Why Am I Voting "Yes" for Collective Bargaining?

For me it's about respect, being treated as a professional, about my contribution to our students and to the college having value, about my input being welcomed and taken into consideration. Just because the administration says we have shared governance and collegiality does not make it so. Words are just words - actions convey the meaning of the words and our shared governance model is not working. It has become clear over the past several years that the administration is not listening.

Shared governance is a perception without substance. Collegiality is just a concept without mutual respect.

Collective bargaining does not in itself lead to an adversarial relationship, the individuals involved do. The union will negotiate in good faith for all members of the faculty. Collective bargaining means both sides come to the table with the opportunity to truly examine the factual data and work toward an agreement. A negotiated contract eliminates the "misunderstandings" that have occurred in recent years by providing a written contract that all faculty have an opportunity to ratify by their vote.

I urge you to join with me and vote "Yes" to collective collegiality.

Gena Casas
Professor - Computer Information Systems
South Campus