Let's pause for a moment of "truth in advertising"  ...

>From: UTC Staff E-Mail List [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> On Behalf Of Fritz Efaw
> Sent: Friday, March 19, 2004 6:53 PM
>
>WOULDN'T IT BE NICE if there were a democratically chosen organization
of
>employees that would serve as an advocate for each and all of us ...

There is, for the faculty it is the Faculty Senate.  For the staff, it
is the Employee Relations Committee.  Both are democratically elected,
and fully recognized by the university and their membership as
representative of their constituents.

> ... We are concerned that although the budget
>process has been pried open a little due to efforts by the Faculty
>Federation, ...

A lot of people have contributed to the budget process being opened.
Faculty in various roles have worked with the Provost and Chancellor to
bring a greater openness to the process.  Some of these folks might also
be members of the federation.  However, the federation should not be
standing up and taking sole credit for the process.

> ...  We'd like to get together the way we were
>at the 9-11 meeting last year, only WITHOUT the administration, so we
can
>listen to each other and decide where to go from here.

Umm, interesting.  Let's have openness, but only when its suits our
purposes.  Why is the federation so fearful of administration input?
Why won't it afford administration the same courtesy demanded from them
in the form of an open budget process?

> [We] want to emphasize this is NOT a union recruitment meeting or a
>rally.

Please.

>We expect to be denounced by the usual chorus of whiners and
>nay-sayers, but we hope you can join us on Wednesday afternoon.

And finally, the traditional "if you don't like what we're saying,
there's something wrong with you" comment.

Maybe unions have their place, and that is the idea the federation wants
to bring forth.  I'll be one of the first to stand up and support a
union's right to recruit at this type of meeting at UTC (for that's what
it is).  It seems to me, however, that the only strength that a
collective bargaining arrangement has is one of a "Big Stick" - i.e.,
the threat of holding our student's education hostage until a select
group of faculty and staff receive what they want.

There's got to be a better way.

With regards,
Andy

===============================
Andy Novobilski, Ph.D.
Assoc. Prof. & Acting Dept. Head
UT Chattanooga Computer Science
(423) 425-4202
http://www.utc.edu/faculty/Andy-Novobilski