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On the Road*with Christine Maitland Recently, I traveled to Tucson, Arizona to meet with leaders from the Pima Community College Education Association concerned about how to respond to a Board of Governors decision to take away meet-and-confer rights from the faculty. The meet-and-confer procedure, in place since 1982, gave faculty and staff input into decision making about working conditions and wages. The Board's action would eliminate a process that produced "memorandums of understanding" between the faculty and the administration. These were nonbinding agreements, subject to review and final approval by the Board. At the strategy session I attended, an attorney for NEA's Arizona state affiliate told Pima faculty leaders that nothing in the Arizona law prohibits the college from engaging in a reasonable meet and confer process, as long as the Board has the ultimate decision-making responsibility. The Association leaders then decided to work with the union representing Pima support staff to turn out large numbers of supporters at the April Board meeting. That move paid off. Some 800 people turned out to protest against any change that would limit input from faculty and staff. This demonstration of support for the existing meet-and-confer process did make the Board reconsider its decision. The action was put on the next Board meeting for discussion. At this time it looks like the employees will retain their existing rights to meet and confer. For the long term, the Association now plans to field candidates for the Board of Governors, who are elected locally. * —Christine Maitland coordinates NEA higher ed activities. |
