a to determine the
make-up of the bargaining unit, which will define which faculty are eligible
to vote in a representation election, for August 15. EOU anticipates receiving
confirmation of this within the next two weeks.
Why is EOU's administration not supportive
of unionization by faculty?
EOU administration and faculty currently enjoy a collegial
environment in which both can exchange ideas about curriculum, EOU's goals,
budget, working conditions, salary, benefits, and many more subjects.
EOU is also very much a part of the community and takes pride in being
a student-centered university.
A union introduces a third party into the relationship.
How EOU and faculty interact would change by necessity since by law an
employer is required to negotiate salary, benefits, and working conditions
with the union, and prohibited from dealing directly with employees in
these matters. For example, the role of the Assembly Personnel Committee
would have to be redefined. (See EOU's website for current information
on the Assembly Personnel Committee.)
The law requires an employer and union to negotiate in
"good faith" which means they must meet at reasonable times
and discuss proposals - it does not require either party to agree with
one another. Disagreements tend to polarize individuals and groups. When
faculty negotiations break down, the disagreement often spills into the
campus community - having the greatest impact on students - and into the
community at-large. Because of the ramifications of unionization, and
the fact that under our current system faculty now have many avenues to
have a voice in EOU's governance without a union - EOU administration
is not supportive of faculty unionization, and believes there are other
alternative methods of achieving the same goals.
Every faculty member is familiar with salary
issues and benefits, but what are "working conditions?"
Working conditions encompass a broad array of subjects
such as job sharing, appointment, assignment of duties, sabbaticals, grievance
procedure, tenure and promotion procedures, office space, office hours,
personnel files, evaluations, etc.
What is the role of the Chancellor's
Office in contract negotiations?
According to Oregon law: "The Oregon University System,
in accordance with rules adopted by the State Board of Higher Education,
shall implement a personnel system and may engage in collective bargaining
with its employees. All collective bargaining with any certified or recognized
exclusive employee representative shall be under the direction and supervision
of the Chancellor of the Oregon University System." [ORS 351.070]
In accordance with this statute, all collective bargaining
agreements in the Oregon University System (for classified staff, faculty
and graduate teaching fellows) are with the State of Oregon acting through
the Board of Higher Education who has delegated the authority to negotiate
contracts to the Chancellor's Office. If a union contract is with one
campus, such as the AFT contract at WOU, the contract is with the Board
on behalf of the university. If EOU had a union contract with faculty,
the Chancellor would designate someone from the Chancellor's Office Human
Resources Division to serve as chief spokesperson. In addition, the Chancellor's
Office has been delegated authority to ratify all collective bargaining
agreements on behalf of the Board of Higher Education.
How can faculty keep abreast
of developments in the State budget, the impact on the Oregon University
System, and how EOU is affected?
EOU encourages faculty to access university resources
to learn more -- Check the EOU and OUS web pages. Use the EOU web page
to ask President Creighton questions and to seek information. Attend Open
Forums and brown bag lunches. Talk to your Dean, the Provost, Vice-President
Morgan or Vice-President Shelton. Faculty can always keep themselves informed
of what is happening in the State through the media. In addition, a Q
& A will be published at least monthly throughout the time period
preceding the election.
How can faculty members ensure they
have a role in deciding the outcome of a union election?
Each faculty member can ensure a role in the outcome of
an election by taking the time to vote and by making an informed decision.
The majority of those voting determine the outcome. (If there were 60
eligible voters and only 20 faculty members vote - 11 votes in favor of
one choice would determine the outcome.) Regardless of whether or not
a faculty member signed an authorization card at the onset of this process,
the faculty member is free to vote for or against unionization.
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