News
 
Current Issue Staff Contact Archives Venture

SimpleViewer requires JavaScript and the Flash Player. Get Flash.

 

Students call for larger role in negotiations

By Jen Ashenberner and Chanel Hill
The Advocate

The Associated Student Government continued to rally students Thursday afternoon to end the full-time faculty/administration bargaining stalemate, despite another campus evacuation at the start of the event.

"If it quacks and waddles, it's a duck," Larry Collins-Morgan, ASG president, said to students after returning from the evacuation. "I'm not going to make any conclusions, but you can connect the dots."

The rally was held in response to lack of progress in contract negotiations and the fact that students have not been included in the process.

Jon Francis, ASG vice president, addressing the audience, said, "If you want to be taught by the best, if you want a 'radical' education, then you have to step up and make your voice heard."

During the evacuation that started at 1:15 p.m., Francis and other ASG members led students on a march up and down the interior roadway on the Westside of campus where people were awaiting the okay to return onto campus.

The rally included a question-and-answer session, first with administration representatives and then faculty members.

Brian Freeman, MHCC District board chairperson, said, "Our goal is to effectively communicate with students."

Freeman said students can refer to the homepage of the MHCC website for updates on the negotiation process.

"There's lots of rumors and misinformation going around and that's the best place for you to receive information," he said.

Freeman told students that the board also will communicate information and answer questions through Collins-Morgan. He also said students could go to the faculty contract website at www.be-informed.net.

"We understand students' interests and we are doing a balancing act but there's not an unending supply of money," said Freeman. "The balancing act to us is to be fair to you. We can't say yes to everybody. We have to fight for the money we get from the state. When the expenses go up and the money goes down, tuition goes up."

Asked what would happen to students who are preparing to graduate if the faculty went on strike, Rodney Barker, dean of business and information systems, said, "We're working very hard to make sure we have full coverage so we can cover classes and make sure you graduate and things are happening seamlessly."

Randy Stedman, the labor relations consultant hired by the board to bargain the contract for the administration, said he doesn't know offhand what the rules are regarding meeting face to face with the administration so he is unsure whether another face-to-face negotiation will occur. He said he expects more mediated bargaining sessions.

In the faculty Q&A session, Sara Williams, chief faculty negotiator, said, "We would be happy to have face-to-face negotiations. We as faculty insisted that at the beginning. We are open, we welcome, and appreciate your interests and are anxious to bargain."

Engineering instructor Mike Brayson, a member of the bargaining support team, said the faculty is ready and willing to resume face to face negotiations. Pointing to the crowd he said there were many board representatives present who could meet that day.

"We could go back there to some room and be finished this evening," said Brayson.

 


The Advocate reserves the right to not publish comments based on their appropriateness.

 


In this Issue:


Home Page: