November 10, 2000
5.30 pm
35 YEARS AT MEMORIAL COUNT FOR NOTHING
In a press release today, Dr. Strawbridge, chief negotiator for the
administration, said "now they [MUNFA] are only focusing on more money
for faculty who would retire during the contract". He dismissed MUNFA's
concern for those retiring, by stating sanctimoniously at the bargaining
table that "you don't choose your birthday."
Noel Roy, President of MUNFA, said that the attitude of the employer
toward senior professors, many of whom have devoted their working lives
to the students of Memorial University, is insulting, and betrays
profound disrespect.
"The emphasis that this generously-pensioned administration has placed
on "the future" has been understood by many faculty as a code that devalues
the contributions of those professors and librarians with long service,"
Roy stated.
Roy said, "Severance is a benefit well understood by other public service
workers. Teachers, civil servants, and CUPE members working for Memorial,
all get severance pay. Memorial professors and librarians alone do not.
Is this fair or reasonable?"
Roy said that if Dr. Strawbridge were actually interested in concluding
an agreement today, he might well want to display a more conciliatory
and less mean-minded attitude, one which showed that he was willing to
negotiate on the outstanding issues.
10 November 2000
Immediate
SESSIONAL PAY AT MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY IS TOO LOW
The administration of Memorial University has issued a self-congratulatory news release in which they take pride in the fact that payment to sessionals at Memorial is not the lowest in the country. However, in a typical attempt to obfuscate matters, their list of 19 universities includes only five of the comprehensive universities which have been used as a basis of comparison for the current negotiations.
Noel Roy, President of MUNFA, said that sessional teachers are an exploited academic underclass across the country. "If we take even the most highly paid on Strawbridge's list," said Roy, "their salary after taxes is only $21,766. Many of these are fully qualified, Ph.D. prepared academics who, to supplement their income, are forced to draw E.I. benefits in the semesters in which they are not teaching."
"MUNFA's proposal for increasing sessional pay would bring MUN sessionals up four steps, still some 20% below the highest paid sessionals on the employer's list. In addition, the four-step increase would still leave MUN sessionals at the bottom of the agreed upon comparison group of comprehensive universities on Dr. Strawbridge's list. After taxes, MUN sessionals would earn a salary about comparable to the poverty line. Is this fair and reasonable treatment for a group that teaches so many of our students? We think not," said Roy.
Contact: Noel Roy at 737-4311 or 685-3567.
November 10, 2000
Immediate
Ball in Administration Court as MUNFA Waits for Response from Employer
Roy explained that MUNFA yesterday tabled revised proposals, and was awaiting a
response from the administration. Roy stated that the conciliator had agreed to
call the parties back to table if there was anything to discuss.
Noel Roy, President of MUNFA, was encouraged by the support from the Memorial University Student Union (MUNSU).
"Yesterday", Roy said, "MUNFA was advised that the Student Union had sent a message to the administration urging them to close the deal as presented
[by MUNFA]."
"MUNFA believes that this strike can end now if the adminsitration shows
some flexibility," Roy said. "We are waiting to see what their response will be. The ball is definitely in their court now."
November 9, 2000
5.00 pm
Immediate
THE MUNFA-MUN DISPUTE:
WHAT REALLY IS GOING ON ?
The university administration is flooding the news media with
distortions and half-truths.
The employer accuses MUNFA of intransigence, greed, and raising
new demands which will cost the university impossibly large amounts of money.
The facts are that MUNFA has always been ready to negotiate, has
always been willing to compromise, and its proposals have become
steadily less expensive as negotiations have proceeded. MUNFA has
not made any new demands.
At the last meeting of negotiators from both sides on November 8,
the administration stubbornly refused to negotiate any of the
outstanding issues. The answer was "NO" to all MUNFA proposals.
As further evidence of good faith, MUNFA's team today (November 9)
gave the conciliator a package which can solve all remaining issues,
and get everyone back to work. The employer's response will show
whether or not it is serious about ending the dispute - the onus
rests with the administration to negotiate.
MUNFA's proposed package will not cost the university the millions
of dollars that the administration claims. The package should form
the basis for a final settlement.
Contact: Noel Roy at 737-4311 or 685-3567.
November 9, 2000
9.30 am
Immediate
WHAT'S UP, DOC ?
MUNFA continues to believe that a satisfactory settlement in its dispute with the university administration can be reached quickly - but that it is up to the university administration to take a more constructive and flexible attitude.
In recent statements, representatives of the employer, notably its chief negotiator Dr. J. Strawbridge, have accused MUNFA of intransigence, and of unreasonably wanting more money.
Certain facts have to repeated and emphasized.
An intransigent and dilatory employer refused to begin substantive negotiations for almost a year - until MUNFA had first requested conciliation, and then moved on to a strike vote and a strike. The employer then took the intransigent position that in return for a package which at long last brought Memorial salaries within range of those at comparable mainland universities, MUNFA should concede all other issues, and abandon its duty to seek a fair settlement for all its members.
MUNFA has shown flexibility and an ability to compromise which has not been matched by the other side. We have always been ready to negotiate any and all issues. The employer has not. For example, at the meeting called by the conciliator yesterday afternoon (November 8), the employer's representatives simply refused to discuss any of the outstanding issues. This attitude is, to say the least, disappointing.
Finally, the attempt to negotiate a settlement that will be fair to all MUNFA members does not constitute greed. MUNFA's attempt to obtain a front-end loaded salary package is not a new demand - as Dr. Strawbridge has implied. We are trying to obtain the best settlement possible for our members, who have been underpaid for a long time, and especially for those colleagues who will retire in the near future.
We think that where there's a will, there's a way. If the administration really wants a quick settlement, it can get it. Instead, Dr. Strawbridge tells the media that it will be a long strike. What's up, Doc?
Contact: Noel Roy at 737-4311 or 685-3567.
November 7, 2000
8.00 pm
Immediate
MUN-MUNFA NEGOTIATIONS PAUSE
The conciliator assisting the negotiating teams representing the
Memorial administration and MUNFA suggested late Tuesday that
they take a pause in their intensive negotiations until 4 pm Wednesday
afternoon. We understand that the conciliator may be operating
under constraints not known to us, but we are disturbed that
this important meeting has to wait so long.
MUNFA has been pleased with the progress made recently at the
negotiating table. However, a number of serious and difficult
issues remain to be resolved.
MUNFA is concerned that low-paid sessional lecturers should
be given a better deal, and that more money be paid to members
in the early stages of the contract - this is especially important
for those who will soon retire and begin to take their pensions.
There are some other significant financial issues still outstanding,
and MUNFA wants workloads comparable to those in other units
established at Grenfell College, in the Faculty of Education,
and in Music, Social Work, Classics and German.
Noel Roy, MUNFA President, said in a statement, "The association is,
as always, ready and willing to negotiate these issues. However,
the conciliator has reported to us that the administration team
says they have no flexibility. MUNFA remains optimistic that
this will not prove to be the case."
MUNFA remains optimistic that a fair and equitable settlement
will be achieved.
November 6, 2000
Immediate
THE MUN/MUNFA SALARY ARGUMENT
When negotiations resume this afternoon, November 6, the main - but not the only - issue will be the salary package. We hope that the university administration will show greater flexibility than it has so far, and that an agreement will soon be reached.
From the start, the administration has claimed that its original salary offer to MUNFA members is very generous, and mentions percentages that seem impressive at first sight. So students and members of the public are justified in wondering why faculty members and librarians are not dancing in the streets rather than standing on picket lines, and why negotiations are so difficult.
The university salary grid (or scale) has not changed since 1989. Since that time, salaries at Memorial have been allowed to fall considerably behind those of similar universities across Canada. The current disparity is about 20%.
The university administration says that under its proposal faculty members will receive either about 20.6 % over the life of the contract if they have PhD degrees or about 15 % otherwise. But this is not true for all MUNFA members.
The administration's percentage figures are averages. Some MUNFA members will receive significantly less than 15 %; some will receive significantly more than 20 %. The administration has not advertised the paltry increase of 8% offered to sessional lecturers, and the fact that those teaching courses by distance stand to lose money - up to 25% per course.
MUNFA is not asking for an average percentage increase over the life on the contract which is larger than that offered by the administration - even though the increase is the minimum needed to restore reasonable salary competitiveness. But MUNFA is determined that all its members - including librarians - should be treated with fairness.
November 7, 2000
Immediate
THE MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY AD CAMPAIGN: MUNFA COMMENTS
The Memorial University administration has started blanketing the media with expensive advertisements. These contain misleading and inaccurate information
The administration's salary offer, in its original form, was not fair, as is claimed, but divisive and discriminatory. Had it actually been fair, there would have been no strike.
The implication in the ads that all faculty members and librarians will receive average increases of 20 percent is misleading. A substantial number of MUNFA members may receive significantly less than that.
The administration claims its offer is generous. In fact, academic staff will still be paid less than their colleagues at comparable Canadian universities. The generosity of the offer is relative.
The suggestion that all the concessions at the bargaining table have been made by the university administration is false.
Like the administration, MUNFA wants a speedy end to the strike, and to negotiations which the employer has dragged out for 13 months. The process might be aided if the administration supplied students, the media and the public with accurate information.
Contact: Noel Roy at 737-4311.
Website: http://www.nfld.net/munfa Fax: (709)737-4389 Email: munfa@nfld.net
