Where We Are

Since we are nearing the end of the bargaining campaign, I want to touch base with you about something that is MORE IMPORTANT than messages from the administration, from "Veritas" and Ms. Paine, and, yes, even from the Faculty Federation. That message is YOU, specifically your reaction to the campaign rhetoric.

If you have been at the college fewer than twenty-three years, you may not realize that all of the e-mails from the administration, plus their "Facts" sent to your home, are commonplace items in a campaign. Such material has been used in campaigns at Brevard, Broward, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Hillsborough, Indian River, and Pensacola, plus the tiny schools like Edison, Chipola, and North Florida JC.

Management throughout the state uses several key anti-union firms, including the Coffman firm in Jacksonville (one of the milder firms actually). All of the attorneys have files of campaign material to use. Basically, they pull out the folder, change some names or dates, and then bill the schools for $15,000 per month.

I was amused to see that they dug into their file and extracted my old zinger about the faculty senate being the "futility" senate.

So what we're seeing is NORMAL.

In a murder trial, a defense attorney bombards the jury with a bunch of scenarios, some of them wild-eyed. However, if ONE juror buys one of the scenarios, the client wins.

In an election, they are bombarding us with a bunch of claims, hoping to sway a voter here and there.

We know that bargaining is working at the biggest and some of the smallest community colleges in Florida. We know that it works in the State University System. We know that we have NOT had collegiality at FCCJ and that the current system isn't working. We have to do something positive, or we will continue the same old negativity.

We are positioned to win next week, and, if we do, we will win for THE COLLEGE. You and I know that The College means our students and the faculty. Once the campaign rhetoric has dissipated, we know that we will work collegially with our friends in administration.

Howard Denson
Professor - English and Humanities
North Campus