Why Vote Yes?

As the faculty representation election approaches, the opposition to unionization has become more vocal from the administration and the Board. It's an enlightening exercise to examine some of the arguments used by those who would have us vote against union representation.

Collegiality or Not?
 
One of the arguments they offer is (1) FCCJ has operated under a collegial governance system that is threatened by unionization and (2) the union has no power to better conditions for faculty since the administration has the ultimate right to "unilaterally" determine institutional policies and "exercise control" over its organization and services.

In other words, though we supposedly operate in a collegial environment, the administration openly and aggressively advocates its unilateral right to exercise control over the operations of the College. This may reflect the law and the views of the vice president of human resources; but does it reflect (as the latest letter from the Dr. Wallace and the Board states) a "collegial process to which the Board and administration are committed"?

Employee Satisfaction
 
The same letter expresses great concern "about the adverse impact unionization may have on faculty employment satisfaction." It has been noted by others that faculty dissatisfaction and lack of trust and faith in the administration has been documented years ago by independent surveys of "institutional climate."

One may ask what the Board and the administration have done to address the pervasive lack of faculty trust in administration evidenced in the last survey? Is there more trust between faculty and administrators than there was three or four years ago? Are you really better off than you were a few years ago? What have they done to earn our trust when it comes to issues that so directly impact our well being and our professional and academic health?

--ROGER LLOYD, Natural Sciences, South