A NOTE FROM THE RETIRING PRESIDENT OF THE
DOUGLAS COLLEGE FACULTY ASSOCIATION

Now that the first round of negotiations,the one

dealing with money matters,is drawing to a close, 5
we must confront matters of a more theoretical
nature. Key to those matters is the question of
composition of the bargaining unit. That is the
question that should,in my opinion,be the key issue
in the up-coming Associstion election. That is the
issue to which I wish to address myself in a moment.

First,do you remember the last special meeting? Ve
were given a choice: to buy the union idea or not.
It was implied that acceptance of the "not" meant
continuance of the status quo. Unfortunately,we
were never presented with the third alternative,
namely,to have collective bargaining and a legal
contract without becoming a certified lahor (iri
It appears now thet the third alternative is less
than a remote possibility since an application for
certification has been sent. But,if the faculty,
after a reasoirable time and trial of certification,
chooses to decertify,the third alternative could
become a reality.

But the reality of our existing situation is that

we have applied for certification and we likely will
become certified as a labor union. The big question,
the one that has been troubling many of us iss
Should the administrators be part of the bargaining
unit? And who are the administrators? The issue |
in its unresolved state is of particular concern

to the negotiating team. iho does it represent?

What does it say in the matter of emoluments? What

does it say about election of administrative per~

sonnel? The faculty has been notably silent on

these questions and,it seems,the department chair-~

men/directors as a group have been split in their

stand.

Now is the time to question whether a faculty
ember can he both a supervisor and a rank-in-
file member? Is that ‘having your cake and eating
at. 200°? Maybe it is,but if we were to elect our
administr tors,they could be included in the unit
and we covid try,tien,having it both ways at once.

But I'm afraid it would not achieve very much to
go that route. It is for that reason,in part, that
I am vroposings tht someone running for office in
the elections .ate atunion'position like the one
which follows:

j
H e ; é .