Monday May 2, 2016
NorthernStar
.info
Volume 116 Issue 59
NIU faculty file intent to unionize Union may cause contract changes Madison Kacer Staff writer
DeKalb | Contract negotiations
may occur if NIU faculty members’ intent to unionize with the Illinois Federation of Teachers, filed Thursday, is certified. One of the first steps a newlycertified group often takes is beginning contract negotiations, said Kenzo Shibata, media director of Illinois Federation of Teachers. Biological sciences professor Mel Duvall said this is the direction NIU faculty members will likely take. The Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board is in charge of certifying groups, and the process can take upwards of two weeks, Shibata said. Membership would apply to more than 600 tenured and tenuretrack NIU faculty members.
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[Faculty] wanted to have a legal and contractual voice that they could bring to the negotiating table. The faculty are the ones who interact with the students and we have the students’ best interest at heart.” Mel Duvall Biological sciences professor
“[Faculty members] feel that going forward, they’re going to have a voice in decisions that are being made,” Shibata said. “[They will be able] to work on issues like the gender pay gap that exists within the faculty.” A faculty organizing committee,
of which Duvall is a member, was created by the Faculty Senate in February 2015 to reach out to faculty members and discuss the benefits and concerns of joining the union, Duvall said. The decision to explore unionization was made official shortly before that meeting. Duvall said feedback has been generally positive. The choice to explore unionization was not influenced by the state budget impasse or program prioritization, both of which have potential negative impacts for faculty members, such as layoffs and furloughs, Duvall said. However, he said he believes the budget impasse and program prioritization may have impacted the decisions of some faculty members when they decided whether or not to become members. “[Faculty members] were very interested in trying to contribute to the protection of high quality education for the students at NIU,” Duvall said. “They wanted to have a legal and contractual voice that they could bring to the negotiating table. The faculty are the ones who interact with the students and we have the students’ best interest at heart.” The Illinois Federation of Teachers is a teachers union that serves 103,000 professionals in Illinois, according to its website. Members of the federation receive benefits like loan forgiveness and legal and financial assistance. Services are also offered, including assistance with contract negotiations and representation in upholding the union contract, according to the Illinois Federation of Teachers website.
The IFT serves
103,000
professionals in Union Illinois membership would apply to
600
faculty members
More than
3,500
total NIU employees To fund these benefits and services, NIU members will be required to pay dues. The cost of the dues varies from institution to institution and depends on the requested services. Payment intervals also vary. Dues can be collected from each paycheck, monthly or annually, Shibata said. “[Faculty members] really want
to ensure that professors are staying at [NIU] and building lifelong careers,” Shibata said. “Having a voice to advocate for themselves and their students will promote that longevity.” NIU President Doug Baker and Faculty Senate President Greg Long did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Union services • Assistance with contract negotiations • Representation in upholding contract negotiations • Loan forgiveness • Legal assistance • Financial assistance
Former senator sues SA in open meeting case Leah Nicolini Assistant News Editor
DeKalb | Leon Kincaid, former Student Association senator, filed a complaint Friday suing the SA Senate up to $5,000 for “intentional” violation of the Illinois Open Meetings Act. The Student Association has not received a copy of the complaint as of Sunday. The Senate is responsible for determin- Leon Kincaid ing how the SA’s Former SA Senator $6.5 million budget is allocated, which is used to provide student services, including the Huskie Line, Campus Recreation and more.
On Nov. 22, SA Senate held a nine-hour closed meeting to vote on eight charges against SA Vice President Reggie Bates. Bates was found guilty of two charges but remained in office after being exonerated, according to a Dec. 3 Northern Star article. “Once SA is accountable to the Open Meetings Act, they will always have open meetings within a reasonable time frame and post the agenda in advance,” Kincaid said. “I wanted to ensure bylaws are updated correctly too because the lack of transparency is affecting the actions of the government.” A closed meeting is a meeting which the public cannot attend. Sergeant-at-Arms Timothy Brandner said the Senate did not breech
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the Open Meetings Act because the is requesting the court declare SA SA is not a public body. Senate a public body subject to the act, order the Senate to comply with the act, award Kincaid reasonable I wanted to ensure bylaws attorneys’ fees and costs and award are updated correctly too other reliefs the court deems approbecause the lack of transpriate, according to the complaint. parency is affecting the acKincaid’s complaint cites a Nov. tions of the government.” 23 Northern Star editorial, which Leon Kincaid Former SA Senator states the closed meeting shows a lack of transparency. Kincaid attended the SA Senate “[SA] Senate has justified its vio- meeting Sunday where he told the atlation of the [Open Meetings Act] tendees during public comment that by alleging that it is not a public he is suing the SA. He was escorted body,” the complaint reads. “These out of the meeting by Brandner. violations are likely to be ongoing “The Senate does not feel comunless the [SA] Senate is forced to fortable having any individual comply with the [act].” present who is threatening, alleging In addition to the request of up to or currently suing the SA without $5,000 in civil penalty fees, Kincaid our legal counsel being present at
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“[SA] Senate has justified its violation of the [Open Meetings Act] by alleging that it is not a public body,” the complaint reads. “These violations are likely to be ongoing unless the [SA] Senate is forced to comply with the [act].” Read more of former SA Senator Leon Kincaid’s complaint against the SA at bit.ly/1TeYguP. the same time as that individual,” Brandner said. SA Senate Speaker Dillon Domke, on behalf of the Senate, declined a request to comment.
Victor Awards Predictions
Columnist Jay Ibarra gives her predictions for the 2016 Victors Awards, which will be held at 7 p.m. today at the Egyptian Theatre, 135 N. Second St. Read more on Page 6.