FA News: 11/2/2016

Dear colleagues,

Some good news

I am happy to say that after bargaining session held Monday between our bargaining team and that representing the administration, we have now essentially reached a tentative agreement for a new contract that will last until 2018. We have finalized all the contract language, save for a few sentences that may be required to clear up some ambiguous wording in the new SIU system policy on intellectual property. Once we get that last bit of wordsmithing completed, we will share the full contract with all faculty, and dues-paying FA members will vote on whether or not to approve it.

Thanks again to the members of our bargaining team, who have worked so long and hard negotiating this agreement: Rachel Stocking (chair), Cade Bursell, Anne Fletcher, Judith Green, and David Lightfoot.

DRC meeting this Thursday

The FA’s Departmental Representative Council will meet tomorrow, Thursday 11/3, at 5:00 in Parkinson 202 to discuss the tentative agreement. All FA members are welcome to attend.

FA funding for student events

Another bit of good news: the FA Executive Council decided today that we will set aside a portion of our local dues money to support student events on campus. We will not, of course, be able to offer lavish support, but we will have something to offer, and every little bit helps. So if you know of students making the rounds looking for support for events, please encourage them to get in touch–they may contact me directly at mjohnson@siu.edu.

Politics

There is precious little good news in our state or national politics these days, but as employees of a state university in a dysfunctional state we are all acutely aware of the stakes for SIU. I would therefore like to second President Dunn’s suggestion in his email today that everyone think about what’s best for public higher education and turn out to vote accordingly. One place to learn more is by looking to the recommendations made by the IEA and NEA. The FA had a role in making recommendations for local state offices: for more information see our Facebook page.

Whatever your political preferences may be, do please turn out to vote: the results of this election may profoundly affect the future of higher education in Illinois.

In solidarity,

Dave Johnson
President, SIUC-FA