UFV FACULTY AND STAFF ASSOCIATIONufv-fsa.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/AGM-2010-package-final.pdf · UFV FACULTY AND STAFF ASSOCIATION A N N U A L G E N E R A L M E E T I N G Thursday,

UFV FACULTY AND STAFF ASSOCIATION

A N N U A L

G E N E R A L

M E E T I N G

Thursday, May 6, 2010 10:00am – 12:00pm Abbotsford Campus Theatre

Social to follow

Table of Contents

Page

Agenda ......................................................................................................... 1

Advance Nominations ................................................................................ 2

Minutes of the last AGM - Thursday, April 30, 2009 ................................ 3

Annual Reports:

President ......................................................................................... 11 Faculty Vice-President .................................................................... 15 Staff Vice-President ........................................................................ 15 Contract Chair ............................................................................... 16 Communications Chair .................................................................. 18 Staff Contract Administrator ......................................................... 19 Faculty Contract Administrator ..................................................... 20 Job Classification Audit Committee Co-Chair ............................. 22

FPSE Non-Regular Employees Representative .............................. 23 Occupational Health & Safety Committee Co-Chair ................... 23

Proposed Changes to the Constitution ..................................................... 25 Financial Statements ................................................................................. 38 Nomination Form ...................................................................................... 43

FSA Annual General Meeting May 6, 2010

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University of the Fraser Valley FACULTY & STAFF ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Thursday, May 6, 2010

10:00am – 12:00pm Abbotsford Campus Theatre

AGENDA

1. Call to order 10:00 am

2. Approval of the Agenda 10:05 am

3. Approval of Minutes: AGM, April 30, 2009 10:10 am

4. Annual Reports 10:15 am

5. Constitution Revisions 10:20 am

6. Proposed Budget 2010-2011 10:35 am

7. Nominations for FSA Executive 2010- 2011 11:05 am

8. Presentations by those nominated for election 11:15 am

9. General Discussion - Member Issues 11:30 am

10. Adjournment 11:55 am

NOTE: Voting on the Executive positions (if required), will take place May 11, 12 & 13, 2010.

Refreshments to follow in the Conference Room B121. Management, excluded employees, and retired members

are cordially invited to join members of the FSA.

FSA Annual General Meeting May 6, 2010 - 2 -

ADVANCE NOMINATIONS

FOR EXECUTIVE POSITIONS 2010/2011

At the time of publication, nomination forms have been received from:

Faculty Vice-President - Norm Taylor

Staff Contract Administrator - ______________

Contract Chair - Hilary Turner / Shelley Drysdale

Agreements Chair - ______________

Communications Chair - ______________

JPDC Chair - ______________

OH&S Co-Chair - Kathy Gowdridge

Social Convener - ______________

FPSE Committee Representatives

Status of Women - ______________

Human Rights - ______________

Non-Regular Employees - ______________


UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF THE FRASER VALLEY FACULTY & STAFF ASSOCIATION

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Thursday, April 30, 2009

Chilliwack Campus - Theatre

MINUTES

Present: Carol Abbott, Aileen Ablog, Cathy Anderson, Teresa Arroliga-Piper, Jean Atkinson, Glen Baier, Colleen Bell, Astrid Beugeling, Sandy Bishop, Paula Brennan, Janine Brown, Wendy Burton, Vera Carswell, Sandra Cavan, Karen Chadsey, Adrienne Chan, Jeff Chizma, Shelley Chute, Janie Clark, Virginia Cooke, Tim Cooper, Diane Cruickshank, Christine Dalton, Karen Davies, Susan DeLong, Regina Domisiewicz, Shannon Draney, Debbie Dyck, Shawna Dyck, Scott Fast, Ian Fenwick, Janet Gibson, Kulwant Gill, Kathy Gowdridge, Larry Gritzmaker, Pat Harris, R. Patrick Harrison, Deb Hawkes, Isabel Hay, Carmen Herman, Mark Hoffmann, Myra Hughes, Gail Hull, Fay Hyndman, Christine Jones, Flo Kehler, Martin Kelly, Mandy Klepic, Moira Kloster, Anne Koch, Carol Konkle, Paul Kroeker, Dana Landry, Hongfei Li, Cynthia Loten, Ding Lu, Leona MacDonald, Sandra McGladdery, Curtis Magnuson, Camilo Martinez, Richard Mawson, Shawn Millar, Elaine Newman, Leslie Olsen, Paul Orlowski, Sean Parkinson, June Pitcher, Gayle Ramsden, Anne Russell, Barbara Salingre, Bob Smith, Rhonda Snow, Sandy Tait, Norm Taylor, Shelagh Thomson, Susan Travassos, Hilary Turner, Heidi Tvete, Ruth Vandenbor, Gordon Von Hollen, Michelle Ward, Debbie Wheeler, Glen Whitfield, Brian Wiebe, Julie Williams, Devon Wilson, Lori Wirth, Linda Yamaguchi, Lyle Yolkowski,

Guests: Zoe Towle, FPSE Staff Representative

Regrets: Molly Ungar

_________________________________________________________________________ 1. Call to Order at 2:30 p.m. – Rhonda Snow

Rhonda Snow, FSA President introduced the FSA executive and confirmed that the minimum number of members were in attendance and the 14 days notice of constitution revisions was complied with.

2. Approval of the Agenda – Rhonda Snow

MOTION: S. Chute/B. Smith That the Agenda was adopted as presented. Carried.

3. Approval of Minutes – Rhonda Snow One correction was made to the minutes on page 7 – JPDC - Wendy Burton should read JPDC - Moira Kloster. MOTION: H. Turner/N. Taylor To approve the Annual General Meeting minutes of April 29, 2008 as amended.


Carried.

4. Annual Reports - Rhonda Snow The Annual Reports were distributed in the AGM Package. MOTION: M. Kelly/R. Mawson To accept the Annual Reports as presented. Carried.

5. Constitutional Revisions – Isabel Hay

The Constitution Review Committee (Rhonda Snow, Mark Brosinski and Isabel Hay) met several times over the course of the year to discuss changes and additions. The proposed changes to the FSA Constitution were distributed in the AGM Package (pages 20).

One correction was made: Article 4.3 a) iii and 4.3. b) should have read: 4.2.a.iii and 4.2.b) and was subsequently repeated in the document.

The following five changes were presented. # Article Current Wording Proposed Wording

1 4.1

4.2 a) iii. 4.2 b) 5.6

…The Executive Committee shall consist of: President, the Staff and Faculty Vice Presidents …… Social Committee and the Faculty and Staff Representatives to the University College Council The Job Classification Audit Committee Chairperson shall be elected for a term of three years, and the Faculty and Staff Representatives to the UCC shall be elected for a term of two years; and Ultimate authority over the election and term of office for the Faculty and Staff Representative to the University College Council resides with the Registrar of the University College. Duties of the Faculty and Staff Representatives to the University Senate (formerly UCC Reps): The Faculty and Staff Representatives shall attend meetings of the University Senate as representatives of the Association. They shall report regularly to the Executive Committee on the proceedings of the University Senate.

…The Executive Committee shall consist of: President, the Staff and Faculty Vice Presidents … Social Committee. The Job Classification Audit Committee Chairperson shall be elected for a term of three years. Remove the entire section 4.2.b) Remove entire section 5.6

Rationale: Due to the change in legislation, remove all references to UCC 2 4.5 The Executive Committee may meet The Executive Committee may


# Article Current Wording Proposed Wording

together at such places as it sees fit for the dispatch of business, adjourn, and otherwise regulate its meetings and proceedings as the committee sees fit. Notwithstanding the generality of the foregoing, the President shall call meetings of the Executive Committee as required and at least quarterly, and in addition must call a meeting upon receipt of a request in writing signed by no less than three members of the committee requiring that meeting be held.

meet at such places as it sees fit for the dispatch of business. A quorum for the executive meeting shall be a simple majority of executive members. The President shall call meetings of the Executive Committee as required and at least quarterly. In addition, the President must call a meeting upon receipt of a request in writing by no less than three members of the committee requiring that a meeting be held.

Rationale: To simplify the language and clarify a quorum for executive meetings. 3 5.2 Duties of the President . . .

The President is expected to attend all Federation of Post Secondary Educators (FPSE) Executive meetings and will allocate other FPSE duties and responsibilities as required

Duties of the President . . . The President is expected to attend all UFV Board of Governors meetings, Labour and Management committee meetings, Federation of Post Secondary Educators (FPSE) Presidents’ Council meetings and will allocate other FPSE duties and responsibilities as required

Rationale: List of meetings was incomplete. 4 5.5. a) The Secretary-Treasurer shall be the Chief

Financial Officer of the Association. Any two of the Secretary-Treasurer, President, or a third person named by the Executive Committee each year shall be signing officers for all cheques drawn on the Association’s accounts.

The Secretary-Treasurer shall be the Chief Financial Officer of the Association. All cheques drawn on the Association's accounts will be signed by the Secretary-Treasurer and the President or by two of four signing officers with one signor being either the Secretary-Treasurer or the President. The two additional signors are named as signing officers by the Executive Committee.

Rationale: To provide greater flexibility for cheque signing. 5 5.7 b) Last sentence:

The Contract Committee shall include the Faculty and Staff Vice Presidents and other such members as the Contract Chair and/or Executive Committee deem appropriate.

Last sentence: In addition to the contract chair, the contract committee shall ordinarily include the Faculty and Staff Vice-Presidents, Faculty and


# Article Current Wording Proposed Wording

Staff Contract Administrators, and one representative of non-regular employees, and other such members as the contract chair and executive committee deem appropriate.

Rationale: To ensure the contract chair and the executive committee work collaboratively. MOTION: V. Cooke/I Fenwick

“To accept the Constitutional changes as presented." Carried.

6. Secretary-Treasurer’s Report and Proposed Budget for 2009/2010

a. Review Engagement

The fiscal year end for the FSA is March 31. The financial statements for 2007/2008 were reviewed by Hanna Barton & Company Ltd. in June 2008. The review engagement report and 2007/2008 Financial statements were printed in the first edition of Words & Visions following the return to work in September. MOTION: S. Chute/G. Whitfield That the membership receive as presented the 2007/2008 Review Engagement Report which has been independently reviewed by Hanna Barton & Company Ltd. Carried.

b. Secretary Treasurer’s Report Mark Brosinski presented his report to the membership and spoke to variances noted in the 2008/2009 Year End Budget to Actual Table. (see attached)

Key points Included: • Higher than expected membership dues collected, partially offset by related FPSE fees. • Savings in communications due to reduced website maintenance costs and increased use of

electronic communications rather than print material. • Savings in executive release costs • Increased costs in office supplies due to name change and shop steward restructuring. • Over in office staff costs due to miscalculation. • There was a year end surplus of $28,269 • FSA investment portfolio has been affected by the market down turn, but is well diversified

and will likely recover as the market does.

MOTION: T. Cooper/S. Parkinson

That the FSA accept the 2009 Secretary-Treasurers Report. Carried.

c. Year-end Review

The Year-end review engagement will be conducted in June, with the results back to us over the


summer. They will then be printed in the first edition of Words & Vision following the return to work in September.

MOTION: S. Fast/D. Dyck That the FSA appoint the firm of Hanna Barton & Company LLP for the 2008/09 Review Engagement." Carried.

d. 2009-2010 Proposed Budget

Mark Brosinski presented the proposed budget for 2009-2010 and spoke to some of the Changes including a dues increase. Scott Fast spoke to the history of what the FSA dues rate has been and the need to increase them this year. Key point included: • The proposed 09/10 budget contained some increases in costs –

o Additional part-time assistance for the FSA office as the FSA administrative staff has decreased from 1.7 FTE to 1.3 FTE over the past few years despite the continued growth of UFV.

o A recommendation to increase the release time for the Contract Chair from two releases to five releases

o An increase in FPSE fees from .85% of gross salaries to .90% o An increase in FSA dues from 1.35% to 1.5%; other institutions pay between 1.35% and

3.4% • A comparison of the 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 executive release structure was shown to the

membership with an increase to the number of releases for the Contract Chair as we enter our bargaining year.

• The Fitness Challenge donation was reduced $4000 down to $2000 in order to sponsor a wider array of events. This year the FSA will donate to the golf tournament.

• Other budget lines were reduced to more closely reflect actual cost activity. A question was raised as to what would happen if we did not raise the dues. It was explained that we would be left with close to a $50,000 deficit.

MOTION: M. Kelly/A. Beguiling To accept the proposed budget for 2009/2010. (Table 2). Carried. 3 opposed - - - - - - - - -

At this point in the meeting, Rhonda Snow thanked a number of individuals who have worked hard over the past year, but will no longer be on our executive.

Mark Brosinski - Secretary-Treasurer

Over the course of the year, Mark has been instrumental in putting a variety of policies into place. He has helped the executive be more aware of being accountable.

Kathy Doddridge - UCC Staff Representative


Unfortunately, with the new University Act, there is no place for FSA representation on the Senate.

Glenn Whitfield - OH&S Co-Chair

Thanks go to Glen Whitfield who has been on the committee for the past year.

Bob Smith – UCC Faculty Representative

Bob Smith has been our UCC Faculty Rep. Rhonda worked with Bob on the Instructional Complaint Policy.

Scott Fast spoke to the membership about Bob and commented that if we had a lifetime service award; Bob would be one of the candidates. Bob and Scott have worked together for over 30 years.

7. Nominations for FSA Executive 2009-2010

Rhonda handed the meeting over to Scott Fast. Scott announced that a number of people had previously indicated that they were willing to stand for election. President: Rhonda Snow (acclaimed) Faculty VP Molly Ungar (acclaimed) Staff VP Isabel Hay (acclaimed) Secretary-Treasurer Sean Parkinson (acclaimed) Contract Chair Virginia Cooke (acclaimed) Communications Chair Hilary Turner (acclaimed) Faculty Contract Administrator: Curtis Magnuson (acclaimed) Staff Contract Administrator Heidi Tvete (acclaimed) Agreements Chair Wendy Burton (acclaimed) JPDC Co-Chair Moira Kloster (acclaimed) OH&S Co-Chair Kathy Gowdridge (acclaimed) Social Committee Chair: Mandy Klepic (acclaimed) FPSE Rep. - Status of Women Lori Wirth (acclaimed) FPSE Rep. - Human Rights Kulwant Gill (acclaimed) FPSE Rep. - Non-Regular Employees Jeff Chizma (acclaimed) After calling for nominations from the floor three times, Scott announced that all positions were acclaimed; therefore elections will not be necessary.

8. Presentations by Those Nominated for Election - none.

9. General Discussion – Member Issues

a. Consultation and Communication Issues

Rhonda reported on the major issue of consultation and communication that was raised at last year’s EGM. Since that meeting last March, the following has occurred. • President’s Q&A • Regular Labour and Management meetings discussing current issues • Joint Committees – regular meetings with FSA and Management


(eg. Rank and Tenure) • Forums – Budget Forum, forums on increased representation of faculty on Senate

b. Staff Representation on Senate

There are two support staff currently on the Senate - Mark Brosinski and Leanne Tielmann. Although Isabel Hay and Mark Brosinski opened a discussion online and held meetings for staff on senate representation, they received little interest in this issue. Members were reminded that the senate meetings are open and anyone can attend. Curtis Magnuson is a faculty representative and he and the other faculty representatives will keep us informed.

c. Workload Issues

A concern was raised regarding the increasing workload. With the current economy, student enrolment is increasing and this creates an increase in workload. It was reported that 14 staff and 22 faculty will be hired in the next year, although the FSA recognizes that this is only a beginning.

d. FPSE Representation

Rhonda introduced Zoe Towle, our FPSE Staff Representative, to the membership.

e. Chilliwack Campus A concern was raised about the deteriorating condition and the future of the Chilliwack Campus.

Members asked if there was anything the FSA could do. Members felt the move from Abbotsford to the Trades and Technology Centre could have been planned better and do not want to see the same procedures repeated with the move from Chilliwack to the Trades and Technology Centre.

Members were advised to go to the UFV Facilities webpage for updates of campus planning and

projected projects for next fall and next summer. Wendy Burton reported that a series of informal meetings being held in Chilliwack to address these concerns could include the FSA and become increasingly formal if necessary.

f. Letters of Expectation Rhonda reported that the Letters of Expectation expired on March 31, 2009 and we will not get

new ones until after the provincial election. g. Timeline for Bargaining Virginia Cooke, Contract Chair, was asked about the timeline for bargaining.

In brief: • Informal Bargaining Meeting were started in April for both staff and faculty. • In May, the plan is to meet with Instructional Faculty, Staff, Faculty, Trades. • By Fall 2009 a survey of the important issues will be sent to the membership. • The joint committee meetings on Rank and Tenure will be on-going.


• Virginia is responsible for keeping members up to date; updates will be posted regularly on the FSA website – www.ufv-fsa.ca

h. Possible Cutbacks Members in the Biology department were told to expect cutbacks in their area, and the member

questioned whether the FSA had information about these cutbacks. The FSA did not have information about these plans, but did express interest in following up with the department. In contrast to this, Rhonda reported that not only were there going to be new hires but also that President Bassford recently reported that $1.6 million of the funding clawed back last year was returned to the University. The budget presented to the FSA was made prior to receiving the $1.6 million; consequently, the FSA will request the revised budget based on the new funding be made available publicly. It was suggested that we request a forum with President Bassford to go over the budget.

MOTION: I. Fenwick/L. Gritzmaker That the FSA request a forum both in Chilliwack and Abbotsford to look at the new budget. Carried.

10. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 4:25 p.m. and the membership joined the executive for a social event in the

foyer outside the theatre.


ANNUAL REPORTS

President The Year in Review

This past year as President of the FSA has been remarkable. It is a challenge to preside over such a diverse membership. Where other post-secondary institutions in BC have at least two unions, and many have three, we have one that includes just about everyone. This has been our strength in the past, yet this year it has presented some challenges for the FSA Executive. Ever since the announcement that we were now a university, faculty issues have been the focus of much of our work. As President of the Faculty and Staff Association, I am concerned our staff members may be left wondering what work we are doing on their behalf. Staff reps, Heidi and Isabel, and Hilary, our current Contract Chair, have been working together to let you know that we are thinking of you as we work on changes to the Collective Agreement that will improve your working conditions. I’m also concerned that our sessional faculty, who comprise 45% of our dues-paying faculty members, may wonder why they pay dues to a union that provides them so little protection—for example, that puts people who no longer pay dues to the union ahead of them in the line up for work. We are trying to correct these sorts of anomalies through negotiations for an improved Agreement. And I am also concerned that we have full time faculty divided on the issue of ranking. While some are anxious to be ranked at any cost, it seems, others have expressed a wish to avoid it at all costs. I often wonder how former FSA Presidents spent their time when agendas were free of issues related to our transition to university status, and to bargaining. It seems that these and related issues have occupied my every working hour for the last two years. There is a lot to know in this job, and the duty to be informed and to keep you informed is crucial. I have been fortunate in this position to have an Executive that supports the principles of the union, namely, equal and fair treatment for all. We recognize that our job is to protect your rights, and, if necessary, to fight to preserve previously negotiated benefits, and to ensure that you are not led into agreements that promise immediate gain at the expense of future losses. Bargaining

The single most important thing we have done this year is our preparations for bargaining. We served notice to open negotiations with the Employer on March 29th. Over the past year, we have met with many staff and faculty members to discuss the major issues (e.g., workload and compensation) and to identify others that may be of concern to you. I regret that the Bargaining Survey was circulated without questions for faculty on tenure and ranking. We had hoped to invite your views on these important matters at a later date, and still plan to do so. Be that as it may, it is clear that our single most important issue is workload. (It is also interesting that the Employer circulated a workload survey conducted by a member of the Employer’s Bargaining Committee, Betty Poetker. Obviously, workload has been identified as an important issue on both sides of the bargaining table.)

There have been several FPSE-sponsored conferences on bargaining which have featured invited speakers from CAUT. One covered the impact of Bill 34 (University Amendment Act) on collegial governance. The keynote speaker, Doug Lorimer of the CAUT Collective Bargaining and Economic Benefits committee spoke on the role of the collective agreement in protecting collegial governance at the new universities. Lorimer’s main point was that academic issues are collective agreement issues. He advised that we negotiate all aspects of our working environment and made several suggestions for protecting the role of faculty through the Collective Agreement. In an academic work environment, procedures for promotion, evaluation, discipline, appointments, selections, committee structure, and rights to appeal should be covered by the Collective Agreement to ensure these processes are fair and enforceable. In another FPSE sponsored bargaining conference, the CAUT speaker discussed bargaining in the context of being a new university. He presented a comparison of many institutions across Canada with regard to salary, workload, ranking, and tenure. We are in a unique situation because we are governed by legislation that is specific to the new special purpose, teaching universities. This legislation has made it clear that research is not a regular duty of faculty


at UFV or at any of the new teaching Universities. The Ministry will not provide resources to fund research, nor will they provide resources to support the infrastructure commonly available for research at universities. They will permit faculty to engage in applied research related to teaching from time to time, but only if and when they have the resources. This is why we need to try especially hard get the best of what all universities have in their Collective Agreements – academic freedom and the tenure that protects it.

What have we done for you in this last year?

Instructional Complaint and Academic Appeals Policies.

We worked to expunge the instructional complaint policy. Faculty members will no longer find themselves engaged with students in an unproductive and unpleasant process over instructor duties and responsibilities, which do not relate to students’ academic standing. We are also working on the language and procedures of the Academic Appeals policy to ensure it is fair to both students and faculty members. Evaluations – staff and probationary faculty.

We cooperated with Management in a survey to assess the effectiveness of the two- year process used to evaluate our probationary faculty members -- the Individual’s Probationary Evaluation Committee (IPEC). As a result of this assessment, changes have been made to the IPEC process to provide training for committee members, and a more collegial and supportive experience for new faculty members. We are involved with the employer in discussions on the evaluation of staff. Some of the evaluation measures and procedures in use are problematic. We need to consider the purpose of these evaluations and the appropriateness of these measures and methods. Heidi Tvete, our staff Contract administrator is actively involved in this committee. Criteria for Exclusion.

The union executive and Management are in discussions on the exclusion of directors and managers. The FSA continues to insist that the criteria for exclusion be included in the Collective Agreement and then broadly applied. Faculty Ratio Target Levels (see Article 12.9.a.i)

We have spent much effort and time working with the Employer to bring them into compliance with this Article in the Collective Agreement. With the removal of Regularization language from our Agreement, this Article is the closest thing we have to language that protects our part time and sessional instructors. Last summer, Curtis Magnuson, our Faculty Contract Administrator and I requested that the Employer increase the workload of our regular part time instructors to full or near full time work. This effort did improve the status of at least 13 of our long time faculty members, but did little to bring the Employer into compliance with the article, where the agreement and the remedy are both clearly stated. The Employer has committed in the Collective Agreement to fix any violation of this Article by increasing the number of full time B positions required to bring the percentage of non-regular instructors to a maximum of 25%. In December 2009, the FSA Executive voted unanimously to bring a grievance against the employer if they continued to violate the agreement. It is unfortunate that the UFV Budget proposal did not attempt to address this violation through a plan to increase faculty positions – instead, Senior Management opted to allocate $460,000 to increase Management positions. It was disappointing to find that the Employer was willing to disregard an agreement they had previously negotiated with the union.

Training and Development Fund.

The Employer also withheld the $700.00 training and development top up for top-of-scale faculty. Although we have entered into bargaining with the Employer, the Collective Agreement is in full force and effect until renegotiated. It was therefore unexpected that the Employer would reduce the income of faculty without notice to the FSA. The FSA Executive acted quickly to file a policy grievance on behalf of our members. Without this top up, our faculty salaries are below that of many of the other institutions in BC that opted to add a 2% stipend to increase the top step of the salary scale.


College Pension Plan

In late October, the FSA executive invited Weldon Cowan, Pension Trustee and FPSE Staff Representative to present information on how the Inflation Adjustment Account and Post-Retirement Benefits of the College Pension Plan are funded. Recently, FPSE sent some good news with regard to this round of bargaining: the Employer will be increasing their contributions to the College Pension Plan. Lobby of Legislature

In late October, Presidents Council of FPSE travelled to Victoria to lobby the legislature. While there, we visited Liberal MLAs to discuss two documents: one from the Policy Table (comprised of people from the Ministry, presidents of universities; FPSE, and BCGEU) that discusses collaborations between institutions, and between institutions and community groups. UFV is involved in several collaborations of both types. The document addresses the goals of, and barriers to, collaborations. The writers recommend that additional resources be allocated to those involved in collaborations in order to foster and support them. The second document was an IPSOS Reid poll that found 86% of people polled were in favour of the government investing money in post secondary education at this time. Chandigarh, India

In November we asked for and received an opportunity to meet with DJ Sandhu, Eric Davis, and Robert Buchan to discuss the current status of the UFV business program in India. The executive of the FSA has an interest in the working conditions of faculty hired to teach in Chandigarh, the role of UFV departments in hiring faculty for the Chandigarh program, and the role of the Senate in reviewing the program. Many of the questions that were asked received tentative answers, due in part, to the changing nature of this project. Although this project is still costing the University money, we were assured that this would either turn around in the next year or two or that the project will take a new direction. Rank and Tenure Discussions

In November the Joint Labour and Management subcommittee on Rank and Tenure met to finalize a discussion paper on rank and tenure at UFV. This document was intended to act as a springboard for further discussions. And yet, as the work progressed, it became increasingly clear that the committee’s objective was changing from developing tentative proposals of possible systems to developing ‘the only system’ possible. That this became a contentious issue is not surprising. The union and the Employer have different interests – the union sets out to protect your rights and ensure that your workload is not increased without compensation, that your salary is not affected by implementing ranking, and that you do not lose your status now or in the future. On the other hand, the Employer aims to increase productivity and accountability. And in the end, while we may both agree that ranking is desired by our faculty, the FSA position is that any processes developed to set the general criteria for promotion decisions regarding tenure and rank will be governed by language in the Collective Agreement, and that decisions arising from these processes will be subject to appeal. My participation in FPSE Presidents Council has made me abundantly aware that rank and tenure has been a divisive issue at all the “new” special purpose, teaching universities. At VIU, formerly Malaspina, the faculty voted 88% against the ranking of faculty. Nevertheless, their Employer is trying to introduce the idea of ranking as part of an academic plan. It is not surprising that the strongest advocates for introducing a competitive system of ranking and promotion are the Employers. A similar situation exists at Kwantlen where the faculty voted in opposition to ranking while the Employer pushes for it. We should also learn from those who chose to adopt ranking before becoming universities – e.g., TRU and Emily Carr. Both have had to deal with a host of problems we should take care to avoid. The introduction of a new system of categorizing employees with new criteria (i.e. research and publication) is inevitably difficult because it represents an adjustment in the nature and quantity of work expected. At Emily Carr,


faculty members have found their workload increased by the expectation that they engage in research -- this is work added on to their duties and for which they are not compensated. At both TRU and Emily Carr, the initial claim was that ranking would NOT be tied to salary. To quote the past Contract Chair at TRU: “Never say Never”. Despite the claims of the Faculty Association and the Employer at TRU, rank was eventually tied to salary. At Emily Carr, the only faculty members who can access a special pool of money are the full professors, making it beneficial for them, but not for those trying to move up the ladder. The important implications of adopting ranking – workload, salary, measures of accountability -- affect both the Employer and the FSA membership. It is the Collective Agreement between these two groups that describes the “terms and conditions of employment”. This makes it of the utmost importance that collective agreement language on rank and tenure be crafted carefully, with maximum input from all members on the faculty side of the FSA The Joint Labour and Management Committee on Ranking and Tenure did its primary job well: it educated faculty on a possible system of ranking and of tenure, and it produced a report with credible recommendations for faculty to consider when weighing in on whether we’d like to adopt such a system. However, this is not the only system available. It is different from the one adopted by TRU (which grand-parented faculty in as Assistant Professors), and from the one adopted by Emily Carr (which grand-parented faculty in as Associate Professors), and from the one adopted by Ryerson (which grand-parented faculty in as Full Professors). We need to consider not only other possibilities, but also the consequences, short and long term, of each decision we make. It is unfortunate that some of the members of this joint committee were under the impression that they were in the midst of bargaining an agreement for us. This misunderstanding never came to light, because of the ad hoc nature of the committee – this committee operated without terms of reference, and more importantly, without a mandate from the membership. In fact, there is no such thing as a Labour and Management Committee that has the right to bargain for the membership. Instead, we have a working FSA bargaining committee that meets with the bargaining committee of the Employer. It is only after a full discussion of the many issues before them, including workload, measures of accountability, and legitimate criteria for promotion and job security, that they negotiate and then present to us the best they believe they can achieve for us. Then we, the members, ratify the deal. It is perhaps more unfortunate that this difference of opinion on the authority of such committees led to the resignation of three valued members of the FSA executive. I can only express my regrets, but I do maintain that the task of bargaining the terms and conditions of employment rests with the FSA, the sole bargaining agent for faculty and staff at this institution. It rests with the FSA to poll its members, and to faithfully abide by the considered wishes of the majority. My final, and perhaps most important task as President this year is to oversee a vote, conducted by secret ballot, on the issue of rank, to inform members of the results of that vote, and to help the bargaining team in implementing into the Collective Agreement the clearest language and the best protections on this issue that we can devise. In closing I would like to thank our FSA Executive for staying strong and committed to the principles of fairness, due process, and open and honest communications. We are lucky to have such knowledgeable and other-serving people working for us. I would also like to thank Hilary Turner, Molly Ungar, Sean Parkinson, Curtis Magnuson, Heidi Tvete, Isabel Hay, and Jeff Chizma of the Bargaining Committee for the courage and conviction they have shown. They have been the most excellent of colleagues and friends, and have been conscientious and diligent in ensuring that your needs will be addressed in the next collective agreement. Many thanks also to all of you who have supported the work we do on your behalf. Bargaining times are difficult times, and sometimes they are divisive times when different groups want different things, but they are also times when we have a chance to improve the working conditions for all of us -- your bargaining team can only accomplish these goals with your support.

In solidarity, Rhonda Snow


Faculty Vice-President

It has been a privilege to have filled the position of V.P. Faculty Representative to the FSA during the 2009 - 2010 academic year. In this time I have participated in monthly FSA Executive meetings, bi-weekly Bargaining Committee Meetings, as well as Contract Committee Meetings and Finance Committee Meetings.

I have made myself available to any department wishing to have me make a brief presentation at their departmental meeting, and have visited a number of departments to learn about their concerns and hear their questions. As part of my offer to write a history of the FSA, I have met with and corresponded with some individuals who constitute the "institutional memory" of the FSA, and whose insights and observations will help me understand the journey of this organization from its beginnings in 1974 to today. I will continue to work on the story of the FSA after my mandate on the Executive ends, and on a volunteer basis. I invite anyone who is willing to share their part of the FSA's past to please contact me.

I would also urge all members of the FSA to become involved in your Association. Offer to fill a position on the Executive, become cognizant of the agreements that govern our professional lives, and participate in the processes through which we grow and change.

Molly Ungar

Staff Vice-President Here I am, sitting in a classroom supervising exams and trying to type without making too much noise. It is that time of year again and even though I am not an Instructor, a big part of my job is to support students with exams, along with all of the other accommodations that are required. This means today I type quietly, reflect on that past year, and stay put for hours (four and a half to be precise). Going backwards through the year is always tough for me, I hardly can remember what I did yesterday let alone a year ago but I shall give it a whirl. Last AGM time had me desperately cheering on the Canucks and we all know how that went –Sigh- and here I am again one year later still waiting for the Cup to come our way. The very day I finished the second course of a Masters’ program, I was off to the FPSE AGM in Victoria from May 19 to 22, 2009. This AGM, for those not familiar, is a larger version of our own in terms of reviewing the budget and auditors’ statements, establishing the new executive, following up on business from the past year, constitutional changes and the like. In addition to these very exciting and mentally stimulating sessions I also attended the following workshops:

• Bargaining models for changing times. Presented by: Sheldon Clare, Vice-President, Faculty Association of the College of New Caledonia and Frank Cosco, President, Vancouver Community College Faculty Association

• The trouble with the news media. Presented by: Ross Howard, Journalism Instructor, Langara College With the FPSE AGM done, it was time for our own retreat. Actually it was not a retreat but rather a two-day set of meetings where we tied up loose ends for the outgoing executive members and welcomed the new members. Our focus was mainly on what the priorities would be for the upcoming year, which was mainly bargaining preparations. Ah bargaining, now this is the real meat and potatoes (or tofu if you’re a vegetarian) of how I have spent my year. In my last Words and Vision report I outlined some of the articles that I have been working on and to my delight, I


have received some emails about other articles that seem to be problematic for staff. Those have now been added to my growing list, I am also using the data from the survey we did to guide my bargaining proposals. Other work this year, has consisted of working with members who needed clarification on such issues as working conditions/allocation of hours/changes to shifts, statutory holiday pay for Type A less than 100% folks, vacation carry-over, and PD application approvals. In my not so humble opinion, many of these concerns would be easily addressed with clearer contract language. Quite honestly, if a member cannot understand what our collective agreement says on a particular issue, then we need to fix it, and if an issue is not addressed at all in the Collective Agreement, then perhaps it should be. After all, we all have to live with it, so let’s make it a good one. In solidarity, Isabel Hay

Contract Chair No doubt you are anxious about how collective bargaining is to proceed with success given my resignation as Contract Chair (along with those of the Agreement Chair and the Past President). I will comment on that later, but first let me reassure you that all year the Contract Committee has been operating as a committee, and not dependent upon a single person. Hilary Turner has temporarily assumed the role of Contract Chair. She has been at every committee meeting, has been instrumental in drafting language for many of the proposals we prepared, attended, along with me, a CAUT conference in Ottawa on bargaining faculty workloads, and as Communications Chair, has kept up with the issues. Further, when I resigned, I offered to work with my replacement to make certain that information, suggestions and emails from the members, and material that I had prepared did not fall through the cracks. I will briefly summarize the work of the committee over the year. As a result of staff and faculty bargaining forums and many suggestions received, we prepared a Bargaining Survey, which was sent out to all FSA members in November. The results of the survey guided the committee in establishing our priorities for bargaining. Committee members, throughout the year, have been reviewing the contract to assess the need for clarification, revisions, and new clauses. The committee met every other week to draft language that could be taken to the bargaining table. Sometimes this was relatively uncomplicated; for example, it is not difficult to come up with a proposal for tuition-free courses for dependants of employees, not subject to “free spaces” in classes. The trick will be in bargaining that item. Sometimes the language can be extremely complex, as, for example, posing a whole new way of describing and assigning faculty workloads. Here is a sample of proposals we worked on over the last four months:

Free tuition for employee dependants in all but cost-recover programs, not subject to “empty seats” or particular programs

Evaluation—to bring the contract in line with practice

Timely job descriptions for staff (within three months of the starting date)

New clause requiring the assessment of staffing needs when significant work is added to an area


Academic freedom: revision, updating and expansion of current clause

Intellectual property: our current clause on copyright is hopelessly outdated

Additional vacation days for staff

Footwear allowance for janitorial staff

Seniority: clarification that no one can accumulate more than a year’s seniority within a twelve-month

period

More flexible use of health benefits

Sabbatical leaves for faculty, changing from one semester to a full year

Introduction of 50% or greater limited-term appointments with access to benefits and tied to the R faculty scale

Requirement that sessional sections be “clustered” when possible into limited terms appointments

Movement of the rights of sessionals to available work ahead of 2nd and 3rd overloads for Type B faculty

Definition and clarification of “non-teaching” (proposed “Professional”) faculty

Movement forward of starting day for pension contributions of staff

Workload: As this was the top priority for faculty, a revisioning of the way the assignment of faculty work is

arrived at

As you can see, no one has remained idle, and we have tried to reflect as precisely as possible the priorities that emerged from the bargaining survey. In addition to the Contract Committee work, I co-chaired the Joint Committee on Rank and Tenure, which has taken an enormous amount of time, given the wide consultation and the writing involved. I, at least, had release time from teaching; Wendy and Scott served in this time-consuming work as a generous contribution to the membership. Not everything has gone as I might have liked. I would have preferred to begin bargaining in February, but others on the executive felt that we should be more in line in our timing with other FPSE institutions in the province. As there was so much work to do in preparation, with so many complex issues for this round, I didn’t protest too loudly. However, it is the first time we haven’t had a new agreement ready for ratification by the Annual General Meeting. And I’ve always liked feeling rather smug that we were settled while others were still struggling. Bargaining will be tough because the government bodies will scrutinize everything we do to see that it falls within their financial restrictions, and they look for the cost implications in everything. FPSE, which handles the central bargaining, is certainly bracing for a showdown. I have worked extremely hard over the year to represent the interests of faculty and staff, and as always, it has been a privilege to work with so many of you. I deeply regret that I felt unable to carry out the final two months of my term, and am sorry if you feel that I have let you down. A full account of the reasons for my resignation can be found on the recently established FSA discussion website, posted as a communication from Wendy Burton, Scott


Fast and me. Although the context for this communication is the Rank and Tenure committee, the chief concerns expressed apply to all joint committees, and to the kind of atmosphere the union wishes to create at UFV during this critical period. After consulting widely with faculty through their submissions and in forums and conversations, because of an FSA executive decision, I found myself in the untenable position of not being able to keep my word to the membership. Such a compromise of my credibility would have, in my opinion, severely damaged our union’s position in bargaining. Further, similar miscommunication between the Contract Chair and President could have disastrous consequences for collective bargaining. I felt that the only honest choice was for me to resign. We have prided ourselves on being different from the more belligerent unions in the province, not as a sign of weakness, but in the spirit of working together as staff and faculty, and working with administration to solve the problems that face us. That hasn’t meant that we couldn’t be tough in insisting on our own interests, and standing up to management. My greatest worry is that this year we have created an internal climate that will not foster our interests in collective bargaining. You can’t imagine how many times during the last month I have wished for Kevin Busswood, whose unfailing sense of humour might have allowed us to see ourselves with more clarity. It will be up to you—the faculty and staff—to insist that your executive not lose sight of the real needs of all its members, and continue to work within a context of institutional cooperation, which has always served us well. Additionally, we all need well thought-out and straightforward approaches coupled with strong bargaining positions. Thank you again for your support. Although I will be on the sidelines, I will offer all the help I can. Respectfully submitted, Virginia Cooke, former Contract Chair

Communications Chair Again this year, the second in my two-year term as Communications Chair, I edited four issues of the FSA newsletter, Words and Vision. Much of the content this year was dedicated to preparations for collective bargaining, which is now upon us. This, of course, is a game with many players—the FSA, our partner associations under the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators (FPSE), the UFV administration, and their overseers in the Post-Secondary Employers Association (PSEA). It is important to recognize that bargaining represents the clash of different interests. Sometimes it goes smoothly, and sometimes it does not. The mere fact that it has not gone as smoothly this year as in previous years at this institution is not cause for general concern, nor does it mean that the process is not working. Rather, we are seeing an indication that the stakes are higher than usual this year, not only for us at UFV, but province-wide. My editorials over the past eight months, which I took great pleasure in writing, provide a few snapshots of moves in the bargaining process. Looking back, I find that in September (as I looked forward to “an interesting year”), I wrote about the importance of research, especially in smaller institutions like our own. I was protesting what seemed a precipitous move by larger research-intensive institutions to make a plea for a disproportionate share of the available funding. The December issue found me tapping my foot impatiently while everyone, seemingly, waited—we were waiting for a provincial budget, waiting for a signal from FPSE, waiting for the results of our own bargaining survey, waiting for a response from membership to the latest draft of the report of the Joint Committee on Rank and Tenure. In the February issue, while these responses were being heard, I was worrying about a potential fracas on the subject of rank. Then we had one. My April column finds me trying (not very successfully) to quell it. Stepping back from these matters, I notice two things. First, although the FSA is an association of faculty and staff,


the needs of faculty have utterly dominated discussions this year. This is unfortunate, and I offer my personal apology to staff, and my thanks for their exemplary patience. Secondly, I notice that the interrelated subjects of research, rank, title, and tenure are directly connected to the process by which we are becoming a university. Institutional change, as everyone knows, is slow and cumbersome. It requires cooperation at a good many levels of interaction. And although individuals and personalities do contribute to it, the process is not about individuals and personalities. Any good union understands this, and the FSA is a good union. It is dedicated dispassionately to representing the interests of all its members. The unexpected resignation of our Contract Chair in early April left a vacancy that needed to be filled at once. As a member of the bargaining committee since its inception, I expressed my willingness to step into the role of Contract Chair, and was appointed on a temporary basis. In the past few weeks, I have assumed the responsibility of chairing the meetings of that committee, and have sought to fill in some of the gaps in our proposals (particularly where staff issues are concerned). I have also met informally with a representative of the Employer to discuss a time-frame for the bargaining process. As you will see elsewhere in this document (under “Advance Nominations) I would welcome the opportunity to continue in the role of Contract Chair. Despite the unforeseen circumstances that led me to take on the position, I am not entirely unprepared for the responsibilities that go with it. In the early days of my teaching career at McMaster University, I was an area steward for CUPE 3906, and later a member of that local’s executive. Eventually, I acted as co-chief negotiator on a first agreement for McMaster’s Sessional Instructors—a long and edifying process. After moving to this province, I was a member of the TSSU bargaining team at Simon Fraser University, though I moved to another job before that particular round of bargaining actually began. Over the years, I have also benefitted from training workshops sponsored by CUPE, BCGEU, and (most recently) CAUT. With this moderate body of experience behind me, I am reasonably confident that I can continue to perform in the capacity of Contract Chair, should membership direct me to do so. I hope that you will. None of my work could have been done this year without the able assistance of Tanja Rourke, a capable and intelligent layout editor and responsible assistant to the executive as a whole. In solidarity, Hilary Turner

Staff Contract Administrator

Summary of Activities - I have provided a brief summary of some of the activities and duties that have consumed the majority of my time over the past year. I would be more than happy to meet with anyone to give further details as to activities listed below. Committees

• Administration Officers Committee • Executive Officers Committee • Finance & Administration Committee • FPSE Contract Administrators Review Committee • Labor and Management Committee • Evaluation Committee – subcommittee of LAM • Shop Steward Committee • Bargaining Committee

Conferences

• Will be attending FPSE AGM – Harrison Hot Springs, May 2010 • Will be attending FSA Retreat – White Rock, June 2010


Selection Advisory Committees

• Monitored the postings, elections and procedures of many staff hirings as well as observing numerous staff postings through the entire SAC process.

Grievances

• Represented members in the grievance process through to satisfactory resolution of the grievance. Grievances resulted from, but were not limited to, the following:

− terminations − disciplinary actions − unsuccessful probationary periods − unfavorable evaluations − evaluation processes − violations of members’ rights in the collective agreement − unsuccessful internal applicants − harassment complaints − member to member conflict − workload issues − workload allocation − job descriptions

FSA Executive & Office Staff It has been a great honor to work with so many wonderful people on the executive – some of whom I have had the opportunity to work with before and a few who I have had the pleasure of working with for the first time this past year. Thanks to President Rhonda Snow and Faculty Contract Administrator Curtis Magnuson. I spend a lot of time working together with both of them on issues. They bring a lot to these positions and it has been wonderful working with them both over the past few years. In closing I just wanted to thank the members for giving me the opportunity to represent your interests and ensure that your rights under the collective agreement have been respected. At times, it is often difficult work; however, I have found it very meaningful and personally satisfying to have been able to meet and represent so many different members over the past four years.

Respectfully Submitted, Heidi Tvete

Faculty Contract Administrator

The workload has grown exponentially this past year as I have engaged in contract administration on behalf of the University’s more than 600 regular and sessional, teaching and non-teaching faculty members. Highlights of some of my activities during 2009-10 include: Contract Administration & Grievance Handling

• Represented a Professional Studies faculty member for 15 months through a Long Term Disability application. After Manulife approved the claim, the member unsuccessfully attempted to re-enter the workforce. Re-qualification for LTD was complicated by the attempt to re-enter the workforce. Eventually re-approved by Manulife, LTD benefits were paid shortly before the member unexpectedly passed away as a result of complications from the disability


• Represented three faculty members to the Dean of Science through the discipline process: (1) failure to accommodate a student with a disability; (2) student complaints related to instructor effectiveness; (3) conflict with two other department members

• Negotiated improved employment contracts on behalf of 20 less-than-100% regular faculty members • Worked with the Staff Contract Administrator to assist with the reclassification of two Lab Assistants to

Lab Instructors • Filed a grievance on behalf of a non-teaching faculty member through their probationary evaluation. The

employer’s request to extend the member’s probationary period was rescinded after the inclusion of additional survey participants in the member’s evaluation

• Filed a grievance in August 2009 on behalf of a Science sessional instructor who was denied a B faculty position after some members of the Selection Advisory Committee changed their votes after first unanimously recommending the member for hire. The grievance prevailed and the member was offered the position retroactively and at a higher placement on the faculty scale

• Represented a staff member through a formal harassment investigation from initial complaint, investigation, discipline, and negotiated settlement

• Worked with the Dean of Arts to engage in conflict resolution with a Department related to workload allocation in November 2009

• Represented a faculty member on education leave to ensure adequate coverage by replacement faculty was provided during the second semester of the leave in February 2010

• Informally grieved allocation of work on behalf of a less-than-100% faculty member whose contract was not topped up before overloads were assigned. The Dean increased faculty member’s contract by one section in April 2010

• Represented a non-teaching faculty member through the layoff process, which resulted in the member being offered a vacant, probationary teaching faculty position within the same area

• Represented a non-teaching faculty member through the layoff process. The member elected not to exercise bumping rights, resulting in a negotiated severance agreement with the University

• Filed two policy grievances in April 2010: (1) related to the withdrawal of $700 from top of scale faculty members’ Training & Development Allowances; (2) failure by the University to comply with the 75/25 ratio of regular faculty to sessional sections taught. The University has verbally indicated acceptance of the grievance related to the Training & Development Allowance. The 75/25 grievance is unanswered at this time with a suspension of time limits for the grievance mutually agreed to by the Union and the University

Bargaining-Related Activities • Attended regular meetings as a member of the FSA Bargaining Committee and Faculty Workload Sub-

Committee • Rewrote the Collective Agreement Article 7 related to Grievance Procedure as a proposal for 2010

bargaining • Held meetings with Teaching Faculty, Education Advisors, and Counsellors to discuss their upcoming

bargaining issues and proposals • Attended FPSE Bargaining Workshops in September 2009 and January 2010

Occasional Meetings • Attended two meetings of the Fraser Valley Labour Council in June and October 2009 • Attended quarterly meetings between the FSA and the Dean and Director of Trades and Technology in

June, September, and December 2009; and March 2010


• Called for and attended a meeting to establish an Asbestos Protocol for the Trades and Technology Centre in October 2009

• Welcomed two new Shop Stewards (Linda Toews & Carmen Herman) into the FSA and attended FPSE-led Shop Steward Training in May 2009. Quarterly meetings of the FSA shop stewards have now been established

Finance & Administration • Attended monthly meetings of the FSA Finance Committee, Executive Committee, and Labour and

Management (LAM) Committee • Sat on the hiring committees of the two FSA Administrative Assistant positions in Fall 2009 • Member of the Senate Appeals Sub-Committee to revise the University’s Grade Appeal Policy

FPSE-Related Activities • Attended the FPSE Annual General Meeting in Victoria, BC, in May 2009 • Attended the BC Federation of Labour Convention in October 2009 as an FPSE delegate • Attended FPSE Contract and Administration Review Committee (CARC) Meeting in January 2010

Professional Development • Completed a four-day Canadian Labour Congress Union Counselling course in May 2009 • Completed a three-day course Resolving Conflict on the Frontline: Demonstrating Leadership at Work at the

Justice Institute in March 2010 • Completed a two-day course Resolving Conflict in Groups at the Justice Institute in April 2010 • Completing the final assessment for graduation from the Associate Certificate in Workplace Conflict from the

Justice Institute of British Columbia in May 2010

It has been a privilege to serve as your Faculty Contract Administrator these last four years. I have accepted a two-year secondment from my faculty position with the School of Social Work & Human Services to the position of Human Rights & Conflict Resolution Officer for the University, commencing August 1st, 2010. As a result, this will be my last report to the FSA membership. In solidarity, Curtis Magnuson

Job Classification Audit Committee Co-Chair

Another year has passed by very quickly and once again I have enjoyed my time as co-chair on the Job Classification Audit Committee (JCAC). The Committee has been hard at work reviewing current positions as well as newly created positions. A total of 20 current positions have gone through the JCAC process this year and we expect that number to be much higher for next year. An election will be held shortly as we are looking for two more FSA members to join the JCAC due to Committee vacancies.. The Committee involves a large time commitment - it meets twice monthly and its members conduct regular rating interviews. That said, it is interesting! Just a reminder, if you’re thinking of starting the JCAC process and have questions you can email [email protected] or contact me at local 5402 or email [email protected]. If you would like assistance with revising your job description you can contact Catherine Chlebak in Employee Services at local 4302 or email [email protected]. I look forward to working with the JCAC and its new members this coming year.

Shannon Draney


FPSE Non-Regular Employees Representative

This has again been another year of learning for me in terms of the importance of the role that the FSA plays here at the University. It has certainly had its share of ups and downs, but it has overall been a positive experience thanks to the many exceptional individuals who comprise the FSA Executive. We are very fortunate here at UFV to have such a dedicated team of people looking out for the best interests of all faculty and staff, including Non-Regular Employees. Over the past year I have attended many FSA meetings, as well as a FPSE meeting in Vancouver for all the local Non-Regular representatives. I have also become a member of the Bargaining Committee which represents the interests of employees at this University. The Bargaining Committee has been meeting regularly this past semester, and we are making excellent progress as we enter into bargaining with the employer. I had the opportunity to welcome new sessional instructors in September, and was able to answer some of their questions about what to expect here at UFV. I had hoped to hand out the Sessional Handbook that I had been working on over the summer, but unfortunately it was not ready by the time September had rolled around. Many of the concerns raised by incoming sessionals had been addressed in the original draft of the Sessional Handbook, and those that were not have been added to the new draft. I have high hopes that it will be available to incoming sessional instructors for the fall of 2010. The newest numbers issued by administration in February indicates that sessional instructors now comprise 35% of the teaching faculty here at UFV. This is in direct conflict with the numbers agreed to in the present Collective Agreement, and the FSA Executive has taken steps to insure that issue is addressed by management. This is one issue that most Faculty members felt very strongly about on the bargaining survey, and we intend to ensure that the number of sessional instructors is reduced to the required 25%. This will entail opening up new full time positions, hopefully with current sessionals having some degree of priority in filling those positions. The upcoming year should see some positive changes for sessionals here at UFV. The new Collective Agreement will hopefully have been ratified by the time the fall semester begins, and if all goes well, it should include some better language pertaining to sessionals. The Bargaining Committee is hard at work to ensure that this does indeed occur, and we are cautiously optimistic about the outcome. On behalf of the members of the FSA and students here at UFV, I would like to thank all sessionals for their outstanding work here during the past year. Students come to UFV for the excellent teaching, and sessionals have a lot to do with the education they receive. I am fortunate enough to be returning as a member of the physics department for the next year, so perhaps I will have the privilege of representing the Non-Regular Employees for another term. Enjoy your summer, and I hopefully I will see you again in the fall! Jeff Chizma

Occupational Health & Safety Committee Co-Chair

Last year at this time I was persuaded to run for the position of Occupational Health and Safety Co-Chair, and walked into it knowing absolutely nothing. What a huge learning curve! And I can see that I’ve only scratched the surface. Last fall we had a one-day training session which provided an introduction for me and several other new members to OH&S committee responsibilities. But the more I learn, the more I find there is to learn. I’m finding it quite exciting and stimulating, especially now that I have more time to focus on the job. I’m hoping to take a number of additional courses in the coming year or two, such as the week-long courses offered at the CLC Winter School and a whole raft of one-day courses offered through the BC Fed Health & Safety Centre. In the meantime I am deeply indebted to Colleen Olund who served in this capacity for many years and has a wealth of knowledge, history, and understanding which she has very graciously shared.


Holding the OH&S position also meant that I was the FSA rep on a couple of FPSE committees: the Workplace Health Safety and Environment Committee, and the Disability Management and Rehabilitation Committee. These two committees each hold weekend meetings twice during the year. So I’ve been in Vancouver more in the past year than I usually am in four or five years put together. Again, huge learning opportunities. Besides having the chance to interact with representatives from other institutions throughout the province and discuss issues and options, this gives us access to an incredible amount of resource material and advice. Again, I’m just scratching the surface so far, but I’m looking forward to more in the coming year. The more I learn, the more I understand, and the more potential I see for benefiting our members. In February UFV gained a new Manager of Health & Safety, Mo Bual, who is now responsible for all health and safety related matters. This is a major change as, for the first time; there is someone whose sole responsibility is to look after these things, instead of a couple of management people trying to squeeze it in along with all their other responsibilities. We on the committee have been quite encouraged, even excited, by what we have seen so far. Watch for indications that worker health and safety is getting the kind of dedication and focus that it deserves. Besides additional training for the committee, there will be a push to provide training opportunities for all employees, especially for new employees as they come on board. But also watch for some short “lunch and learn” sessions as well as some longer, more involved training sessions focusing on various topics, available to all interested individuals. I do hope you will all take advantage of these opportunities as they are offered. Also, a long-awaited updated Fire Warden system (including appropriate training) should be in place shortly. And the OH&S website will finally be updated over the summer as well, with current information such as who your committee members are and links to all sorts of important information. Let me know what you think, and if there’s something else you’d like to see. One fairly significant change in the last couple of months is that that there are now two fully functional OH&S committees. Previously the Trades & Technology Centre had a safety committee that was a sub-committee of the main one. There is now a separate Canada Education Park committee in addition to the one that meets in Abbotsford. For now, it is primarily focused on the Trades area, but will gradually include the rest of the Chilliwack folks as they all make the move to CEP over the next few years. This means that your OH&S Co-Chair attends the two meetings each month and reports on both to the Executive Committee. Finally, a note that April 28 was the national Day of Mourning, to honour workers who have died or been fatally injured on the job. In BC alone, in 2009, 121 workers made the ultimate sacrifice in the performance of their jobs. Of course it’s not just the 121 workers who were affected -- many family members and friends of these workers have also had their lives irrevocably altered. We are fortunate that we work in what is considered a low-risk environment. Nonetheless, accidents do happen and can happen at any time, anywhere, and to anyone. We often become complacent in the absence of danger, but complacency itself can be dangerous. We should all be aware of our circumstances and surroundings at all times. May you all be safe, and healthy, throughout the coming year.

Kathy Gowdridge


PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE CONSTITUTION The following table sets out some proposed changes to the Constitution for consideration and ratification by the membership. There is nothing radical in these changes; rather, they are an attempt to promote a better understanding of the intent and the processes. Some are simply corrections of things that have slipped through in the past. A Table of Contents has also been added to make it easier to find whatever article you might be looking for. At the same time, we have also taken the opportunity to give the whole document a thorough going-over for general housekeeping items, such as formatting, punctuation, capitalization, and other ongoing inconsistencies. As has been the practice in the past, these minor housekeeping details, which in no way affect the content or intent, have not been included in the table. However, the copy of the Constitution which follows the table was printed with “Track Changes” turned on so you will be able to see everything that has been changed in any way. Please have a look at the proposed changes and give them your careful consideration.

Article Current Wording Proposed Wording

3.5 Voting by proxy will be allowed at a general meeting. If a vote of two-thirds of the members at a general meeting deems it necessary, a mail ballot shall be held:

a) The proxy is not permanent and entitles a member to vote at only one meeting. Adjournment will void the proxy, and

b) The recording secretary of the general meeting has received written notice....

Voting by proxy will be allowed at a general meeting, with the understanding that:

a) The proxy is not permanent and entitles a member to vote at only one meeting. Adjournment will void the proxy, and

b) The recording secretary of the general meeting has received written notice....

3.6 If a vote of two-thirds of the members at a general meeting deems it necessary, a mail ballot shall be held.

3.6 through 3.8 to be renumbered 3.7 through 3.9

Rationale: The 1st sentence refers to proxy voting, and a) and b) following are provisions that must be met for a proxy vote to be valid. The 2nd sentence in 3.5 is not tied to proxy voting at all and should be a separate item, 3.6. This would necessitate renumbering the other three articles.

4.2 a) iii) Executive officers shall be elected... officers of the Executive shall be elected...

Rationale: simple rewording for consistency.

4.5 A quorum for the executive meeting shall be a simple majority of executive members.

A quorum for the Executive meeting shall be a simple majority of seven (7) executive members.



Rationale: Changes last year set a quorum at a simple majority; prior to that no quorum had been defined. However, job obligations of some executive members can, on occasion, make attendance difficult, especially at certain times of the year.

5.4 The Agreements Chair, on the recommendation of the Executive Committee will discharge Letters of Understanding and Letters of Agreement related to the collective agreement.

The Agreements Chair, on the recommendation of the Executive Committee, and where necessary when ratified by the membership, will discharge Letters of Understanding and Letters of Agreement related to the Collective Agreement.

Rationale: for transparency, some things must be approved by the membership before being implemented.

5.6 c) The Contract Committee shall include the Faculty and Staff Vice Presidents and other such members as the Contract Chair and/or Executive Committee deem appropriate.

remove this sentence

Rationale: When changes were made to b) last year regarding composition of the Contract Committee, this sentence was accidentally left in and became c). This resulted in an automatic renumbering of the items following, including an anomaly of two items k). With the sentence removed, items d) through the first k) will then revert back to c) through j). The present second k) will remain k).

5.6 f) [changed to e)]

He/she shall report as required to the Executive members...

He/she shall report as required make regular reports to the Executive members Committee...

Rationale: to clarify that reports are expected on a regular basis, and to maintain consistency in wording throughout the various descriptions of duties.

5.6 g) [changed to f)]

...shall co-chair the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee...

... and shall report as required to the Executive Committee.

...shall co-chair the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee(s)...

... and shall report as required make regular reports to the Executive Committee.

Rationale: to acknowledge that there are now two (2) OH&S committees for which the Co-Chair has responsibility (and to allow for any future changes to that number); also to clarify that reports are expected on a regular basis, and to maintain consistency in wording throughout the various descriptions of duties.

5.6 h) [g)] ...shall report as required to... ...shall make regular reports to...




5.6 i) thru the 1st k) [h) thru j)]

...and report back to the Executive... ...and report back shall make regular reports to the Executive...


5.6 2nd k) Social Convener Chairperson shall chair a committee of faculty and staff to promote social functions within the UFV community. The Social Committee will recommend to the Finance and Administration Committee in respect of social events, venues, and other matters. Financial authority for social events resides with the Finance and Administration Committee. The Chair shall report as required to the Executive Committee.

Social Convener Committee Chairperson shall chair a committee of faculty and staff to promote social functions within the UFV community. The Social Committee will recommend make recommendations to the Finance and Administration Committee in respect of regarding plans and expenditures relating to social events, venues, and other matters. Financial authority for social events resides with the Finance and Administration Committee. Expenditures for social events must be pre-approved by the Finance and Administration Committee. The Social Committee Chairperson shall report as required also make regular reports to the Executive Committee.

Rationale: to more clearly explain the duties of the Social Committee Chairperson, and the process to be followed; also, to clarify that reports are expected on a regular basis, and to maintain consistency in wording throughout the various descriptions of duties.

5.7 It is the expectation that all executive members attend meetings of the executive committee, and submit reports to the Communications Chair for Words & Vision. It is also expected that members attend relevant FPSE committee meetings and report back to the Executive at the next executive meeting.

It is the expectation that all Executive members attend meetings of the Executive meetings committee, and submit reports to the Executive Committee as well as to the Communications Chair for Words & Vision. It is also expected that members attend relevant FPSE committee meetings and report back to the Executive Committee at the next Executive meeting.

Rationale: slight rewording for clarification; also, to reinforce the requirement for members of the Executive to make regular reports to the committee.

5.8 Any member of the Executive Committee not attending meetings regularly enough to carry out his/her duties or not carrying out assigned duties...

Any member of the Executive Committee not attending meetings regularly enough to carry out his/her duties on a regular basis, and/or not carrying out assigned duties...

Rationale: slight rewording for clarification.



6.3 The Association representatives to the Labour and Management Committee (LAM) shall normally consist of the President and Agreements Chair, accompanied by such other Association members as may be needed for the discussion of a particular issue. The LAM Committee shall provide a joint labour management forum for the discussion of emergent issues of mutual concern.

The Association representatives to the Labour and Management Committee (LAM) shall normally consist of the President and Agreements Chair, accompanied by such other Association Executive members as may be needed to ensure representation of both faculty and staff. Other Association members may be invited for the discussion of a particular issue. The LAM Committee shall provide a joint labour management forum for the discussion of emergent issues of mutual concern.

Rationale: FSA representation on LAM consists of the Agreements Chair and the President, and others by invitation only. Should the Agreements Chair and President both be faculty or both be staff, the proposed wording would allow a means to ensure representation by both faculty and staff at LAM.

Appendix “A”

(Publicity)

It is the responsibility of the Returning Officer to report to the Executive Committee and to the Membership about the turnout of all votes during the year.

It is the responsibility of the Returning Officer [Secretary-Treasurer, see 5.5 g)] to report to the Executive Committee and to the membership about the turnout of all votes during the year.

Rationale: a cross-reference to clarify that the Returning Officer is the Secretary-Treasurer.

Appendix “A”

(Polling Period)

According to the Constitution of the Faculty & Staff Association, voting is to take place over three business days. Advance polling may take place for an additional three days prior to the regular poll....

Polls are open during regular University business hours (8:30 - 16:30 hours) and in the evenings at certain locations detailed below.

According to the Constitution of the Faculty & Staff Association, Voting is to take place over three business days. Advance polling may take place for an additional three days prior to the regular poll.

Polls are open during regular University business hours (8:30 - 16:30 hours) and in the evenings at certain locations detailed below as required.

Appendix “A”

(Polling Stations)

For regular day-time voting, polling stations will be established in Abbotsford and Chilliwack. After-hours polling may be established. A convenient additional polling station shall be established at the Mission campus. Special arrangements will be made to get the vote from the Hope location.

(NEW) Add to the end of the paragraph:

Online polling is also available.

Rationale: this wording eliminates some inconsistencies and better specifies what the current practice has become.















Documents

UFV FACULTY AND STAFF ASSOCIATIONufv-fsa.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/AGM-2010-package-final.pdf · UFV FACULTY AND STAFF ASSOCIATION A N N U A L G E N E R A L M E E T I N G Thursday,