Monday, March 06, 2006
Status Update: 6 March
So what's going on, and what happens next?
The general membership of the union authorized the bargaining committee to call a strike, if the bargaining committee sees fit. This does not mean there will be a strike. In fact, we all hope it doesn't come to that.
Mark Perlman (union president) and Peter Calero (bargaining committee chairman) addressed the Board of Higher Education last week (March 2nd). If OUS wasn't aware of the strike possibility, they are now.
Are there any negotiations going on?
Yes and no. In theory, either side can request a face-to-face meeting. At the moment, no such meetings are planned. At the very least, there will be another mediation session during finals week (Monday the 20th). During mediation, the two teams meet in separate rooms and mediators shuffle back and forth trying to reach a compromise. Because a strike is looming, the state will bring in two mediators - tag team mediation, if you will. It would not be surprising if there were negotiations and/or mediation during spring break.
What will happen to Spring quarter if there is a strike?
That's up to the administration. They have complete control over it. Maybe they'd shorten the quarter. Maybe they'd extend it. Maybe they'd refund part of the tuition. It's up to them. Keep in mind that the faculty at an OUS school have never gone on strike, so it's not like they have a "standard strike plan" up their sleeves. On the other hand, their general contingency planning (e.g., massive flu outbreak) may prove useful. Again, it's up to them.
What should students do?
Assume that the quarter will start on time, all scheduled classes will be taught, etc. It seems very unlikely that there would be a complete shutdown of the campus. If you're away from the area and don't want to come back if there are no classes, you should monitor what's going on. The Statesman Journal should be covering the story.
The general membership of the union authorized the bargaining committee to call a strike, if the bargaining committee sees fit. This does not mean there will be a strike. In fact, we all hope it doesn't come to that.
Mark Perlman (union president) and Peter Calero (bargaining committee chairman) addressed the Board of Higher Education last week (March 2nd). If OUS wasn't aware of the strike possibility, they are now.
Are there any negotiations going on?
Yes and no. In theory, either side can request a face-to-face meeting. At the moment, no such meetings are planned. At the very least, there will be another mediation session during finals week (Monday the 20th). During mediation, the two teams meet in separate rooms and mediators shuffle back and forth trying to reach a compromise. Because a strike is looming, the state will bring in two mediators - tag team mediation, if you will. It would not be surprising if there were negotiations and/or mediation during spring break.
What will happen to Spring quarter if there is a strike?
That's up to the administration. They have complete control over it. Maybe they'd shorten the quarter. Maybe they'd extend it. Maybe they'd refund part of the tuition. It's up to them. Keep in mind that the faculty at an OUS school have never gone on strike, so it's not like they have a "standard strike plan" up their sleeves. On the other hand, their general contingency planning (e.g., massive flu outbreak) may prove useful. Again, it's up to them.
What should students do?
Assume that the quarter will start on time, all scheduled classes will be taught, etc. It seems very unlikely that there would be a complete shutdown of the campus. If you're away from the area and don't want to come back if there are no classes, you should monitor what's going on. The Statesman Journal should be covering the story.
# posted by Charles Anderson @ 9:39 PM 
