RAAS Report
RAAS REPORT
A biweekly newsletter from your
Association of Academic Staff
Friday, October 25, 2019
NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
Negotiations continue with sessions on October 4, 9, 21, and 25, with considerable back and forth on language pertaining to Discipline and Search Procedures. RAAS is currently preparing a response to the Employer's counter-proposals on Discipline and on Health & Safety. We are awaiting the Employer's response to proposals on Appointments, Sabbaticals, Leaves, Academic Misconduct, Management Rights, and several other items. The language regarding recognition of the Association, which has been contentious since the beginning, is also back on the table for negotiation.
The RAAS team is also completing its analyses regarding fairness and sustainability in relation to Compensation. Thank you to everyone who has provided the information we need for this analysis.
If you have feedback or questions for the team, please contact me.
Rob Case, Lead Negotiator
BOARD UPDATE
Wednesday October 24th was Renison's Annual General Meeting. Brian Hendley was elected Chair of the Board of Governors. We are grateful to Brian for agreeing to take on this role.
Rosita Tse, May Yan, and Keith Hipel have completed their terms and will be leaving their posts at the end of the calendar year. In their place, the Board elected three excellent new members.
Elizabeth Vitek is recently retired from the position of Warden at the Grand Valley Institute. She has over 30 years' experience in corrections and crime prevention initiatives from a grassroots level in our community up to the federal level. She has connected with Renison BSW students on placement, and she has taught at the post-secondary level.
Ashton Romany is a CPA, with considerable experience in public sector finance. He is currently Manager of Finance / Deputy Treasurer for the Township of Wilmot, where he also serves as Chair of Sustainability Working Group (among other things). He is a member of the Workplaces Sector Committee of ClimateActionWR, and is actively connected to progressive networks in his profession and sector as well.
Yaacov Iland is a UW alumnus (Math), a former Renison resident (Fubar), and a past President of UW Feds (in which capacity he represented students at the UW board, among other things). He is currently a high school teacher (Math and Computer Science @ Cameron Heights), and an active community member in too many capacities to list.
For more information on the Board nomination process or any other Board matter, please contact me.
Rob Case, Faculty Representative
SATIRE
Doug Ford knocks on cellar door to see if it’s okay to come out
Alex Huntley, The Beaverton (October 22, 2019)
KENORA, ON – Rapping on a rickety plywood door from his subterranean hiding, Doug Ford sheepishly asked his Conservative Party handlers if it was okay to come out now that that the federal election was over.
NOT SATIRE
Western Librarians & Archivists Reject Deal
UWOFA Updates (October 22, 2019)
The UWOFA librarian and archivist membership has voted to reject the tentative collective agreement that was reached with the university administration on October 7 … amid concerns that it did not address the serious erosion of librarian and archivist complement [which has] fallen by over 20% in the past 10 years.