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University of Waterloo -- Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

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Friday, May 17, 1996

Faculty association sets course

The president of the faculty association, Ian Macdonald, has issued a memo responding to the vote by professors, instructors and librarians turning down the association's proposal to become a union. Here's what he said:

Although many of you voted for certification, the majority indicated that they do not choose certification. The FAUW Board of course will act in accord with the majority view.
The Board is well aware that it would be incorrect to interpret the results to mean that academic staff are satisfied with the status quo. In our conversations during the canvas, many who indicated that they would not support certification also told us that there was a real need to make significant changes. Therefore, the FAUW Board will attempt again to negotiate a "Special Plan" Agreement providing good protection for the rights and interests of the academic staff and good bargaining rights.
Over the summer and early fall, we will be communicating with members about their views on what should be included in the "Special Plan" Agreement, and will be developing articles to table in the negotiations (the material prepared for last year's unsuccessful negotiations will provide a good starting point).
I have written to President Downey to inform him that FAUW wishes to review the Memorandum of Agreement with the objective of negotiating the necessary changes to make it a good "Special Plan" Agreement. I have told him that I will give him the names of the FAUW negotiating team appointed to the Memorandum of Agreement Committee in September and that negotiations should start in late September or early October.
The University Administration indicated last fall (BOGUW memorandum, December 4, 1995) that they would be willing to negotiate on the important issues which they would not consider last fall in future negotiations. We accept that this will be the case and will table a comprehensive agenda of items for negotiation at the initial meetings in early Fall.
Prior to counting the votes, the University Administration had agreed to a FAUW bargaining unit which included Department chairs and included librarians, staff language instructors, research faculty and adjunct or special faculty whose normal workload is the equivalent of four one-term courses or more per year. The status of faculty Senators elected to the Board of Governors and a group of non-regular instructional personnel remained unresolved and would have been settled in hearings.
Since the certification vote did not succeed, the desirable inclusion of the librarians, staff language instructors, research faculty and adjunct or special faculty will not necessarily occur. It certainly is possible for the Administration to agree voluntarily to include them in the uncertified bargaining unit represented by FAUW, particularly since they signed off on an agreement to do so if certification succeeded. However, failing an early agreement to do so, FAUW will make it an agenda item and objective of the Memorandum of Agreement negotiations in the fall.

People are going away

It's starting to hit home -- hundreds of people who have been working at UW for years or decades are departing through the early retirement program. Yesterday was the last day on the job for Marlene Miles, who heads the community relations section here in information and public affairs, and the last day for Rudy Molinary, director of custodial and grounds services in the plant operations department, and the last day for Bill Flynn, well-known "library attendant" at the security desk in Dana Porter.

Retirement parties are taking place faster than I can report them, let alone get to them. A couple next week:

In honour of Vladimir Mracna, retiring from the correspondence office: Wednesday, 2 to 4 p.m., at 156 Columbia Street.
In honour of Dave Bartholomew, Dick Bechtel, and Bob Neal, all retiring from graphic services: Thursday, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., at the General Services Complex.

A new central fax number

Central stores sent out word yesterday that its fax number has changed to 884-8009 from the previous 888-4521. "If you need to inquire about a fax number or anything else pertaining to ext. 4521, please dial ext. 3124 and my staff will be glad to help you," writes mailroom supervisor Carmen Jaray. Although most departments have their own fax machines these days, the central stores number is available to receive faxes (for a price) for anyone on campus. [Victoria R]

It's a long weekend

Monday, May 20, is Victoria Day and a holiday. UW offices and most services will be closed, and classes will not be held.

Some notes on services over the holiday weekend:

UW police: 24 hours a day as always, 888-4911.
Maintenance emergencies: phone ext. 3793, 24 hours a day.
Student Life Centre: like the Windmill Theatre, they never close: ext. 4434.
Libraries: open Saturday and Sunday, closed Monday.
Information Systems and Technology (formerly "computing services") customer support centre: open Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday. Outages of the campus computer network and major computing facilities should be reported to ext. 4839.
Bookstore and UW Shop: closed Saturday, Sunday, Monday.
Graphics Express: closed Saturday, Sunday, Monday.

And the conference centre in Village II keeps busy. Moving in today through Monday: some 130 participants in the Ontario Folk Dance Camp.

Chris Redmond -- credmond@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca
Information and Public Affairs, University of Waterloo
(519) 888-4567 ext. 3004

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