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Illegal poll emerges before strike vote Employees not required to reveal personal plans, protected by labor laws LAUREN LEONE Daily Egyptian A department chair illegally polled individuals about their opinions and actions concerning the potential strike on campus. The department chair’s name could not be revealed because the incident is considered a personnel matter, said Rod Sievers, university spokesman. Although the illegal activity has been put to an end, this action could potentially sway votes or impact an individual’s decision concerning the strike, said Randy Hughes, associate professor in mathematics and president of the Faculty Association. Hughes said in an email to Faculty Association members Sunday that such activity is considered unfair labor practice. Polling individuals about their opinions or initiating conversations about the strike is illegal surveillance of employees under the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act, he said. “I think it’s important for us to address any sort of infraction that might occur,� he said. “You never really know (if) you’re seeing the whole picture or just the tip of the iceberg.� Three of the four campus unions are scheduled to vote this week to authorize a strike. The four Illinois Education Association unions will vote within the next two weeks to give authorization to their governing bodies to set a date for a strike. If given authorization, a strike could be called at any time. Sievers said he believes the department chair was taking steps to ensure students will be protected by finding out what classes will continue, as well as what classes might not be held. “(The department chair) asked some questions that made some of the people in her department feel uncomfortable,� he said. “When informed of this, that this action could be construed as illegal, the department chair backed off and withdrew the question.� Sievers said an email was sent after the incident to deans and supervisors, stating that polling individuals about their opinions or whether they plan to participate in the strike is illegal. Asking an individual whether they intend to vote in the strike authorization, if they would vote yes or no or if they would participate in the strike is illegal, said Jim Clark, Illinois Education Association-National Education Association Representative. However, asking deans about contingency plans is legal, he said. Provost John Nicklow said department chairs were never asked asked to poll faculty. He said he did speak with deans to determine the level of impact they anticipated. Please see STRIKE | 3
Donald Chamberlain, left, a senior from Carbondale studying speech communication, engages in a spontaneous religious debate Monday. Keith Darrell, right, who said he is an evangelical preacher, began speaking to passersby outside Lawson Hall. While some students heckled
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Darrell, others challenged his interpretation of Christianity. Campus police said he had the right to be on campus unless he was to disrupt classes. One student was asked to leave the area after throwing Darrell’s stepstool. Darrell was asked by campus police to move to the Free Forum Area.
Unions express concerns, need for strike vote SARAH SCHNEIDER Daily Egyptian The first of four unions without contracts is scheduled to vote today for employees’ authorization to strike. Cyndi Kessler-Criswell, president of the Association of Civil Service and office manager for the Rehabilitation Institute, said the association will vote because employees are overworked and want a contract that will ensure fair working conditions. The four Illinois Education Association unions have gone more than 450 days without contracts — dating back to when their four-year contract ended in June 2010 — and are the last of 18 campus unions in negotiations. Chancellor Rita Cheng said she hopes the union and administration bargaining teams will reach an agreement. College budgets were cut by 2.2 percent this year rather than the temporary measure of the four unpaid days applied last academic year, she said. The university’s financial situation has to be kept in mind during negotiations, she said. If the authorizations are approved, the unions do not necessarily have to go on strike, but receive the authority to set a date. Leaders for the unions have said they do not want to strike, but they believe this is the last option to get fair contracts.
Faculty Association
Randy Hughes, professor of mathematics and president of the Faculty Association, said the union will vote Wednesday for strike authorization. He said key issues that are open articles in the contract concern the threat to tenure by reduction in force, temporary reduction of wage by unpaid days, sexual harassment procedure, conflict of interest, policies and procedures, association rights, financial issues regarding salaries and benefits, program changes and operating papers. Morteza Daneshdoost, a professor of electrical and computer engineering and bargaining team member for the Faculty Association, said the association asked the administration’s bargaining team to recognize that the financial situation
can fluctuate year to year. He said salary increases should reflect the financial situation, rather than be a set number. If there is no increase in revenue then there will be no increase. If there was, for example, a 3 percent increase, then salaries would increase 3 percent, according to the proposal. “This is helping the university in tough times, but understanding in good times, we get that money back,� he said. Daneshdoost said if unpaid days need to be implemented, the association wants the university to demonstrate there is a need, versus simply imposin. Cheng said the SIU Board of Trustees has always been able to call for financial exigency, which is a board policy. Hughes said under the terms the administration imposed on the union in the spring, a faculty member could be laid off when deemed necessary if the university declared a state of financial exigency. The association’s bargaining team has proposed a process to determine when there is an extreme financial problem that would determine if layoffs should be applied in order to keep the university running. Hughes said the financial challenges the university faces come from state funding but that money has become a smaller portion of the university’s overall budget. He said the increase in tuition from year to year should cover the losses from the state. Cheng said the university faces financial challenges but continues to cut costs. She said the enrollment decline this fall cost the university another $1 million. “We must be very careful about how we spend our money,� she said. Daneshdoost said for the number of days the association has been in negotiation, there has been little progress. “In the past four negotiations we have had, even though we have been extremely civilized, there has been no real progress — what you would call a noticeable presentable progress,� he said.
Non-Tenure Track Faculty Association
Anita Stoner, president of the NTTFA and visiting assistant professor in the School of Journalism, said the association will vote Oct. 5 to authorize a strike. Stoner said the bargaining team for the association wants language in the contract that will give faculty members job security. She said they want notice of layoffs or non-reappointments. “Until a person becomes continuing faculty, it is a nightmare,� she said. “It is about courtesy and respecting us. We are not the Faculty Association. We are skilled, experienced people that are giving back to the university because we want to make a difference.� Rod Sievers, university spokesperson, could not immediately get numbers of non-reappointed non-tenure track faculty and administrative professionals from last year, he said. Stoner said distance education is also an issue in negotiations because it would overload faculty members if they had to teach online classes in addition to the classes they already teach. Cheng said distance education is critical to the future of the university as part of the strategy for enrollment growth, because it provides the ability to offer courses and programs online to compete for students in Illinois, the region and the world. Stoner said the union did not ask for salary increases but were offered them. She said there has been a breakdown of collective bargaining. “This is about more than money,� she said.
Graduate Assistants United
Jim Podesva, president of the GAU, said the union will vote for strike authorization Friday. He said the group is currently negotiating fee freezes and health care issues. Kristi Brownfield, vice president of communications for the GAU, said fee levels have almost doubled since 2007. “That hurts students,� she said. Please see ISSUES | 3