Show irm j j an MI a g gg U. i Regents Stand Against AFT Faculty n r Theresa v n r rr OConner r By I Feature Editor Faculty Association voted to lo affiliate with the American Federation of Teachers on May 9 of last year however however however how how- ever the Utah Ulan State Slate Board Doard of Regents refused to lo recognize the affiliation The Regents passed a policy that would ban collective bargaining at public public public pub pub- lic institutions According to lo the minutes from the Board oard of Regents meeting Lawmakers ers both bolh state and national have determined determined determined deter deter- mined that because taxpayers funds are areat areat areat at issues there is no obligation for collective collective collective col col- col- col bargaining Indeed collective bargaining may not be he appropriate in a public policy setting selling asa i the reg regents Voted unanimously to adopt the following statement Consistent with rights afforded by state and federal law it is the policy of the State Board of Regents that institutions of higher of higher education education education edu edu- cation shall not nol recognize c organizations for the purpose of collective bargain bargain- ing What Whal we want to know is how a policy forbidding collective bargaining is beneficial to the college and how it il is beneficial to lo education members of the Faculty Association said has 3 16 time full-time instructors instructors instructors tors and are arc members of the i 7 9 r W f 4 i Y r y r y AN H veu tit ys f i 1 Photo by Elroy Begay Members of Faculty Association represent teachers who affiliated with th the AFT FT oJ 7 Jr l ty Association a nonunion group that lobbies for the instructors The association association association tion statement said The refusal to acknowledge our affiliation and continued continued continued contin contin- is resulting in very poor faculty morale and distracting from quality of education I think theres there's an attempt to say weve we've brought in the big hig guns but hut that's not it at all said Craig Smith the pres pres- ident-elect ident of the Faculty Association We did not bring anyone national we did not even bring state stale officials There was no outside force it was completely internal Tiffany Rousculp a member of the Faculty Association stated We wanted to have more access to information have more political and national support Rousculp said They are now refusing to acknowledge acknowledge acknowledge edge the affiliation but hut we used to have meet and confer to discuss the memorandum memorandum memorandum memo memo- of ag agreement Smith stated Perhaps the problem stems from the thet t fact ct that is supposed to he be a state slate supported institution When the budget gets cut faculty arc are the first to feel feci the affects The faculty are being affected by hy the Board of Regents deci deci- sion along with that of the colleges college's admin administration wh which ich affect their teaching ability as well the a association said When you get larger there may he be some feelings by hy faculty of not nol being in the communication loop President Frank Yank Budd said suid However the faculty still disagrees cs We have a hoard of regents and a aboard hoard board of by hy a governor gover gover- nor Who are in that production mode It Il is pure numbers produce graduates graduates graduates ates says Lynn past President President dent of the Faculty Senate not nol looking at the quality of the outcome They're looking at how many bodies hodies they can move through the system she says The association believes that if AI AIwas AFT AIT was acknowledged and the administration tion lion were working collectively AI AFT could be he a resource for the college It Il is a correlation between p poor teaching leaching conditions and class sizes I think it il is important for students to have ac access ess to knowledge a and d experience with unions Craig Smith stated staled The Faculty As Association says they want to improve the system not nol motivated motivated moti- moti by hy positions they were motivated to improve education at and the state stale v a. a 7 The Thc C. C co controversy rov over i lin in M tr i h 3 has increased II y over over overt t t- t h e months since the motion passed passel among faculty The feuding groups which are an in agreement on the ends they want to achieve view the means to get gel there then very differently The Assistant Attorney General Thomas C. C Anderson wrote that thai the Circuit Court of Appeals had affirmed that thai institutions of higher education education education edu edu- cation are arms of the state slate As the battle bailie continues the Utah Executive Director of the AI AFT AIT Paul Henderson said they would study their options which might include a legal challenge |