NEGOTIATING NEWS #4

GRADE: B

Comments: Parties show real promise. MUNFA and the administration have worked hard and in good faith on this Article. As a result, significant progress can be reported. A major issue preventing a better grade is the administration’s refusal to negotiate in any fashion a reduction in teaching norms from 6 to 5. Room for improvement.

GRADE: C

Comments: Little progress. Numerous differences remain, involving mainly sabbatical, vacation, and compassionate leave. MUNFA still hopes that the greatest improvement will be with respect to parental leave; the administration has yet to agree to move from its �special assignment of duties’ vision of parental leave, a leave of only a single semester. Disappointing.

GRADE: D

Comments: Disappointing performance so far. The administration has refused to consider MUNFA’s proposal of bargaining unit membership for all paid teaching appointments, and has therefore denied many of these colleagues the benefits thereof, including pension and health benefits, travel funds, etc. In addition, the administration has rejected outright the limits MUNFA has proposed governing the precentage of teaching performed by per course or non-tenure-stream faculty. The administration has also continued to deny a pay increase for per course teaching, or to consider a Search Committee mechanism whereby long-term contractuals be considered for tenure-stream positions. Furthermore, the administration has proposed “Appointments Without Term”, where funding for salary and benefits would depend entirely on an external agency. Such an appointment would terminate if that outside money was halted, effectively removing any form of academic freedom. Big improvements next semester may be the only way to a better grade.

GRADE: A

Comments: Good performance this semester, particularly late in the term. Few if any items remain under dispute, and the outlook for agreement is positive.

GRADE: F

Comments: Refuses to work constructively with others. Two rulings from the Labour Relations Board of Newfoundland and Labrador over the last 3 years have ordered that CECs be included in the MUNFA bargaining unit given the shared community of interest between CECs, and faculty and librarians. As a result, MUNFA has proposed language that sees these colleagues receive full ASM status, including academic freedom, tenure, four ranks, a realistic salary scale, sabbaticals, etc. The administration wants MUNFA to agree that these colleagues are not ASMs and has offered terms and conditions much like those for non-academic staff. A failing performance; very disappointing given the preparative work involved.

GRADE: INCOMPLETE

Comments: Assigned work not submitted. Three months and a dozen sessions later, the MUNFA Negotiating Committee has still not received a response from the administration to our proposal with respect to salaries and benefits, including the much anticipated pension reform. It has been suggested to us that the delay is allowing the administration to measure the “financial obligations” of MUNFA’s other “very costly” proposals. What these other costs are remain unclear. Parental leaves for a handful of colleagues each year? Reasonable salaries and benefits for a dozen CECs? And while Article 31 is promised shortly after the New Year, we refuse to allow the possibility to dampen the spirit of the season.