The Badger Herald

NEWS

UW schools fight collective bargaining

Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.

Also by Charles Hinriksson:

Hope for Wii ends in disappointment (May 1, 2007)
UW schools fight collective bargaining (April 16, 2007)
UW battles budget lingo (March 30, 2007)

by Charles Hinriksson

Monday, April 16, 2007

The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh academic staff joined with UW-Stout, UW-La Crosse and UW Colleges colleagues last month in issuing a resolution opposing collective bargaining language in the 2007-08 biennial State Budget Bill.

The language in the bill proposes legislation that would allow the academic faculty and staff the opportunity to vote for unions.

Academic Staff Professionals Representation Organization — a systemwide, non-profit organization — is a major opponent of the legislation on the grounds that it separates academic staff and faculty, forcing them to compete against each other for salaries.

ASPRO President Bill Steffenhagen said although they support the right to choose, they disagree that the issue would be implemented with the state budget.

"[ASPRO] would like to see [the legislation] pulled out of the budget and treated separately," Steffenhagen said. "If the proposed budget goes through, there are no opportunities for hearings or amendments to the bill; academic staff and faculty will be completely separated."

The UW-Oshkosh ASPRO resolution said they strongly oppose the proposed executive budget act even though it enables the UW System faculty and academic staff the right to vote and bargain collectively on salary, fringe benefits and other conditions of employment.

The resolution said "the proposed budget language philosophically disturbs and usurps the nature and scope of an already established system of shared governance in the UW System."

"Labor organization is a policy issue, not an issue for the state budget bill," said Lynn Freeman, president of the UW-Oshkosh Senate of Academic Staff, in a release.

Steffenhagen also said the UW-Oshkosh decision supports the position of ASPRO, adding if the UW System wants to organize into a union, it needs to be done in a forum outside the budget process.

"If the provision passes faculty, … each campus will be allowed to bargain individually while the academic staff is lumped into one group," said ASPRO Board Member Greg Wypiszynski.

ASPRO, Wypiszynski said, feels this arrangement will give an unfair advantage to faculty at larger UW institutions like Madison and Milwaukee.

"Right now, we are operating under a unified payment plan," Wypiszynski said. "The proposed legislation will mean that a finite amount of money will be fought over by 14 separate bargaining units."

Wypiszynski also said he is skeptical of the benefits of collective bargaining, adding people disagreeing on this issue makes it necessary for it to be addressed as a separate form of legislation.

Despite the opposition to the bill, no official dates have been set to resolve the issue.

Add a comment

We welcome your thoughts, but please keep your feedback thoughtful, on-topic and respectful. Offensive language, personal attacks, or irrelevant comments may be deleted.