| Michael Latcha | Chief Negotiator, SECS | latcha@oakland.edu |
| Scott Barns | AAUP Executive Director | barns@oakland.edu |
| Tom Giberson | SEHS | giberson@oakland.edu |
| Diane Hartmus | Political Science | hartmus@oakland.edu |
| Kellie Hay | Communication | hay@oakland.edu |
| Michael Polis | SECS | polis@oakland.edu |
January, 2012
The Role of the Bargaining Forum in Negotiations
At the beginning of each negotiating cycle, the AAUP Executive Board calls for the formation of a Bargaining Forum. The role of this organization is two-fold: first, it serves as a conduit for information between the Negotiating Team and the membership, second, it provides a venue for discussing and clarifying what are the main concerns of the faculty. It is the most important force for democratization of our AAUP chapter during the bargaining year.
How is the Bargaining Forum created? The Bargaining Forum is chaired by the Vice President of the AAUP chapter unless the VP is a member of the Negotiating Team (in that case, the President appoints another member of the Executive Committee to chair the Forum). All members of the Negotiating Team serve as ex-officio members. Every unit is allocated one representative to the Bargaining Forum for each 20 members (or fraction). Each unit is responsible for selecting those members. At-large members shall be elected from each of the following constituencies—department chairs, untenured faculty, and bargaining unit part-time faculty from at least 3 academic areas. The selection process will begin in October and be complete by November 30.
When does the Bargaining Forum meet? The Bargaining Forum will meet approximately every two weeks during the Winter term. As the actual bargaining commences in the summer, the members of the Bargaining Forum may be asked to meet for consultation with the Negotiating Team.
What will the Bargaining Forum discuss? After determining its operating rules, the first item of business will be to determine the language of the questionnaire which will be sent to all bargaining unit faculty. After that, the Bargaining Forum meetings will focus on issues presented by Executive Committee, Negotiating Team, or members of the Bargaining Forum itself. These issues normally concern university governance, benefits structure, tenure and promotion procedures, and salary, but are not limited to these categories.
Why are these discussions important? To represent our interests in the contract, members of the Negotiating Team must listen to a wide spectrum of opinion from the faculty. They must understand what is important to the membership as a whole. Moreover, they need to understand how the interests of different groups within the faculty can be balanced. By meeting regularly with a broadly constructed group like the Bargaining Forum, they will be better equipped to negotiate a contract that reflects the goals of the entire faculty. Every unit has the right to express its concerns and goals for the next three years.
What are the responsibilities of the Bargaining Forum members? They are expected to represent their constituencies at meetings. In addition, representatives of units will organize at least one meeting between the members of their unit and the Negotiating Team. Bargaining Forum members will serve as marshals to organize their constituents for any actions needed to support the Negotiating Team.
| Unit | Representatives | Unit meeting |
|---|---|---|
| Eye Research Institute (1) | Ken Mitton |
Noon - Feb 14, 2012 403 DHE |
| Library (1) | Beth Kraemer |
2 pm - Feb 16, 2012 225B KL |
| School of Business Administration (4) |
Amy Rutledge Joseph Schiele |
|
| School of Engineering and Computer Science (3) |
Gary Barber Subra Ganesan Ishwar Sethi |
Noon - Mar 14, 2012 |
| School of Education and Human Services (4) |
Ron Cramer Todd Leibert William Solomonson |
12:30 pm - Feb 16, 2012 162 PH |
| School of Health Sciences (2) |
Sara Maher Patricia Wren |
|
| School of Nursing (2) |
Dorothy Hawthorn-Burdine Barbara Penprase |
11:30 am - Feb 16, 2012 100 KL |
| Department of Art and Art History (1) | Susan Wood |
3:30 pm - Feb 8, 2012 312 Wilson Hall |
| Department of Biological Sciences (2) | ||
| Department of Chemistry (1) | Joel Russell |
Noon - Feb 15, 2012 264A SEB |
| Department of Communication and Journalism (2) | Rebekah Farrugia | |
| Department of English (2) |
Annette Gilson Michael Vaughan |
|
| Department of History (1) | Daniel Clark | |
| Department of Linguistics (1) | ||
| Department of Mathematics and Statistics (2) |
Laszlo Liptak Steven Wright |
|
| Department of Modern Languages and Literatures (1) | Julia Urla |
Noon - Feb 28, 2012 130 SEB |
| Department of Music, Theatre and Dance (2) |
Kerro Knox Kenneth Kroesche |
Noon - Mar 1, 2012 231 Var |
| Department of Philosophy (1) | Paul Graves |
Noon - Mar 7, 2012 300 ODH |
| Department of Physics (1) | ||
| Department of Political Science (1) | Alan Epstein | |
| Department of Psychology (1) | Debra McGinnis | |
| Department of Sociology and Anthropology (1) | Henri Gooren | |
| Department of Writing and Rhetoric (1) | Greg Giberson | |
| Special Lecturers |