As the campaign by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) to organize the University’s professional and scientific (P&S) staff continues, staff in UI Human Resources are encouraging staff to learn everything they can about the issues, processes, and procedures involved in collective bargaining, according to Kevin Ward, UI Senior Associate Director of Human Resources.
A couple of key developments have occurred since the campaign began.
In May, SEIU filed a petition with the Iowa Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) to clarify the P&S bargaining unit, and to represent the University’s P&S staff in collective bargaining with the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, who lead the University in matters of collective bargaining.
In June, PERB gave tentative approval to an agreement between the Board of Regents and SEIU about the appropriate bargaining unit definition for research and academically related professional staff at The University of Iowa. The approved definition includes most P&S employees of The University of Iowa and excludes all faculty, all professional employees engaged in tertiary care in University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, all Regent merit system employees of The University of Iowa, all persons included in other bargaining units or in the classifications specifically set forth under “exclusions” in Appendix A of the agreement, and all other employees of the State of Iowa. (A copy of the Proposed Decision is available online at www.uiowa.edu/~perb). A final decision from PERB is currently pending.
PERB will next confirm interest from at least 30 percent of the defined bargaining unit, and will then issue an order and schedule for an election, Ward says.
The University will submit a list to PERB of all employees eligible to vote in the election. The list will include home address information, and PERB will mail ballots to individual employees, along with voting instructions that will include a due date by which ballots must be returned to PERB in order to be counted.
The outcome of the election will be based upon a majority of those ballots returned and counted.
Ward says it is important for staff to watch for future notices from PERB. Staff should watch their mail for the PERB ballot, and then vote and return their ballot in a timely fashion. Anyone taking vacation during this time will need to make arrangements for their mail and watch the deadlines set by PERB.
Human Resources (HR) representatives in each University unit are a resource for staff to understand the developments, Ward says. The name of each staff member’s HR representative is available on the UI Human Resources Self-Service web site or by contacting elr-help@uiowa.edu.
Information about the issues, processes, and procedures involved in collective bargaining is available at www.uiowa.edu/hr/relations/research, and additional information will be made available in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, Ward says, the University community is learning about the many issues and considerations regarding unionization, including the differences between representation through the University’s shared governance model or through collective bargaining; the distinctions of “labor” and “management” in collective bargaining, and the concept of exclusive representation by the union and its prohibition against negotiations with individual employees on subjects exclusively reserved for the union. Staff are also considering any impact collective bargaining may have on collegial and collaborative relationships between faculty and staff, as well as on the future recruitment and retention of faculty and staff, as necessary to meet the mission and goals of the University.
Staff are encouraged to reflect on these and other considerations as they formulate their position on the question of union representation, Ward says.
In a June letter to UI staff, President David Skorton encouraged all P&S staff members to be engaged in the process and to vote when the opportunity presents itself.
“The best result will be an election in which all eligible staff members exercise their rights and express their wishes independently on how they want to be represented,” Skorton said in the letter.
Skorton told P&S staff that the University fully respects the rights of staff members to make independent decisions on the question of representation.
“There will be strict adherence to the law, which prohibits the University from making promises or threats in order to influence how individuals vote,” Skorton said. “The University will not engage campaign consultants to discourage unionization. Fear and intimidation tactics by any parties in this matter are not acceptable.”
Skorton closed his letter by urging all those involved in the process to conduct themselves in such a way as to further build constructive and cooperative professional relationships on the campus, regardless of the outcome.
by Gary Kuhlmann
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