YUFA
Stewards
Stewards' Council Summaries
Report from the Stewards’ Council, 3 December 2004
13 Dec 04 – The YUFA Stewards’ Council, with representatives from the various academic units, met on Friday, December 3, at 11:30 a.m. in the Leith Room, Atkinson College. Over another pizza lunch (with salad!), a full agenda explored such issues as workload, new appointments, the re-structuring in which the Employer is now engaged, and current grievances. An early item, however, was a marking of the memory of the 14 women murdered at the École Polytechnique in Montreal on 6 December 1989. The names of the women were read out amid a moment of silence.
Stewards from several units then brought forward concerns about increasing class sizes and workloads, as these were playing out in several departments around the University. Lively discussions took place, including a review of the grievances which have been filed on these issues. In that vein, Ruthann Dyer, one of YUFA’s two Chief Stewards, gave a summary of her report on the CAUT Grievance Conference held recently.
Stewards then approved the appointments of Penni Stewart and Keith Aldridge to the Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) for 2005-6, under Article 9 of the Collective Agreement. Stewards also approved the appointment of four new members to the Joint Committee on the Administration of the Agreement (JCOAA), as per Article 7. The new members are Don Dippo, Susan Ehrlich, Jan Rehner and Brenda Spotton-Visano (who will be YUFA’s co-chair). Chief Steward Ruthann Dyer will continue on JCOAA while President of YUFA, Arthur Hilliker, will move from JCOAA to be YUFA’s representative on the All University Committee on Pensions (AUCP).
The Memo of 30 November 2004 submitted by the Employer to the chair of APPC (Academic Policy and Planning Committee) concerning the creation of a new “health-related faculty” at York was distributed and discussed. Also discussed was a group grievance which has been filed by two members, with others indicating that they wish to sign on. The grievance concerns the failure of the Employer to inform academic units of the proposed re-structuring and to allow them a reasonable opportunity to participate in the planning process, as per Article 18.27 of the Collective Agreement. Stewards requested that information about this situation be distributed through the YUFA-M list and recommended to the YUFA Executive that a policy grievance also be filed.
An intensifying “chill” around academic freedom was also discussed – with reference to the Employer’s efforts to control “public space” and so-called “controversial speakers.” Several major incidents in recent weeks have prompted concern over the implications and scope of the Employers’ actions and so-called policies. Two grievances have been filed by YUFA on particular incidents which have recently occurred, and stewards agreed to monitor how these policies are affecting academic decision-making in their units. Concern was also expressed over the fact that the Employer’s policies are unclear and confusing.
Several stewards then requested that perhaps the scheduled time of Stewards’ Council could be rotated, so that those who teach at noon on Fridays could attend some of the meetings. YUFA staff indicated that the main problem with scheduling was the shortage of space for holding the meetings. Sadly, everyone understood.
The meeting adjourned at 1:45. It was, said one steward, “extremely enlightening.” YUFA members are reminded that all members may attend Stewards’ Council – for lunch and camaraderie as well as enlightenment.
The next Stewards’ Council meeting will be held on the first Friday in February, at 11:30, venue to be announced.
Report from the Stewards' Council, 5 November 2004
15 Nov 04 – Along with a pizza lunch, the Stewards from numerous departments and faculties met for their monthly meeting at 11:30. The main agenda item was an "order of the day" which brought YUFA's Contract Review Committee (CRC) to the meeting in order to hear stewards' concerns about the current collective agreement and the issues which need to be thought about as possibilities for the bargaining table when negotiations begin in the spring of 2006. Of particular and general concern was workload and the fact that, as one steward said, "the downloading of work has become daily problem" as has the ever-increasing workload. The result, it was agreed, is a lot of griping and anger among members. To harness this, the stewards believed that YUFA needs to have a strategy for dealing with the problem. Several elements of that strategy came forward.
First, under the current Collective Agreement, YUFA – through its Chief Stewards – is pursuing several grievances on workload, grievances which emanate in large measure from the current (and yet another) round of budget cuts.
A second element is for the CRC to improve on the Collective Agreement. In this vein, one of the CRC members pointed to two issues which are of concern: the fact of escalating workload and the historical inequities in workload across units.
Third, it was suggested that units should have local meetings to discuss the upcoming negotiations and to frame ideas and proposals about workload which can be put forward to the CRC and, from there, to the negotiating team. In this vein, it was suggested that Stewards' Council should spend some time exploring and analysing Article 18.08, in order to be better able to lead discussions in their units. It was also suggested that the Chief Stewards e-mail information to all stewards about those Article in the Collective Agreement which have implications for workload.
Fourth, the newspaper "Critical Times" can be used as a forum for disseminating information about what's happening in various units. It was suggested that a series of snapshots would be ideal -- with, for example, each snapshot showing how an individual's workload has increased over time. Other snapshots could focus on the problems which YUFA has encountered in addressing the workload escalation, given the limitations of the Collective Agreement and the ability of members to respond to the situation. For this, YUFA needs members to come forward with their "bits of experience."
Fifth, there was concern expressed about the escalating workload of "academic administrators" – that is, those YUFA members who have taken on the chore of being Chairs, Co-ordinators, Directors, heads of areas, and college masters, as per Appendix P of the Collective Agreement. Something, it was suggested, has to be done about delimiting their workload.
After the members of the CRC departed, one of YUFA's Equity Officers provided a brief report, which expressed concern about the application of the affirmative action provisions in the Collective Agreement, about improving our ability to increase the numbers at York of those in the equity-seeking groups (aboriginal peoples, the disAbled, racialised minorities and, in many units, women), and about educating members on the nature, role and operation of the affirmative action provisions in the Collective Agreement.
At that point, time was up and the meeting adjourned. How was the meeting? As one steward out it: "It was really empowering. It was so good to hear about issues which ran across the collegium and it was great to talk about what we can do to help ourselves instead of how we should all work harder, faster and longer."