The COHE Bargaining Team is preparing for a sixth bargaining session with BOR staff. Both sides will meet at Al's Oasis in Oacoma. We begin 5:30 p.m. this Friday, April 8, 2011; continue on Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; and conclude on Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Our joint goal is to resolve all outstanding issues by the end of the weekend!
In our previous five bargaining sessions, we had COHE representatives from at least four universities. In two sessions so far, we have had at least one COHE bargainer from each of six universities. Thank you to these local leaders who have shown up faithfully! (Only Jim Shekleton, BOR General Counsel, and I have been able to make all of the bargaining sessions. Lucky me, huh?)The information here has been provided to COHE members in the last few weeks. Their dues earns them early and complete information. Moreover, they are each entitled to witness any of the bargaining sessions.
We encourage you to consider joining our organization! The power of a union is the ability to speak with one voice, so no individual can be targeted by the other side. It is a difficult task to bring together diverse faculty from many institutions. I am the chief cat-herder in the state! We have deliberately and strategically brought together COHE members to express our views to the BOR staff. In these trying times, public employees, especially faculty, must bind ourselves together to speak loudly and clearly.
Besides timely information, the benefits of joining COHE are numerous:
- Educational Employment Liability Insurance
- Assistance with Disciplinary/Grievance Procedures
- Career Mentoring for Junior Faculty
- A Safe Environment to Share and Learn about Campus Politics
- Discounts on Travel, Finance, and Other Consumer Products
- A Voice in Bargaining
- Lobbyists in Pierre and Washington, DC
- Grant Opportunities
Won't you join us today? We need your support. Prorated dues now allow you to join at anytime
http://www.sdea.org. Learn more at
http://www.sdcohe.orgBARGAINING OVERVIEW
In this round of contract negotiations,
we face more than 50 separate proposals from both sides, which can be grouped into six areas: - Compensation. COHE proposals on inflationary adjustment, minimum of Oklahoma market study, and no salary cuts
- Shared Governance. COHE proposals to endorse 1940 AACU/AAUP Statement and 1958 AAUP Statement.
- Grievance / Dispute Resolution Procedures. Both sides have offered proposals here. They claim their proposals merely make clear how things should work. We are advocating for more faculty rights and peer review.
- Ranks. BOR Proposals to create a series of Lecturer and Librarian ranks separate from the "Professiorate."
- Intellectual Property / Consulting and Outside Employment. BOR proposals to remove IP from bargaining, except over division of royalties, and further restrictions on consulting.
- "Clean Up" Language. BOR proposals on notices, offices, digitized communication. Our proposal on working files.
At our last bargaining session on March 15, 2011,
both sides acknowledged that we face a statutory deadline to resolve any differences on compensation issues by April 15. So, I identified seven compensation proposals; they agreed these were the relevant items: - COHE - No salary cuts
- COHE - COLA
- COHE - Minimum of OK
- COHE - Eight Percent Overload
- Board - Twelve Month Payout
- Board - Performance Averaging
- Board - Delete Calculation when no salary increase
We discussed each of these items. Through careful maneuvering and persistent questioning, COHE made noteworthy progress on the last four items. However, we did not reach a tentative agreement on any of these items. In fact, both sides have moved only modestly up until this time. Our ground rules do not allow me to divulge the particulars here yet. However, see below for an opportunity to learn more.
UPCOMING E-MEETINGS
COHE members have been invited to attend a members-only e-meeting using Adobe Connect, which is broadly similar to Elluminate Live. It will be held on Tuesday, April 19, 4:00 p.m. Central (3:00 p.m. Mountain). COHE members will receive complete information shortly.
Also, we plan to hold an all-faculty e-meeting using the same software. To help us schedule that meeting, you are invited to indicate your availability here: http://www.doodle.com/x5hhx72yhqwcy6ad (West River folk, be sure to note your time zone.)
To use Adobe Connect, you will need a PC or Mac with a broadband connection and the most recent Flash Player. Download it here: http://www.adobe.com/support/flashplayer/downloads.html
I will announce the date and details shortly. Only the first 100 spectators will be able to log onto that event. They will be able to hear and see me as host/moderator and ask questions via chat mode. We hope to have a bargainer act as a participant with audio from each campus. The event will be recorded for those who cannot attend.
