Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Brandon University Faculty Association has been on legal strike against the Brandon University Board of Governors since Monday, September 29, 2008.

The strike is undoubtedly having an impact on you, the students, and BUFA sincerely regrets that this job action was necessary. We also think that you should know what is keeping you from your classes. Without boring you with a lot of data about salaries and pensions, confrontations of this nature always seem to involve money and working conditions. We invite you to go to the BUFA website at www.bufa.org for all of the details.

You should also be aware that the Brandon University Faculty Association has filed an unfair labour practice complaint with the Manitoba Labour Board. This involves approximately 1.3 million dollars which BUFA alleges was removed from the bargaining table by the Employer's agents.

You may not know that on monetary issues including much needed changes to pensions, the two sides were, as of October 6, just over 1 million dollars apart over three years as calculated by Mr. Lamont.

Mr. Lamont vastly overestimates the increased cost of benefits on salary increases. For example, the costs of sick leave, Blue Cross Extended Health Care, Dental Care etc. do not increase as salaries increase. Employer contributions to life insurance premiums and pensions are the only items which will increase as salaries increase. While Mr. Lamont charges 15% or more for these items, BUFA believes that the true cost is more on the order of 10%.

Just because Mr. Lamont has always used his method in the past, does not make it correct, and is no reason for not changing. Taking Mr. Lamont's surcharge into account, the two sides are probably about $750,000 apart over three years. This is about $250,000 per year on a projected total budget of over 36 million dollars.

Last year, the University had an unallocated surplus of about 2 million dollars. The previous year it was about $750,000. The year before that it was $362,000. If the Board of Governors had instructed Mr. Lamont to reallocate some funds into faculty salaries and pensions instead of continually running huge surpluses, this job action would not have been necessary.

What good is a huge unallocated surplus if classes are not being taught? It may make Mr. Lamont feel "all warm and fuzzy", but is that important?

The other big issue between the Parties concerns the Respectful Environment Policy. BUFA wrote to the Board members twice before this policy was passed and pointed out numerous problems with its content and procedures. These suggestions were virtually ignored by the Board of Governors in passing the policy.

At the crux of this issue as it applies to negotiations is the Administration's desire to remove the current Sexual Harassment article from the Collective Agreement. BUFA wants to expand it to include all types of harassment.

In other words, BUFA wants the whole issue of harassment covered in the Collective Agreement while the Administration wants it outside.

Policies are very easily changed. Something as important as protection from workplace harassment and bullying should be in the Collective Agreement, so that it cannot be arbitrarily changed or cancelled.

BUFA believes that it is past time for the Board of Governors of Brandon University to instruct their agents to end this strike so that faculty and students can get back to teaching learning and research.

Bruce Forrest
BUFA President