Negotiations and Consequences

This is one in a 2016 series from the desk of the FSA Executive Director, Paul Reniers.

February 19th Edition

Kathy Kinloch Addresses Tech Reps

FSA Tech Reps met on February 12 and were joined briefly by BCIT President Kathy Kinloch, who addressed the recent security incidents at BCIT involving students.  President Kinloch vowed that BCIT can do better at communicating about security concerns with faculty and staff in a timely way.  She also explained BCIT’s need to ensure appropriate procedures are followed so that such incidents are addressed properly, even though that limits how much information BCIT can share.  Tech Reps offered appreciation and support for Kinloch’s efforts to respond to the concerns.

CAUT Discussions

The February 12 Tech Rep meeting also featured a talk by CAUT Assistant Executive Director Jeff McKeil.  Some FSA members may remember Jeff from when he was a Grievance Officer for us about 15 years ago.  Since then he also served as a staff rep with the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators.  Given those experiences, Jeff was able to speak to several concrete examples of how affiliation with CAUT would benefit the FSA.  CAUT was influential in thwarting detrimental management initiatives at Kwantlen and Capilano and provided significant assistance in bargaining at Thompson Rivers and UNBC.  Tech Reps had a lively discussion about CAUT, many of them reporting on conversations about CAUT affiliation happening in their departments.

Some areas have organized member events specifically to discuss affiliation with CAUT.  The FSA would be happy to assist with organizing, hosting, or participating in discussions in every school or department.  Please contact FSA Member Engagement Officer Kyla Epstein if you’d like to arrange such a discussion.  Information packages are being prepared outlining what the implications of affiliating or not affiliating would be for the FSA and what the costs and benefits would be.  CAUT Vice-President James Compton will be our guest on campus on March 9.

Meeting with Tom Roemer

New BCIT VP Academic Tom Roemer met with the FSA Board of Directors on February 17. Roemer stressed a holistic approach to education management so that the value and benefits of internationalization, indigenous culture, and applied research are realized in our instructional programs.  Knowing that the demands of his role make spontaneous interactions with faculty and staff difficult, Roemer encouraged the FSA to take initiative in engaging him on issues as they arise.

Precarious Academic Work

International Student Entry Program (ISEP) Instructor Dan Nooney and FSA Labour Relations Representative Ken Howie attended a conference on Precarious Academic Work hosted by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations, a CAUT affiliate.  The conference stressed how substandard rights and working conditions like those experienced by our PTS Instructors are a continental phenomenon requiring an innovative response on a sector-wide scale.  Terrible working conditions for auxiliary faculty in the US, Alberta, and Atlantic Canada are compromising the quality of education making improvements in conditions for instructors more difficult everywhere.

News from the Ledge

MLAs returned to the legislature this month.  Burnaby-Deer Lake MLA Kathy Corrigan addressed the legislature on Thursday, February 18 to report on the tour that the FSA hosted for Corrigan and three of her colleagues on February 5.  Corrigan praised FSA members for the great breadth of their practical innovation and creativity.  The government presented a budget that provided no new initiatives to support post-secondary education.  The government did commit to funding wage increases resulting from their bargaining mandate that included the Economic Stability Dividend, even though they have not always provided this funding in the past.  They also committed $2.52B in capital spending for post-secondary education over the next three years, down slightly from the previous budget.

PD Committee Training

The FSA held a training session for members sitting on professional development leave committees. Representatives from every committee participated in a review of the collective agreement provisions and the committee requirements as well as sharing with the FSA why they choose to participate on the committees (see photo).  They also shared the challenges and rewards of reviewing PD leave applications.  Additional training and support for members who volunteer to represent their colleagues is one of the objectives of the FSA strategic plan.

Research Caucus

The FSA Board of Directors approved the terms of reference (PDF) for the Caucus for Applied Research and Advanced Studies. CARAS will be a formal consultative body within the FSA open to any FSA member who identifies an interest in applied research and advanced studies.  The purpose of CARAS is to provide a forum for these members to advise the FSA and to influence the development and administration of applied research and advanced studies at BCIT.  A founding meeting for CARAS will be arranged shortly.