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Call
your grievance officer UPI's grievance chairs are responsible for maintaining the integrity of your contract. The moment that you feel that your contractual rights have been violated your should contact your grievance chair immediately. Failure to do so could result in a loss of your rights due to the untimeliness of your response. Some of the UPI agreements allow bargaining unit members 30 days from the time of the perceived violation to file against the administration and others 40 days. You need to check your contract to see which number applies to you. This is important as failure to challenge contract violations not only affects you but also the rest of the bargaining unit. Grievance Officers UPI Grievance Chair Associate Grievance Officer Janet Grange Ed Brazil Lydia Morrow-Ruetten BarBara Scott John Dickerman Mark Rogh Bob Sutton Elaine Root |
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Grievance Report
Traditionally grievance filings drop in summer, but several left over from the past academic year have kept us busy. Qualifications, not experience, govern courses faculty teach We had a positive settlement for a Unit B grievance at GSU where a faculty member was denied the right to teach courses the grievant was qualified to teach. Administrators argued that the grievant was entitled to teach only those courses the professor taught previously. UPI argued that the grievant was entitled to teach courses for which the grievant was qualified. (A comparable grievance will be arbitrated this fall at CSU.). Grievance may go on beyond the bargaining unit At NEIU a faculty member filed a grievance after being denied consideration for promotion for allegedly failing to submit student evaluations for several years. UPI based our grievance on NEIU contract language and the Department's Application of Criteria (DAC). Both documents state that the department is responsible for maintaining records the faculty member submitted. When Step 2 of the grievance process was reached, it was agreed that the promotion portfolio would go forward with a limited set of student evaluations. What makes this grievance interesting is that while the administration was supposed to be evaluating the portfolio, the faculty member was asked to be the acting department chair and was told that, acceptance of that position would mean suspension of the grievance. The administration said that the faculty member refused to become acting chair, "if this meant that he would have to suspend his grievance." There is absolutely no reason to suspend a grievance because you are leaving the bargaining unit. In fact, there are instances in which grievances have been resolved when the faculty member is no longer at the institution. Once the grievance reaches the level of Step 2 or higher, it is the UPI's grievance. Neither the faculty member nor the administration can pursue or withdraw a grievance at this stage. It is UPI's responsibility to make that decision on the case's merits. Under no circumstances can the administration take any action against a faculty member in an effort to have him/her suspend or withdraw a grievance. Final grades clash with dissertation defense Finally, a Western faculty member's dissertation defense fell at a time conflicting with the grading process, forcing the grievant to delay grading final exams. As a result the faculty member turned grades in late. The grievant's request to turn grades in late was denied on the grounds that it would inconvenience the records department. UPI argued that to evaluate the students fairly before turning in grades more time was needed. To comply with the administration demands, the grievant turned in incompletes for all students at the time grades were due and subsequently issued final grades upon returning from the dissertation defense. Despite the request for permission, and completion of the grading procedure upon the grievant's return, WIU's administration filed for a penalty of four days pay as a sanction for the grievant's action. This sanction hearing will take place in early September.
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