RRUFA 2017 June Monthly Meeting Minutes
June 14, 2017
Centre for Dialogue, LIC
Agenda:
1 Call to order at 12:05 pm (President Kenneth Christie) 1
2 Approval of April Monthly Meeting minutes: 1
3 New Business: 1
3.1 3.1 Member Info from RRU Administration (Ken) 1
3.2 Scholarship Leave (Robin) 2
4 Previous Business: 3
5 Regular Reports: Reports from: 3
5.1 Bargaining Team (Ken) 3
5.2 5.2 Finance Committee (Jo) 3
5.3 5.2 Board of Governor’s Report (Charles) 3
5.4 Academic Council (Virginia) 4
5.5 CUFA-BC Conference (Ken) 4
5.6 Social Committee (Jenn) 4
5.7 Grievance Committee (Tamara) 5
5.8 Health & Safety Committee (Rick) 5
5.9 Workload Unit Committee (WLU) (Virginia) 5
5.10 Other: 5
5.11 6.0 Adjourn Meeting 5
Appendix A: RRUFA 2017 Executive: 6
1 Call to order at 12:05 pm (President Kenneth Christie)
2 Approval of May Monthly Meeting minutes: Moved by Chris; seconded by Virginia
Approved after one correction regarding fact that Hilary Leighton is acting health and safety – replacing Rick Kool.
3 New Business:
3.1. Ad hoc Committee on RRUFA Member Information Management Policy (Jaigris)
Jagiris and Robin have researched what other FAs are doing, incorporating information already collected by Ken and Wendy, to ensure that RRUFA’s policy draws on normative practices. There are two handouts provided as a result of the work Jaigris and Robin completed:
• Policy on Access to and Storage to Confidential Salary Information
• Confidentiality Agreement
Discussion ranged around questions of privacy, mechanisms for gaining member consent for information to be released. A member asked if there is there an opt out clause and would sharing of personal information be voluntary or not? What are we agreeing to if we approve these documents?
Members discussed if it made sense to allow more time to review the documents before approving them, or simply approve the policy, leaving members to read over the confidentiality agreement and make a motion to that effect in September. Alternatively, we could approve the policy in principle and leave further discussion about confidentiality and storage possibilities until the next meeting.
Motion. To accept the policy on Access to Confidentiality Salary Information — Todd/Geo
3.2. Member Info from RRU Administration (Ken)
Ken: Ken read out the most recent communication from Pedro Marquez, noting that there has been a regression in what the administration is willing to do, removing age, gender, and letter of appointment, unless with the explicit consent of the individual member.
Discussion: This appears to be an unusual stance relative to that of other universities. We discussed if RRUFA should just accept the employer’s position, or go to the labour board, or wait for bargaining so that language regarding what we consider to be normative union access to members’ data is included there. If RRUFA does not immediately go to the Labour Board, some members are concerned that RRUFA might not be taken seriously at the bargaining table. We have rights as an FA, and there is concern that these rights have not been taken seriously. The employer has been so reticent, perhaps there are larger legal issues that go beyond this of which we are unaware, regardless of the fact that our lawyer has a strong case. If we voted to endorse legal action, does not mean we are taking it, but it does send a signal to the executive that we are not letting this go. Ken will send an email to say it is not acceptable, and we will continue the dialogue. The membership will take a vote on how to proceed in October. In between, we will check with other universities in BC to see if they have found ways to balance their CA language with privacy concerns (given that BC has the country’s strictest privacy of information laws).
Motion: To reject the message from the VPA as regards member information. Passed. Charles/Jen
4 Previous Business:
(None for this meeting)
5 Regular Reports: Reports from:
5.1 Bargaining Team (Ken)
Wendy not here – not much to report…
5.2 5.2 Finance Committee (Jo)
Nothing to report
5.3 5.3 Board of Governor’s Report (Charles)
Charles: Attended a recent BoG meeting, mostly related to presidential search, which seems to be being pushed forward. Charles put forward the idea of electing rather than appointing RRU faculty and staff member on that search committee. Charles asked for policy on that, then committee discussed, deciding on a compromise. There is an elected faculty member on the Board, and it is the Board that gets to decide on the short list. There will be someone nominated by deans, and Allan nominates two faculty names to the governance committee, and they will choose who is on the search community. Search committee will be formed, go out and start a search, go through the people, bring them to the board for consideration. On the board, there is a faculty member who HAS been elected.
Tony: With a new provincial government, there may be a large scale changes to the board.
Charles: There are couple of positions open on the board. There will be some interesting choices for the new government to make in the near future.
Academic Council (Virginia)
Virginia: Not much to report.
Todd: On the basis of planning work done by our AC retreat subcommittee (Todd, Virginia, Niels, master’s student), I provided a broad sketch of our planned activities for the afternoon of the retreat day. The 2-hour facilitated dialogue was received well by other members of the AC.
5.4 CUFA (Ken)
Ken: Will have meeting in September following a hiatus during summer.
5.5 Social Committee (Jenn)
Jen was not here for this part of the meeting, but other members spoke to this topic in Jen’s absence. Jen set up a social activity called Academic Trends to serve as monthly get-togethers, typically held at Hatley Castle in the bar area. These monthly meetings happen in the later afternoon on the third Thursday of the month (recurring meeting in Outlook, easy to plan for). For the several members who have been able to attend, the sense is that this initiative is going well, with rich discussion and connections being made that contribute to our various roles as faculty members and improve our sense of community. There was some discussion regarding the value of spending RRUFA funds in this manner, as the timing is not good for all members, and there was a request to consider different timings – not just after work – let’s try breakfast and lunch time too.
5.6 Grievance Committee (Tamara)
Not in attendance. No report.
5.7 Health & Safety Committee (Rick)
No news to report. Hilary notes the need to broaden the scope of H&S to that of mental health.
5.8 Workload Unit Committee (WLU) (Virginia)
Meeting with deans in September. Two meetings so far, at which we have set out terms of reference, and we are hearing consensus from the deans on the need to streamline, simplify, and make “WLU discourse” part of all we do at RRU.
5.9 Other:
(No Guests today).
5.10 6.0 Adjourn Meeting
Motion to adjourn: Chris/Hilary
Adjourned at 1:25
Recorder: Virginia
Appendix A: RRUFA 2017 Executive:
2017 Royal Roads University Faculty Association Executive:
President: Kenneth Christie [email protected]
Vice President: Virginia McKendry [email protected]
Secretary: Niels Agger-Gupta [email protected]
Treasurer: Jo Axe [email protected]
Member-at-Large (4 positions)
MAL: Brian White [email protected]
MAL: Rick Kool [email protected]
MAL: Eva Malisius [email protected]
MAL: Will Meredith [email protected]
FA Positions NOT up for renewal
Past President: Carolin Rekar Munro [email protected]
H&S Officer: Rick Kool
Chief Negotiator: Wendy Rowe [email protected]
Chief Grievance Officer: Tamara Leary [email protected])
Standing Request:
If you have any ideas and suggestions for presentations/dialogue topics for one of our monthly RRUFA meetings, please send these to Ken!!
Thanks!