4/19/2012: That’s the word from the ERB on the hearing to consider the UO unionization case:
The hearing is set for May 7-9 here in our offices beginning at 9:00 a.m. The notice of the hearing will be posted no later than May 1 on our website (www.oregon.gov/ERB) and the details of that are being worked out at this time. The notice should answer some of your questions.
Our hearing room [Room 340 in the Old Garfield School Building. 528 Cottage Street NE, Salem] has limited seating and the only parking available to observers is metered on-street parking. Additionally, we share the building with a number of private offices and must respect their ability to do business and provide access for their customers.
We cannot provide video feed of the hearing. Securing an alternate site for a 3-day hearing would mean postponing the hearing to a later date, something the Board does not wish to do.
Audience seating in our hearing room is limited to 20 and at that will be very crowded. Additionally, some of those seats will be needed for people who will testify at the hearing, so only a portion of the seating (10-12) will be open to others. Perhaps someone can be designated to attend the hearing and report back to the others.
My guess is that at least a hundred UO faculty are interested in this hearing. If you are interested in attending or would like to encourage the board to have a video feed, I suggest you email the board at [email protected] and make this known, soon.
Wouldn’t it make sense (and be more environmentally friendly) for the ERB folks to hold the hearing in Eugene. Surely it should be possible to find somewhere on the UO campus or nearby that’s suitable on short notice?
Here is a link to the RG 4/18 guest viewpoint from the Register Guard.
Jane Cramer, an associate professor of political science at the University of Oregon, is a member of the organizing committee of United Academics at the UO, wrote the article.
Slams the U of O for Union busting.
http://www.registerguard.com/web/opinion/27925584-47/faculty-union-university-administration-administrators.html.csp
Excerpt:
“Whatever subjects students may choose as their majors, this year UO administrators are providing them an education in cynicism. No longer is the university a civic model; instead the administration’s behavior says to all of us: “You know all those things students are taught about philosophy and democracy, Plato and Jefferson? Those are just for inside the classroom! When you step outside into the real world, it’s dog eat dog and might makes right.” Democracy is important only as long as the faculty does not try to vote for something of which the administration does not approve.”
I heart this kind of Muckraker!
It seems the union organizers are trying to drum up support by calling for democracy. I doubt anyone will fall for this argument and to someone who knows a little about the issues at hand, this opinion piece really comes off as disingenuous. If the organizers are so confident in this hodgepodge of a bargaining unit, then they should take their fight to the ERB. However, if their arguments really only amount to a principled stand for democracy, then I have doubt they’ll be successful.
Here’s one the comments to this piece, which I think is representative of what your generic taxpayer will think of these whining professors:
“ahhh, Gee, University of Oregon teachers and professors have to face reality. That’s really too bad, no longer being able to hide from the world in your ivory towers. Poor baby!I would feel for you, but I’m too busy out here, trying to make a living while you guys ignore reality and pretend you’re better than everybody else who actually has to work. So you can tell how most of us sympathize, don’t we?”
So one of the goals of this union is to increase our lobbying power in Salem???
For what it’s worth, your quote from Prof. Cramer isn’t “muckraking”, but commentary. Muckraking is the kind of work UO Matters does with public records requests, data manipulation, and generally uncovering facts. There are no facts in the paragraph above, merely her opinion.