Strong Ending

Faculty Senate closed the academic year frustrated, even demoralized, but also resolved.  Here's the text of Ken Brown's resolution, which will get second reading in September.  There are good descriptions of the meeting in the Athens Messenger, and some ridiculous comments by Associate Vice Provost for Budget and Planning John Day in the Athens News.

Resolution on Collective Bargaining

Brought to the Faculty Senate of Ohio University on June 9, 2008

for First Reading

Whereas continued functioning of the university requires a reasonable degree of cooperation between the faculty and the central administration, and

Whereas such cooperation depends upon a relationship of mutual trust and respect between the university administration and the faculty, and

Whereas the Ohio University administration stands ready to abrogate a previous agreement with the Faculty Senate regarding health care benefit surpluses, and

Whereas such disregard for a written agreement between the Senate and the administration represents a breach of said trust and betrays a lack of respect for the faculty on the part of the administration;

Be it resolved that the Faculty Senate of Ohio University calls upon the faculty to organize themselves into a collective bargaining unit for the purpose of negotiating a contractual agreement with the university to which the university administration would be bound by law.