Monday June 27, 2016
NorthernStar
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Volume 116 Issue 64
NIU honors victims of mass shooting in Orlando
Madison Kacer | Northern Star
Linda Slabon, reverend of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, kisses spouse Toni Tollerud during a June 20 vigil that honored the victims of the mass shooting in Orlando, Fla. at Pulse Nightclub on June 12.
Madison Kacer | Northern Star
NIU student Riss Carter holds up a picture of one of the victims of the mass shooting in Orlando, Fla. at Pulse Nightclub on June 12 during a June 20 vigil outside of the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, 105 Normal Road. As each of the victim’s name were read, a member of the crowd held up a red heart with a photo of the victim in the center. An interfaith vigil will be hosted in commemoration of the victims at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the First Lutheran Church, 324 North Third St.
Madison Kacer | Northern Star
Luis Santos Rivas, director of the Latino Resource Center, reads the name and age of each victim of the mass shooting in Orlando, Fla. during a June 20 vigil outside of the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, 105 Normal Road. Read more about the vigil on Page 3.
United Faculty Alliance starting negotiations Madison Kacer News Editor
DeKalb | The United Faculty Alliance received union certification June 13 and has started the beginning steps of contract negotiations, during which they will potentially be bargaining for adjusted salaries and a re-evaluated program prioritization process. The United Faculty Alliance at NIU was certified by the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board after intent to unionize was filed on April 28. The union certification applies to over 600 tenured and tenure-track faculty members. Now that the faculty has unionized, they will be able to utilize numerous membership benefits, such as assistance with contract negotiations and assistance with upholding contracts. The union is affiliated with the
Illinois Federation of Teachers, the University Professionals of Illinois, the American Federation of Teachers and the American Association of University Professors. “There are a dozen other unions on campus that we work with successfully, and we [the university] look forward to doing the same with our faculty union,” said Joe King, associate director of media relations. Faculty members have begun establishing a number of committees from the faculty membership for contact negotiations. One committee will be tasked with establishing the rules and procedures that will be in place during negotiations. Another committee will be responsible for pre-bargaining, which is the process of learning the priorities of all union members, said Mel Duvall, biological sciences professor
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and member of the faculty organiz“I’ve been here for 17 years, and ing committee. A negotiating com- this shared-governance system [used mittee is also to be established. in program prioritization] is not as effective of a mechanism for shaping policy at the university as it could There are a dozen other be,” Duvall said. “And that’s what unions on campus that we program prioritization is doing; it’s work with successfully, and continuing in that same thing.” we [the university] look A lawyer will be available through forward to doing the same the Illinois Federation of Teachers with our faculty union.” for union members to consult. UniJoe King versity officials have begun discussAssociate director of media relations ing contract negotiations in the HR department, King said. In order to gain certification, the Some of the issues that the facul- majority of tenure and tenure-track ty will likely address during nego- faculty members were required to tiations include salary and program sign a card that signified their supprioritization. Potential salary is- port of the union. Those who did sues include gender equity and the not sign a card do not receive union increased cost of living, Duvall said. membership. However, they still have Issues relating to program prioriti- the ability to sign on now that certifization may include the methods by cation has been granted, Duvall said. which it is conducted. According to a notice from the
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More information To learn more about the unionization process, go to bit. ly/28TkL95. labor board, “all adjunct, part-time and non-tenure-track faculty; retirees; students; faculty of the College of Law; and all other supervisory, managerial, confidential and short-term employees as defined in the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act” will not qualify for union membership. “I’ve been talking to faculty all over campus, and I feel that it [unionization] has really brought us together more,” Duvall said. “The fact that we have this chance to interact with each other through the union, I think, has been very helpful.”
Cubs lose 3 at home, first for season The Cubs have lost three straight at home, and only the second time all season they have lost three in a row. Read more about the Cubs’ record, players, injuries and more on Page 8.