Council Minutes – Sept 20, 2017

Rep Council Meeting        September 20, 2017

Wales 203B @ 4:00 PM

Present:  Howard Streby, Tera Doty-Blance (Alternate for Amanda Hollister), Brian Loy, Christine Duffy-Webb, Anne Haner-Uncapher (Alternate for Meghan McGuiness) Jason Detrani, Tim Skinner, Suzanne Shepard, David Zeggert, Suzanne Hickok, Joan Lubar, Joshua Lindenbaum, Alice Caroompas, Bill Hollister (Alternate for Jason Smith), David J. Michalak, Fred Loveland, Rob Woods

Excused: Joe Spence, Amanda Hollister, Meghan McGuiness, Jason Smith

Absent: Regina Eckert, Tom Grace, Paul Cartie

Meeting called to order at 4:05PM

Minutes & Committee Reports:

  1. Minutes approved from 5/4/17 meeting. Motion: David Zeggert, Second: Howard Streby
  2. Organizing Committee:
    1. Adopted the Organizing Model. Its going well.
    2. Unions continue to be under attack
      1. Upcoming Supreme Court Case (see below)
      2. NYS Constitutional Convention – Vote happens in November
    3. Need more actively involved members to coincide with succession planning for officers
    4. Reps need to know the contract! Know what applies to your constituents and what does not.
    5. Constituency lists were distributed to Reps
      1. Lists include constituent members names, titles, mail stops, and email addresses with 15-20 people per Rep
    6. Reps distribute newsletter and other relevant SBFA emails to constituents. Reps hold 1 office hour per week
      1. In an organizing model, Constituents will go to Reps first with issues/concerns
      2. Send your contact info (office or secretary phone #, email)  to SBFA Secretary with days/times of your office hours, distribute to Constituents as well.
    7. If you can’t attend a meeting, please arrange for an alternate
      1. Reps are encouraged to attend events and Organization Committee meetings and Sign up for Sub-Committees – See Suzanne Shepard for more information
    8. Staff Survey results
      1. Copies available – Contact Suzanne Shepard or Tera Doty-Blance if you did not receive one at the meeting
      2. The plan is to turn these into action items for future meetings,  possible negotiations
    9. Welcome Table – big success, gave out packets, contracts, stickers, info
  2. Dave M will start copying Reps on responses to their Constituents regarding contract issues.
    1. If Administrative offices ignore requests for information, copy him on those email requests.
  3. Negotiation Resource Committee:
    1. First meeting scheduled for 10/2/17 in  B111 at 8:30AM
      1. Agenda TBA, welcoming suggestions
  4. Adjuncts:
    1. The Part Time Adjunct constituency membership have grown substantially, and another need is needed
    2. Adjunct Unemployment
      1. Varying degrees of success and failure over the summer.
        1. Some got approved no problem
        2. Others were approved, and then told they had to give back money and pay fines because college appealed.
        3. One was denied, appealed, got approved.
        4. One factor depends if adjunct has a reasonable assurance for employment next semester.
      2. Our contract does not give assurance to adjuncts for one semester to the next.
        1. Mike Lynch wanted to emphasize the significance of this in the contract.  Criteria used for determining eligibility include  how  long   you have worked as an adjunct? How regularly have you continued to work?  The case that SBFA took upon on appeal would have been the hardest to win since faculty member had history of teaching many years, many classes. It was the language in our contract regarding full time loading that impacted the reasonable assurance claim.
          1. We were victorious on a case that the college  denied the benefit, we appealed and we won.
          2. If the future, we don’t know if college will continue to appeal.
      3. Reps want to be able to give his adjuncts good information. The issue of fines is a deterrent to filing claims.
      4. There is no contractual selection process for part time adjuncts to become Temporary Assistant Professors.  The Dean recommends to the EVP/CAO.

Special Report – Mike Lynch (NYSUT):

  1. The Janus case in front of Supreme Court will render a decision in June/July.
    1. Last case was split 4-4. Now there is a full court.
    2. Expect that the case law for decades will be overturned.
      1. Agency fee will be decided.  Businesses looking to privatize education is trying to de-fund and de-fang the teaching unions across the country.
    3. “Free Ride” – members reap the benefits of the contract without paying dues.
  2. If enough people opt out, we could lose the whole union. We have to prove that we represent more than 50% of people affected by the contract.
    1. We have an excellent contract so WE NEED TO BE READY.
  3. What do we do?
    1. Reps & Constituencies are in place – in the next few weeks we will be offering training to reps on how to talk and listen to people about this latest case and assessing each member as to where we are.
    2. Your job is not convince people, your job is to assess where they are on this and report back.
    3. By end of academic year, we have actual dues deduction cards ready and signed. Our contract is set up for automatic dues deduction. We just have to prove that we represent that majority of the people.
      1. We have a tool for this to help you keep track of who you talk to.  The NYSUT app with the list of your constituents will be available for your cell phones.
    4. If you do not want to use the app, record contacts and feedback.  It is not a survey. It is a conversation.
    5. See Handouts – where the attacks are coming from and their objectives.

Mike said that in Wisconsin, they lost 1/3, 1/2, 7/10 of their membership from the various unions. Wisconsin – every year they have to have a union election and prove that they still represent the majority. Biggest drops were where unions were working under the service model instead of the organizing model. (We are working under an organizing model)  In New Orleans, LA. all teachers were fired and had to reapply to teach at charter schools.

      1. We have an obligation to defend what we have
      2. There’s a big threat, but a bigger opportunity to organize and defend

Rep Council Semester Schedule:

    1. In addition to Wednesdays at 4:00, Friday at 12 is an option.
    2. Meetings will be every 2 weeks.  If you can’t make it, send a sub.

Reporting Sick Time:

  1. Chairs reported receiving notices for overdue sick time reports
  2. Per contract, Chairs or Designee report sick time regardless of the sick person’s status as full-time or part-time.
    1. The Chair can continue to use a designee (secretary) for the sick day reporting.
    2. Any forms received from payroll should be given to the secretaries if they are the designee.

 

Jason Detrani made a motion to adjourn, Joan Lubar seconded.

Meeting adjourned at 5:00PM

 

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