[Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to Financial Crisis

Joe Campbell philosopher.joe at gmail.com
Tue Apr 28 05:52:01 PDT 2009


That is what my wife is doing too.

Are you doing it Roger? Are you saying I should do it but you don't  
have to do it?

Joe Campbell

On Apr 27, 2009, at 10:42 AM, lfalen <lfalen at turbonet.com> wrote:

> That is what my wife is doing.
> Roger
> -----Original message-----
> From: Joe Campbell philosopher.joe at gmail.com
> Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:37:18 -0700
> To: lfalen lfalen at turbonet.com
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to Financial  
> Crisis
>
>> I'm sorry to hear about your wife's situation, Roger. Staff is  
>> getting
>> the worst of it at WSU, too.
>>
>> But I still think Nick has a point. Here is one way to put it. Would
>> you or anyone else on this list be willing to "cut" your pay by  
>> giving
>> 3% more to the state of ID to help prevent folks at UI from being
>> fired? If you and others say "yes," then I'm on board, as well!
>>
>> Joe Campbell
>>
>> On Apr 27, 2009, at 10:03 AM, lfalen <lfalen at turbonet.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Joe
>>> I do no want you or any one else to lose their job. I think that pay
>>> cuts are preferable to layoffs.It is inevitably that some programs
>>> will be cut. there are no students or very few for a class it will
>>> be cut. My wife is staff in the PSES department at UI. She runs the
>>> Soils Pedology Lab. She will receive an award for 40 years of
>>> service today. She puts in 10 to 12 hours a day and does not get
>>> comp. time. She had cancer in 2003. She had surgery, chemo,
>>> radiation and the whole ball  of wax.  She is still suffering from
>>> the after affects. She takes a lot of Ibuprofen and diuretics to
>>> keep on going. She is not yet eligible for full Social Security.
>>> There have already been severe cut backs at PSES. Sixteen positions
>>> will not be filled. There are very few students in soils. If it were
>>> not for the environmental students there would be even less. If
>>> things get any worse she could be in danger. She is willing to take
>>> the 3% decrease. Everyone else should also.
>>> Roger
>>> -----Original message-----
>>> From: Joe Campbell philosopher.joe at gmail.com
>>> Date: Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:48:06 -0700
>>> To: lfalen lfalen at turbonet.com
>>> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to Financial
>>> Crisis
>>>
>>>> I am not guarenteed a job, Roger. As I understand it, cutting the
>>>> department provides justification for firing me. That is how my  
>>>> chair
>>>> explained it. I have some security, of course, and I'm thankful for
>>>> that. But not of the sort you imagine.
>>>>
>>>> Joe Campbell
>>>>
>>>> On Apr 24, 2009, at 9:34 AM, lfalen <lfalen at turbonet.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> You are still guarenteed a job.In bad times that should be enough.
>>>>> Why should not everyone share in the cuts? Why should you be  
>>>>> placed
>>>>> on an elevated pedestal at the expense of peasants(staff)?
>>>>> Roger
>>>>> -----Original message-----
>>>>> From: Joe Campbell philosopher.joe at gmail.com
>>>>> Date: Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:30:51 -0700
>>>>> To: lfalen lfalen at turbonet.com
>>>>> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to  
>>>>> Financial
>>>>> Crisis
>>>>>
>>>>>> Maybe I should have expressed my question more clearly, What is
>>>>>> tenure
>>>>>> without the salary? What do you get with that?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Joe Campbell
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Apr 23, 2009, at 8:43 AM, lfalen <lfalen at turbonet.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> All I am saying is that pay cuts should affect everyone,  
>>>>>>> starting
>>>>>>> with administrators. It makes no sence to cut the pay of those  
>>>>>>> on
>>>>>>> the lowest end of the pay scale while excluding those that make
>>>>>>> more. If the rules for tenure do not allow for this, then the
>>>>>>> rules
>>>>>>> need to be changed.
>>>>>>> Roger
>>>>>>> -----Original message-----
>>>>>>> From: nickgier at roadrunner.com
>>>>>>> Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:22:01 -0700
>>>>>>> To: vision2020 at moscow.com,  lfalen lfalen at turbonet.com, "Gier,
>>>>>>> Nicholas" NGIER at uidaho.edu
>>>>>>> Subject: RE: [Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to
>>>>>>> Financial
>>>>>>> Crisis
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Hi Roger,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> If tenure protects base salary, as two legal cases indicate
>>>>>>>> that it
>>>>>>>> does, then a contract that invalidated that aspect of tenure
>>>>>>>> would
>>>>>>>> be illegal and no faculty member should agree to it.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Nick
>>>>>>>> ---- lfalen <lfalen at turbonet.com> wrote:
>>>>>>>>> You are reading in things that arn't there. I said only that
>>>>>>>>> future tenure contract should not lock in salaries in the  
>>>>>>>>> event
>>>>>>>>> that every one else takes  a pay cut. In this narrow regard,  
>>>>>>>>> no
>>>>>>>>> one should be immuned.
>>>>>>>>> Roger
>>>>>>>>> -----Original message-----
>>>>>>>>> From: "Gier, Nicholas" NGIER at uidaho.edu
>>>>>>>>> Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:01:58 -0700
>>>>>>>>> To: "lfalen" lfalen at turbonet.com,  nickgier at roadrunner.com, vision2020 at moscow.com
>>>>>>>>> Subject: RE: [Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to
>>>>>>>>> Financial Crisis
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Hi Roger,
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Here are your exact words:
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> "If this is prohibited by tenured rules, these should be
>>>>>>>>>> changed
>>>>>>>>>> going forward. Contracts should be honored as the early  
>>>>>>>>>> retires
>>>>>>>>>> contracts should be honored. The thing is do not make these
>>>>>>>>>> kinds
>>>>>>>>>> of contracts in the future."
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Perhaps you did not mean to say it, but you wrote this and it
>>>>>>>>>> clearly implies that future contracts for faculty would not
>>>>>>>>>> include tenure.
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> Nick
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>>>>> From: lfalen [mailto:lfalen at turbonet.com]
>>>>>>>>>> Sent: Wed 4/22/2009 1:53 PM
>>>>>>>>>> To: Gier, Nicholas; nickgier at roadrunner.com;
>>>>>>>>>> vision2020 at moscow.com
>>>>>>>>>> Subject: RE: [Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to
>>>>>>>>>> Financial Crisis
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>> I did not say anything about eliminating tenure, only that  
>>>>>>>>>> they
>>>>>>>>>> should be subject to same rules as staff when it comes to pay
>>>>>>>>>> cuts.
>>>>>>>>>> Roger
>>>>>>>>>> -----Original message-----
>>>>>>>>>> From: "Gier, Nicholas" NGIER at uidaho.edu
>>>>>>>>>> Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:42:01 -0700
>>>>>>>>>> To: "lfalen" lfalen at turbonet.com,  nickgier at roadrunner.com, vision2020 at moscow.com
>>>>>>>>>> Subject: RE: [Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to
>>>>>>>>>> Financial Crisis
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Hi Roger,
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> If you are suggesting that Idaho eliminate tenure, then
>>>>>>>>>>> prospective faculty members will not apply for jobs on  
>>>>>>>>>>> Idaho's
>>>>>>>>>>> campuses. That of course would be disastrous for Idaho  
>>>>>>>>>>> higher
>>>>>>>>>>> education.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Tenure is necessary for academic freedom and that means,
>>>>>>>>>>> after a
>>>>>>>>>>> rigorous probationary period of 5-7 years, tenured  
>>>>>>>>>>> professors
>>>>>>>>>>> have career-long protection from political interference in
>>>>>>>>>>> their
>>>>>>>>>>> teaching, research, and service.
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Nick
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>>>>>> From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com on behalf of lfalen
>>>>>>>>>>> Sent: Wed 4/22/2009 10:39 AM
>>>>>>>>>>> To: nickgier at roadrunner.com; vision2020 at moscow.com
>>>>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to
>>>>>>>>>>> Financial Crisis
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> Nick
>>>>>>>>>>> I agree with you on administrative position and athletics,
>>>>>>>>>>> though not necessarily on tenure. If cuts do get down to  
>>>>>>>>>>> staff
>>>>>>>>>>> positions, it should also include tenured faculty. If this  
>>>>>>>>>>> is
>>>>>>>>>>> prohibited by tenured rules, these should be changed going
>>>>>>>>>>> forward. Contracts should be honored as the early retires
>>>>>>>>>>> contracts should be honored. The thing is do not make these
>>>>>>>>>>> kinds of contracts in the future.
>>>>>>>>>>> Roger
>>>>>>>>>>> -----Original message-----
>>>>>>>>>>> From: nickgier at roadrunner.com
>>>>>>>>>>> Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:54:37 -0700
>>>>>>>>>>> To: vision2020 at moscow.com
>>>>>>>>>>> Subject: [Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to
>>>>>>>>>>> Financial
>>>>>>>>>>> Crisis
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> IFT HIGHER EDUCATION COUNCIL RESPONDS TO FINANCIAL CRISIS
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> On April 15, 2009 the Higher Education Council of the Idaho
>>>>>>>>>>>> Federation of Teachers, AFT/AFL-CIO met in a phone  
>>>>>>>>>>>> conference
>>>>>>>>>>>> to discuss the financial crisis.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> Those present were Valia Tatarova, Idaho State University
>>>>>>>>>>>> (physics); Lynn Lubamersky, Boise State University  
>>>>>>>>>>>> (history);
>>>>>>>>>>>> Chris Riggs, Lewis-Clark State College (history); Lynne
>>>>>>>>>>>> Haagensen, University of Idaho (art); Joyce Lider, North
>>>>>>>>>>>> Idaho
>>>>>>>>>>>> College (English); Susan Andrews, IFT Vice-President for
>>>>>>>>>>>> Higher
>>>>>>>>>>>> Education; and Nick Gier, IFT President.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> I. Salary Reduction Proposal. According to a legal opinion
>>>>>>>>>>>> from
>>>>>>>>>>>> the AFT national office, academic tenure protects base
>>>>>>>>>>>> salary.
>>>>>>>>>>>> Tenure is a property right and at least two court cases  
>>>>>>>>>>>> have
>>>>>>>>>>>> recognized that base salary is part of that property. The  
>>>>>>>>>>>> IFT
>>>>>>>>>>>> Higher Education Council voted to oppose any salary
>>>>>>>>>>>> reductions
>>>>>>>>>>>> for tenured faculty.  We join the BSU Faculty Senate
>>>>>>>>>>>> President
>>>>>>>>>>>> in vowing to file a case action suit if tenured faculty are
>>>>>>>>>>>> forced to take a pay cut.  In a related decision the IFT
>>>>>>>>>>>> Higher
>>>>>>>>>>>> Education Council voted that classified staff, lecturers,  
>>>>>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>>>>> non-tenured faculty be exempt from salary reductions and
>>>>>>>>>>>> proposed that salary savings be taken from those making  
>>>>>>>>>>>> more
>>>>>>>>>>>> than $100,000.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> II. Teaching positions should have priority over
>>>>>>>>>>>> administrative
>>>>>>>>>>>> positions.  Nation-wide administrative positions have
>>>>>>>>>>>> generally
>>>>>>>>>>>> grown at a greater rate than teaching positions.  The  
>>>>>>>>>>>> example
>>>>>>>>>>>> of BSU is especially egregious: from 2005-2007 BSU had over
>>>>>>>>>>>> 100
>>>>>>>>>>>> more administrators than its peers but 191 fewer faculty
>>>>>>>>>>>> members instructing students than peer institutions.
>>>>>>>>>>>> Administrative salaries have also outpaced faculty pay.
>>>>>>>>>>>> Since
>>>>>>>>>>>> 1982 the salaries of 11 top UI administrative positions  
>>>>>>>>>>>> have
>>>>>>>>>>>> increased 260 percent while full professor salaries  
>>>>>>>>>>>> increased
>>>>>>>>>>>> 198 percent.  (CPI for the period was 215.) (For more see  
>>>>>>>>>>>> <www.home.roadrunner.com/~nickgier/salaries.htm
>>>>>>>>>>>>> .) The IFT Higher Education Council voted to recommend  
>>>>>>>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>>>>>>> administrative positions be cut before teaching positions.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> III. Appropriated funds are for academics not athletics.
>>>>>>>>>>>> Since
>>>>>>>>>>>> 1987 state subsidies for athletics at the UI has grown 338
>>>>>>>>>>>> percent while appropriations for Idaho higher education has
>>>>>>>>>>>> grown 159 percent.  Currently the state subsidies for UI  
>>>>>>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>>>>>>> ISU athletics are over $3 million.  Since 1999 private
>>>>>>>>>>>> contributions to UI athletics rose 246 percent, indicating
>>>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>>>> potential for it to wean itself, as any non-academic  
>>>>>>>>>>>> program
>>>>>>>>>>>> should, from its state subsidy. (For more see <www.home.roadrunner.com/~nickgier/athletics.htm
>>>>>>>>>>>>> .) The IFT Higher Education Council voted to request that
>>>>>>>>>>>> state monies for athletics on all Idaho campuses be phased
>>>>>>>>>>>> out
>>>>>>>>>>>> over 4-6 years.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> IV. Program reduction procedures must be revised.  In 2002
>>>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>>>> Idaho State Board of Education (SBOE) instituted new
>>>>>>>>>>>> procedures
>>>>>>>>>>>> for program reduction.  At that time the IFT objected to a
>>>>>>>>>>>> lack
>>>>>>>>>>>> of protection for tenured faculty and requested that the
>>>>>>>>>>>> procedures be revised.  As no revisions have been made, IFT
>>>>>>>>>>>> president asked  in December 2008 for a legal opinion from
>>>>>>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>>>>>>> national office.  The response was that these procedures
>>>>>>>>>>>> undermine tenure and do not comply with Idaho law. (For  
>>>>>>>>>>>> more
>>>>>>>>>>>> see <www.home.roadrunner.com/~nickgier/
>>>>>>>>>>>> ProgramReduction.htm>.)
>>>>>>>>>>>> The IFT Higher Education Council voted to urge the SBOE to
>>>>>>>>>>>> revise these procedures such that tenured faculty have the
>>>>>>>>>>>> same
>>>>>>>>>>>> protection as under the procedures for financial exigency.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>> =======================================================
>>>>>>>>>>>> List services made available by First Step Internet,
>>>>>>>>>>>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>>>>>>>>>>>>            http://www.fsr.net
>>>>>>>>>>>>       mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>>>>>>>>>>>> =======================================================
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> =======================================================
>>>>>>>>>>> List services made available by First Step Internet,
>>>>>>>>>>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>>>>>>>>>>>            http://www.fsr.net
>>>>>>>>>>>       mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>>>>>>>>>>> =======================================================
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> =======================================================
>>>>>>> List services made available by First Step Internet,
>>>>>>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>>>>>>>            http://www.fsr.net
>>>>>>>       mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>>>>>>> =======================================================



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