GRIST FOR THE MILL RE CERTIFICATION.

May I add my voice to that of Murray Leslie. I concur with his stand.
I've only been on campus since August first and am not a member of the
Faculty Association. The reason being that I am not in favour of union
certification. Perhaps that is'nt the right attitude. If you don't
like the way things are run in a democratic organization you should
get in there and fight. To date I hav'nt and make no excuse for my
action or lack of action.

However, the faculty at B.C.I.T. have been fighting to get out of the
B.C. Government Employees' Union. In fact they may now be out of the
union. The main reason being that professional status cuts very little
ice in a union. Perhaps someone from the Faculty Association should talk
to a faculty member at B.C.I1.T.

As for CUPE. My last position with the C.B.C. was covered by a C.U.P.E.
agreement. C.U.P.E. is not a strong union... if that is what we want.
Their settlements were prolonged over months when neither side met to
discuss negotiations, and when a settlement was reached it never took
care of the cost of living increase, let alone improve salary positions.
Then too, the higher groupings usually settled for a lesser amount that
the lower classifications. As a result, the salary differential between
Secretaries and commentators or announcers gradually narrowed.

From what I've seen of attitudes of management within Douglas College and
the resulting climate, may I suggest we should look long and hard at the
implications of union certification. We could stand to lose a lot more
than we could possibly gain from certification.

As a professional I'm quite prepared to with hold my service, but I'll be
dammed if some union organizer is going to take me by the nose and hand
me a picket sign. By with holding service... I mean... if it comes to
the point of not being able to negotiate a satisfactory settlement, you
can always tender your resignation. If you want the security of organized
union bargaining and are willing to work with the aftermath of a hitter
strike then by all means consider certification.

I have nothing against unions. Don't get me wrong. What I'm suggesting
is are you sure we really need a union. Has the situation deteriorated
to the point where certification is necessary. Staff should perhaps be
represented by a certified union. But faculty I hae me doots.

I'm a member of a professional organization. To be a member of a union
at the same time would be mixing my metafores to say the least. Lets
either be fish or fowl... not foul fish.
Ron Tarves,
- 30 <= Environmental Institute.