Meeting minutes: September 21, 2011
Meeting highlights: Contract, Campaign for the Future of Higher Education, Chancellor Search Meeting date: 09/21/2011 Present: Randy Phillis, Art Keene, Eric Berlin, Meghan Banach, Carol Will, Allen Barker, Jim Smethurst, Steven Brewer, Eve Weinbaum, Maciej Ciesielski, Lori Reardon, Emma Dundon, Eliot Moss, Michael Sugerman, Christopher Couch, Ferd Wulkan, Joe Levine, David Gross, Mickey Gallagher (1) Minutes from last meeting approved. (2) Uncollectibles list - discussion over titles, part-time status, fee requirements, etc. - vote to certify the uncollectibles list: all in favor
(3) Contract, NAGE, triggers, etc. - Randy sent a letter to Caret asking for a meeting (with the presidents of all the locals). Caret said he's waiting until end of Sept (certification); noted that the triggers for us are different than the triggers for other state unions; - Randy pointed out that the president's office has been authorized by the Governor to offer us the NAGE deal, but is trying to duck out so that they don't get stuck with the bill - theoretically we are not interested in figuring out where the money is going to come from – we mainly need to enforce our contract - in reality, there is a political side to this that we need to be aware of and work with - some discussion of goals and possible approaches because of PR issues and complexities - Randy: do we contact the membership now? - discussion about whether we would be jumping the gun - Mickey reiterated: the NAGE deal should have been offered already! - David/Joe/Randy/Eve: we could contact the membership to set the stage without calling for action until after Caret decides - Ferd proposed calling a membership meeting for mid-October to discuss the situation - Steve: thinks that we should work toward enforcing the back pay rather than try to explain NAGE deal to membership - Mickey: how about an all-labor meeting? - Randy: ok – we'll send an all-unit message and set up an all-labor meeting - we'll also need to think about how we're going to organize longer term - Steve: we need to educate people that increasing higher ed costs are actually cost-shifting from the public to the students/parents
(4) Campaign for Future of Higher Education - Ferd: national campaign among higher ed institutions with focus on affordability - discussion about the basic principles of the campaign - Eliot: many of the principles are uselessly vague - Steve: that is the result of committee work - vote in favor of officer's motion to endorse event: all in favor - vote in favor of officer's motion to donate $500: all in favor - motion to set $500 aside to defray costs of MSP participants: all in favor
(5) Chancellor search - Randy sent a "bitter, angry, letter" to Caret and Johnston because that is no past or present UMass labor leader on the search committee - response was wishy washy, noting that two committee members are MSP members… - David, Meghan, and Steve worked on a statement of desired qualities of our next chancellor - Eliot: we should add something about having a style that is based on cooperation and collaboration with the various units on campus - Eve/Jim: we should add something positive about working with unions - Art: add something about being a spokesperson for public higher ed in MA; and we should foreground "education" in the goal to achieve excellence - Randy: send comments, suggestions, or edits to Dave Gross - Steve: we can use the document to structure the evaluative framework of the search - Mickey: officers can use the document to devise an action plan
- Randy suggested that board members show up at every possible meeting
(6) Department meetings - Randy: I had some good meetings, got applause - Ferd: we have had 20 meetings and they're going well - Joe: departments are very confused about Extraordinary Merit policies - Steve: faculty are (finally) becoming aware of the divisiveness and extra work - Randy: we should send up everyone and make the provost decide |
