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From:
List Description: [mailto:CWA4730_MEMBERS@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU] On
Behalf Of Peter Kaczmarczyk
HeraldTimesOnline.com
Guest column March 2, 2008 This guest column was written by Peter Kaczmarczyk, president of the Communications Workers of America 4730, representing support staff at Indiana University at IUB and IUN. Trustees of Indiana University, have you ever seen a staff person cry? Have you ever talked to one, listened to their worries or concerns? I wonder, considering the way you treat us. I’ve seen staff cry, more times than I care to remember. They cry because they are scared. They cry because they feel helpless. They don’t think that IU cares about them, and I don’t blame them. The lack of concern shown by IU, from pitiful raises to the cavalier attitude taken toward privatizing jobs, clearly demonstrate that the trustees of IU really don’t care about or understand the plight of the workers or the communities they live in. Indiana University, you are the dominant employer in Bloomington, and it is incumbent upon you to use your economic clout to help the people of your community. This year, you must give real raises to all staff. There is no excuse for you not to. Why are IU staff scared? They are scared because they can barely pay their bills, and struggle week to week to feed themselves and keep the heat on. They’re scared because every year they are falling further and further behind with no help on the horizon. Many who have given half their lives to the university see their poor wages translating to inadequate retirement funds, and many of these long-term employees see themselves being passed by or pushed aside by younger, fresher, prettier workers. IU staff are scared because they see what happened at GE; they see what’s happened at the bookstore; they see what happening to the working class all across the country. They see this; I see this; the trustees and the administration of IU must see this, too. I challenge the trustees to get out, talk to staff and see what they do. Ask an employee what they have left over after paying all their bills. See the impact of your choices and decisions, and think about the real people who are so dependent on those decisions. Get out there, trustees, and maybe you’ll think twice before you sell off any more jobs. Get out and find out what we need to live, not in luxury or even comfort, but just what we need to get by. Get out and see the damage caused by applying a strict business model to the lives of real, breathing human beings. And while you are digesting what you learned, give support staff a decent raise. Enough of the 2-3 percent table scraps of recent years; this year, you must do something substantial. Five or 6 percent would be reasonable; we not only would stay even but might even be able to make back some of the lost ground of previous years. And if you refuse, don’t you dare try to blame the Legislature or the economy. We are not blind. We see the millions raked in by selling the bookstores. We see the money poured into new buildings and improving faculty salaries. We see you, the trustees, tossing around money wherever you see fit. The blame for poor staff salaries belongs to trustees of the past, and the blame if nothing is done about it this year belong squarely in the laps of the current trustees. SoSo trustees, have you ever seen a staff person cry? I hope you never have to, but I think it might really do some of you some good. Maybe then you would think more about the lives you have in your hands before making decisions that can, and will, devastate those lives. |
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- IU Operating Appropriation Request (use your IU username and password to access) HiLg
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- Salary Equity Study - Salary Committee (October 2005)
- Memo: Chancellor's Decision on Academic Positions2006
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- Interesting documents for reading:
Stepping Forward as Stewards of Place:
Available in PDF Format at AASCU site and at our AAUP site
(you
need
in order to read it)
American Association of University Professors
The AAUP is the only national organization exclusively representing the interests of all college and university faculty members. Founded in 1915, the AAUP
- establishes and maintains standards for academic due process and faculty participation in academic decision making
- participates in precedent setting court cases involving academic freedom and tenure issues
- represents faculty interests in state and federal legislatures
- provides comprehensive data on the economic status of the profession
- offers professional liability insurance and other membership benefits and services
Active AAUP membership is open to teaching faculty, research scholars, professional librarians, or counselors with faculty status. Membership categories also include Active entrant, a reduced dues membership offered to non tenured faculty for up to seven years; Active part-time, Graduate Student, and Public member.
The American Association of University Professors has members at more than 2000 institutions with local chapters at 960 campuses and 33 state conferences which unite chapter organizations on a state wide basis.
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AAUP resources |
Academic Freedom and Tenure
The 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom,
jointly authored by AAUP and the Association of American Colleges, is the
definitive interpretation of academic freedom and is the model for all
subsequent policies and standards.
Thousands of faculty members call the AAUP each year for advice and help about
academic freedom and tenure issues. AAUP responds to academic freedom
violations by assisting faculty members to obtain due process through mediation
and consultation. Grave violations may result in on site investigations and
censure of the administration. Investigative reports are published in the AAUP
journal Academe thereby informing the academic community of departures
from sound practices.
AAUP's amicus briefs before the Supreme Court and appelate courts on issues
concerning academic freedom safeguard academic practices and advance the
court's understanding of academic principles. AAUP's Academic Freedom Fund and
its Legal Defense Fund provide financial support in selected cases that raise
significant academic freedom issues.
Government Relations
AAUP is an authoritative voice in Washington and state capitals on higher education issues at a time when government decisions greatly influence what happens on campus. AAUP monitors legislation and provides expert testimony from a faculty perspective. When mandatory retirement was abolished in 1986, AAUP was designated by Congress as a member of the Research committee to determine the effect of uncapping on higher education.
Faculty Salary Data and Analysis
AAUP's Annual Report on the Economic Status of the
Professionis a comprehensive analysis of faculty salaries and fringe
benefits. Over 2100 individual institutions are listed by category, with
compensation for faculty rank and gender. AAUP members receive the report as a
special issue of our journal Academe.
AAUP's Higher Education Salary Evaluation Kit provides guidance in
assessing equity in faculty compensation. It also includes comparison group
salary reports specific to different types of institutions.
Collective Bargaining
AAUP supports faculty collective bargaining at the option of local chapters as an additional means for advancing professional standards. AAUP chapters negotiate independently, subject to the same standards as non bargaining campuses. Chapter contracts are designed to insure academic freedom and tenure, advance economic and professional interests, and promote collegial governance.
Special Projects
The AAUP initiates special projects concerning faculty and the academic profession. Recent projects include
- guidelines for pension and insurance plans and participation in the revision of TIAA-CREF policies
- retaining tenure without mandatory retirement
- the role of faculty in the assessment movement and curricular changes
- examination of academic freedom in church related institutions
Last Updated: March 21, 2008
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