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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 18, 2013)
University of Oregon faculty OK first-ever contract EUGENE — Following more than 10 months of negotiations, faculty members at the University of Oregon ratified a first-ever collective bargain- ing agreement on Oct. 9. The two-year deal, effective through June 30, 2015, covers some 1,800 faculty members represented by the University of Oregon and United Academics. United Academics was voluntarily recognized by the university and certi- fied as the exclusive representative of the faculty bargaining unit in April 2012. The union represents tenured, tenure-track, non-tenure-track and ad- junct faculty members, in addition to research assistants, librarians, and other academic employees. The bar- gaining unit does not include law school faculty, faculty who are admin- istrators, or faculty who are supervi- sors. United Academics is a joint affiliate of the American Association of Uni- versity Professors and the American Federation of Teachers. The contract is complex, containing 45 articles over more than 90 pages. Highlights include: • Faculty investment. Tenured and tenure-track faculty members will re- ceive an average pay increase totaling 11.9 percent, and non-tenure-track fac- ulty members will receive an average pay raise totaling 12.4 percent through fiscal year 2015. Money is set aside to raise minimum salaries for faculty. KBOO radio employees ratify first union contract Employees of KBOO-FM ratified their first-ever union contract Oct. 8, locking in compensation and work- place rules for one year. The agreement was reached four months after workers voted 8-0 to join Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 7901 — and several days before the non-profit station’s Fall Fundraising Drive. KBOO is a non-profit commu- nity radio station and is governed by a board elected by members who donate or volunteer. Employees unionized in May after then- station manager Lynn Fitch changed personnel policies without their say-so — designating them as “at-will,” and cutting paid maternity leave to three weeks and paid sick leave to 40 hours a year. Fitch resigned in September, and a newly-elected board hired Victoria Stopiello as sta- tion manager. The newly-ratified collective bar- gaining agreement mostly codifies ex- isting employment policies into a legally binding contract, so that future managers can’t change policies unilat- erally. KBOO will continue to offer employee-only health insurance, 11 paid holidays a year, and up to four weeks paid vacation, depending on seniority. If a fundraising target is met by April, the station will contribute 3 percent of payroll into a 401(k)-style retirement plan. Employees gave up one personal holiday in bargaining, and agreed to limit the accrual of comp time and vacation time. A 1.3 percent pay raise equals the amount they’ll pay in union dues. They’ll also have a for- mal grievance procedure, and the pro- tection of a union contract clause which says they can’t be terminated except for “just cause.” That means they’re no longer “at will” employees who can be fired for no reason. Elder said having a union contract brings KBOO into accord with its stated values. In its charter, KBOO lists values of “peace, justice, democracy, human rights, multiculturalism, envi- ronmentalism, freedom of expression, and social change.” KBOO’s mission is to provide programming to unserved or underserved groups, and a forum for unpopular, controversial, or neglected perspectives. The station also airs La- bor Radio, Portland’s only union- themed radio program, Mondays from 6 to 6:30 p.m. KBOO can be found on- line at kboo.fm and on the radio at 90.7 FM in Portland, 91.9 FM in Hood River, and 104.3 FM in Corvallis. • Excellence rewarded. While all faculty members will receive across- the-board increases, the contract also includes additional merit increases for faculty upon promotion and to recog- nize outstanding achievement. • Academic freedom and shared governance. University protections for academic freedom will now specifi- cally include research as well as class- room instruction and will reaffirm the principle that faculty must be able to pursue controversial subjects without fear of retaliation. The contract also re- creases, and extends professional job protections and benefits to non-tenure- track educators. This is good for the university, for students and for Ore- gon.” UO President Michael Gottfredson said the union agreement “advances academic excellence, strengthens our position as one of the nation’s premier public research universities, and recog- nizes the central role of faculty as we move forward together to fulfill the promise of our public mission.” inforces all faculty members’ role in shared governance, including at the de- partment and unit level. • Job security for non-tenure- track faculty. The agreement provides for longer contracts, up to three years, for career non-tenure-track faculty members. “This contract represents a major step for all UO faculty,” said Scott Pratt, professor of philosophy and a member of the United Academics bar- gaining team. “It recognizes the value of faculty by providing salary in- Southwest Washington Electricians PAC #48 R ECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING CANDIDATES & M EASURES IN THE N OV . 5 TH W ASHINGTON G ENERAL E LECTION : Washington Statewide Measures INITIATIVE 517 - No; INITIATIVE 522 - Yes; SENATE 5444 - No SENATE 5627 - maintain; HOUSE 1846 - maintain; HOUSE 1971 - maintain; HOUSE 2075 - maintain City of Longview Council 6 - CHUCK WALLACE; Council 7 - STEVE MOON City of Ridgefield Council 1 - RON ONSLOW; Council 4 - DON STOSE; Council 6 - JOHN MAIN; Council 7 - SANDRA DAY Clark County Measures City of Vancouver LIGHT RAIL - No; BUS RAPID TRANSIT - No; EAST COUNTY BRIDGE - No; I-5 BRIDGE - Yes; WEST COUNTY BRIDGE - No; FIREWORKS - No Mayor — TIM LEAVITT Council 1- JACK BURKMAN; Council 2- ALISHIA TOPPER; Council 3 - ANNE MCENERNY-OGLE Clark County Freeholders (nonpartisan) City of Washougal District 1 - Pos. 1: RON ONSLOW; Pos. 2: TOM LAWRENCE; Pos. 3: ROBERT LUTZ; Pos. 4: STEVE FOSTER; Pos. 5: PATRICIA REYES Mayor - SEAN GUARD Council 3 - PAUL GREENLEE District 2 - Pos. 1: JAMIE HURLY; Pos. 2: LLOYD HALVERSON; Pos. 3: JUDIE STANTON; Pos. 4: PAUL DENNIS; Pos. 5: ANTHONY MCMIGAS City of Woodland District 3 - Pos.1: PAT JOLLOTA; Pos. 2: VAL OGDEN; Pos. 3: JIM MOELLER; Pos. 4: TEMPLE LENTZ; Pos. 5: BOB CARROLL Clark County Fire and Rescue Council 2 - AL SWINDELL Evergreen School District Position 1 - JULIE BOCANEGRA; Position 5 - MICHAEL PARSONS Position 1 - W. FRANK MAZNA East County Fire and Rescue Longview School District Position 4 - MARTHA MARTIN Position 1 - C.J. NICKERSON; Position 2 - JD ROSSETTI City of Battle Ground Vancouver School District Council 1 - MICHAEL CIRAULO; Council 4 - CHRIS REGAN; Council 5 - MIKE DALESANDRO Position 2 - MARK STOKER; Position 3 - KATHY GILLESPIE Camas-Washougal Port City of Camas District 1 - MARK LAMPTON; District 3 - BILL MACREA-SMITH Ward 1 - VANESSA AMUNDSON Port of Longview City of Kelso Council 2 - TODD MCDANIEL City of La Center In Clark County, Washington Council 1 - KRISTINE CARMONA; Council 2- AL LUIZ; Council 3 - T.R. WILLIAMS Port of Woodland District 2 - JOHN (JJ) BURKE Paid for by SW Washington Electricians PAC #48 Paid for by Bob Carroll PAGE 4 District 3 - BOB BAGAASON NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS OCTOBER 18, 2013
