Dear Colleagues,
Over the past few days, we have received emails from faculty and staff expressing disappointment that the University and the union organizing committee were unable to come to an agreement regarding a free and fair election. We understand your frustration. Many people on both sides of this issue have worked very hard, in a spirit of good faith and respect, to reach an agreement that would clear the way for an election this term.
In light of this, we think it is important to clarify some key issues. At the close of mediation, all parties agreed to keep the details of the negotiation confidential. We are bound to honor that commitment. While we would like to say more about the positions that the University was willing to move on, we are limited to stating that at the end of mediation the University no longer was asking for a quorum of voters to participate in the voting and was prepared to accept the result of a simple majority in the vote. Unfortunately, there were other issues that prevented the parties from reaching an agreement that met the needs and institutional concerns of both sides.
As Acting President Kloppenberg wrote in her earlier email, we are committed to addressing the needs of all our faculty through collaborative governance, and advancing the Teaching Professor proposal that has been drafted by the Subcommittee on Lecturers and Adjuncts. We are hopeful that we can work together to heal the wounds that are so evident in these emails and other discussions.
Sincerely,
Ed Ryan
Acting Co-Provost
Kate Morris
Acting Co-Provost
Kitty Murphy
Associate Provost for Faculty Personnel and Policy