On January 31, more than 300 members of Western’s faculty participated
in the UFWW’s Bargaining Update meeting, led by UFWW President Bill Lyne
(English). The meeting provided the
opportunity for the faculty to learn about the progress of ongoing contract
negotiations with the administration, and for the UFWW Bargaining Team to
assess the degree to which the faculty continues to support the union positions
on key bargaining issues.
Lyne highlighted the fact that the bargaining teams for the UFWW and the
administration have worked hard to reach agreement on a number of key items,
but that significant differences remain on five key issues: protection for the
Faculty Senate, Non-tenure-tract faculty, Grievances and arbitration, Workload,
and Compensation. Lyne presented a
side-by-side comparison of the latest proposals offered by the two bargaining
teams, and members of the faculty demonstrated their continued engagement in
these matters by taking the opportunity to ask questions both during and after
the presentation. At the end of
the presentation, the faculty provided a strong endorsement of the direction
taken by the UFWW team, cheering loudly and raising their hands in support of
the union positions.
Perhaps the biggest reaction from the faculty was in response to the
paltry salary increases proposed by the administration, a proposal that is
especially egregious in light of the continual growth in the numbers of
executive/managerial staff and the increasing share of the university budget
dedicated to non-academic functions.
The UFWW presentation made the clear case that the university operating
budget for the current biennium contains ample funds to bring faculty salaries
to the university’s modest and frequently cited goal of the 75th
percentile of the peer institutions chosen by the Board of Trustees.
The UFWW Bargaining Team will enter into the next round of negotiations
with a strong reaffirmation that their proposals are in line with the will of
the people who make the university run.