Arts & Life, B4
Sports, B1
Gin Blossoms return with new album.
Owens replaces Dantin at QB in 20-15 UT loss to Wyoming.
Independent Collegian IC The
www.IndependentCollegian.com 91st year Issue 12
Monday, October 4, 2010
Serving the University of Toledo since 1919
Union authorizes strike
By Hasan Dudar Editor in Chief
Members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union on the University of Toledo Health Science Campus voted on Wednesday to grant their leaders permission to carry out a labor strike. The vote is the latest development in more than a year of unsuccessful contract renegotiations between the UT administration and AFSCME Local 2415. Since June 30, 2009, the nearly 2,000 AFSCME members on the HSC have been going on day-today extensions of their last contract. During a phone interview, AFSCME Local 2415 President Tom Kosek said the union sees a labor strike as a last resort and wants to avoid striking in haste. “It [striking] is one of those things that you just don’t take lightly,” Kosek said. “You always try to negotiate a settlement before you strike. That being said, you don’t wait and fall victim of complacency. At the same time, you have to be aware that your bargaining partner on the other side of the table has to know that the strike is serious.” Kosek said he and the union leadership have been exploring every option before issuing a strike notification, but the union is prepared to strike if they feel negotiations are not moving forward.
College of Honors created
By Randiah Green News Editor
IC file photo by Dean Mohr
Family and supporters of the UT Health Science Campus AFSCME union workers attend the Labor Day Parade, displaying signs that ask the UT Board of Trustees to settle a contract with the union. Union leadership has agreed to wait until Oct. 8 for UT President Lloyd Jacobs to offer a new proposal. If the union leadership accepts Jacobs’ new proposal, both bargaining units will meet on Oct. 12 for a final agreement. If the leadership does not approve the proposal, Kosek said the union will issue a 10day notice for a strike. The union will enter the Oct. 8 negotiations with the state Fact-Finder’s recommendation as their preferred contract. The Fact-Finder’s
report includes a 1.67 percent yearly raise over a three-year period — a proposal the UT Board of Trustees rejected on August 28. During his weekly “Presidential Perspectives” video, Jacobs said he was confident that negotiations will continue. “I’m convinced, first of all, that we will come to agreement and that there will be no strike,” Jacobs said. According to a statement provided by the UT Office of Marketing and
Communications, a wing of external affairs, the union’s vote on Wednesday is not the end of the bargaining process. “This vote is largely procedural and should not be viewed as any indication of a breakdown in the bargaining process,” the statement said. “We continue to be optimistic about what can be achieved through bargaining and look forward to continuing to do so in good faith.” — Strike, Page A2
completed curriculum,” Barden said. “Then you’ll have something else for your Honors students at the wall that will say you got a University of Toledo will now diploma from the honors graduate from more than one college.” college since the Honors ProBarden said the honors gram was changed into the program was already funcCollege of Honors. tioning as a college and just The UT Board of Trustees needed a name change to reapproved the change from flect it. program to college at their “By staying a program, Sept. 20 meeting. people think ‘oh, maybe 300 Director of the Honors pro- people in somebody else’s gram and professor of Eng- building,’” he said. “But we lish Tom Barden said this will really have been the size and not change students’ prestige to be a college, and degrees. my point to the board was, “Let’s say let’s call it you want to what it is.” We really have get a business The Colbeen the size and lege of Hondegree. You’d be in the Col- prestige to be a college, ors has 932 lege of Busistudents. ness and Ad- and my point to the Most of ministration board was, let’s call it those stuand the Hon- what it is. dents, Barden ors College,” said, are from Barden said. Tom Barden the College “The student Director, of Engineerwho’s in the UT Honors Program ing, followed College of by the CAS, Arts and Sciences is still go- College of Pharmacy and ing to get their degree from COBA. Arts and Sciences.” According to the National Though students in the Collegiate Honors Council’s College of Honors will not website, if an honors prograduate with an additional gram makes up at least five degree, they will receive a percent of the student popudiploma-like award showing lation, has its own academic they completed the rigorous building and has students curriculum. write a thesis, the program “The degrees are the same; — Honors, Page A2 it’s a recognition of a
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AAUP files grievance By IC Staff
UT’s American Association of University Professors has filed a grievance against UT President Lloyd Jacobs’ reorganization plan, citing the president’s decision was in direct violation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The AAUP states Jacobs is in violation of Article 7 of the Tenured/Tenure Track Contract and Article 7 of the Lecturers’ Contract which states, “The Employer will effectively consult with and seek the advice of the Faculty Senate on matters of institutional planning,” and “Decisions made by the administration under this article shall be fully reported and explained to the Faculty Senate in written detail in order to allow the Faculty Senate to understand the rationale of a given decision.” Jacobs presented his recommendations for reorganizing the university to the Academic Affairs Committee of the Board of Trustees on Friday, Sept. 24. In an email announcement from the AAUP sent out on Friday, the AAUP said Jacobs admitted at the Faculty
Senate’s Sept. 28 meeting that he did not consult with the Faculty Senate on restructuring the university before making his recommendation to the BOT Academic Affairs Committee. Remedies sought by the UTAAUP are that Jacobs “consult with and seek advice of the Faculty Senate on the matter related to restructuring the University of Toledo and that President Jacobs fully report and explain the restructuring to the Faculty Senate in written detail.” The email also reads, “Furthermore, there is to be a stay in the implementation, approval and final reporting of any reorganization plan pending consultation with the Faculty Senate and a full written report including financial implications to the Senate.” The AAUP wants the two remedies to occur before the reorganization plan is submitted to the BOT. Jacobs is scheduled to submit his proposed plan for reorganizing UT to the full board on Oct. 11, when the board will decide whether to approve the proposal.
Rocky the Rocket slaps a high-five with 4 year-old Joey Heldmann from Toledo during the Edward C. Schmakel Homecoming Parade on Friday.
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I feel safe on campus in the daytime but not so much at night.
Senior, marketing
Homecoming High-Five
How safe do you feel on campus?
“ Drew McCullough
Nick Kneer / IC
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Latrice Rhoades soph., accounting
I feel pretty good about security because I use Nightwatch to get where I’m going safely.
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Corey Grier
junior, biology
I feel good because of the blue towers. My dorm has a security guard walking through.
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Joe Kim
I feel safer than I did last year on campus because they put more lights on campus.
junior, marketing
Be sure to check out our story on campus crime in Thursday’s issue.
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After nine o’clock I don’t feel very safe on campus.
Niralia shah senior, biology
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