One
year ago this week, the UFWW Bargaining Team submitted the first full faculty contract proposal to the
university administration. Since
then, the Bargaining Team has held a number of negotiation sessions with the
WWU administration, meeting as often as the scheduling priorities of the
administration’s legal counsel and bargaining team would allow.
These
negotiations have been tough but usually constructive and have led to tentative
agreements on a number of important topics. However, despite this progress, the WWU administration
remains dug in on several key bargaining topics, including issues related to
compensation and workload. In
light of this entrenchment, the UFWW Bargaining Team has filed a request with
the Public Employees Relations Council for assistance from an outside mediator.
As we
prepare to go into mediation, it is crucial that all members of the faculty
have the facts about where the two sides stand on issues that affect working
conditions for us all.
Accordingly, the UFWW Executive Board has scheduled an all-faculty
bargaining update meeting for Thursday,
January 31, 2008 in the Old Main
Theatre. The meeting will begin promptly at 4 pm and end at 5 pm. The meeting will feature a presentation
by members of the UFWW Bargaining Team who will provide details about the
latest proposals offered by both the UFWW and the university administration.
Given
the importance of the topic, your attendance is crucial. A strong faculty turnout will send a
clear message to the university administration that the faculty are paying
close attention to the negotiations and are eager to see a fair agreement as
soon as possible. Thus, in a very
real sense, the level of faculty participation in this meeting is likely to
have an impact on our working conditions and the likelihood of securing a
competitive salary schedule.
It is
important to note that faculty of all ranks, including those in tenure-track
and non-tenure-track line, are strongly encouraged to attend, regardless of
union membership. The meeting will
be attended by members of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee who have
called for broad faculty participation.