ckaihatsu
28th April 2011, 23:34
http://progressillinois.com/quick-hits/content/2011/04/28/union-educators-workers-southern-illinois-university-issue-strike-watc
Union Educators, Workers At Southern Illinois University Issue "Strike Watch"
Sally Ho Thursday April 28th, 2011, 4:51pm
Call it a “Strike Watch.” Four unions representing 3,400 educators and workers at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale stood in unity Thursday afternoon to announce it had issued a “notice (PDF) of intent to strike.” This move, workers said, is an attempt to get the school officials back to the bargaining table after an impasse was declared, and is a direct response to the “disrespect” the school has shown.
The heads of the SIUC Faculty Association, Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association, Graduate Assistants United, and Association of Civil Service Employees all mailed out the form to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, Regional Superintendent of Jackson and Perry counties, and SIU Board of Trustees. This move was a procedural requirement of the Labor Act in order for them to consider a strike, which they can do after a 10-day waiting period and with a majority vote of the union members.
“You can’t solve a problem if one side chooses to impose its position without compromise. That leaves the other party with the sole option of taking its own unilateral action,” SIU history professor Natasha Zaretsky said.
No strike is scheduled as of yet, according to the Illinois Education Association (the parent group of all four unions). Contract negotiations started 12 months ago, including the standard two negotiation sessions with a federal mediator. Now the ball sits in the trustees’ court since they declared an impasse for three of the unions. The main problem the unions are facing, IEA spokesman Jim Clark says, is that the the school officials have used a “top-down” administrative strategy by unilaterally imposing terms and conditions, instead of the give-and-take that is necessary to reach an agreement.
“The real issue here is mutuality. [They] impose terms and veto suggestions,” Clark said. “[The purpose of this] is to get to the table, and stay at the table.” While all four unions are fighting for different things, job security (specifically how layoffs are implemented) is a common interest, Clark said.
© 2008 - 2011 Progressive Illinois LLC, All rights reserved
Union Educators, Workers At Southern Illinois University Issue "Strike Watch"
Sally Ho Thursday April 28th, 2011, 4:51pm
Call it a “Strike Watch.” Four unions representing 3,400 educators and workers at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale stood in unity Thursday afternoon to announce it had issued a “notice (PDF) of intent to strike.” This move, workers said, is an attempt to get the school officials back to the bargaining table after an impasse was declared, and is a direct response to the “disrespect” the school has shown.
The heads of the SIUC Faculty Association, Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association, Graduate Assistants United, and Association of Civil Service Employees all mailed out the form to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, Regional Superintendent of Jackson and Perry counties, and SIU Board of Trustees. This move was a procedural requirement of the Labor Act in order for them to consider a strike, which they can do after a 10-day waiting period and with a majority vote of the union members.
“You can’t solve a problem if one side chooses to impose its position without compromise. That leaves the other party with the sole option of taking its own unilateral action,” SIU history professor Natasha Zaretsky said.
No strike is scheduled as of yet, according to the Illinois Education Association (the parent group of all four unions). Contract negotiations started 12 months ago, including the standard two negotiation sessions with a federal mediator. Now the ball sits in the trustees’ court since they declared an impasse for three of the unions. The main problem the unions are facing, IEA spokesman Jim Clark says, is that the the school officials have used a “top-down” administrative strategy by unilaterally imposing terms and conditions, instead of the give-and-take that is necessary to reach an agreement.
“The real issue here is mutuality. [They] impose terms and veto suggestions,” Clark said. “[The purpose of this] is to get to the table, and stay at the table.” While all four unions are fighting for different things, job security (specifically how layoffs are implemented) is a common interest, Clark said.
© 2008 - 2011 Progressive Illinois LLC, All rights reserved