Movement will yield returns in 1999

For academic professionals at UIUC, 1998 was a very interesting year, one in which the administration developed a sudden burst of interest in our welfare. For the first time in recent memory academic professionals were invited to a reception specifically designed for them to meet a new provost. The Professional Advisory Committee, virtually invisible since its inception, has attracted far more administration attention than normal. Provost Herman attended the committee's meeting in December, while President Stukel has arranged to attend the February 1999 meeting. Reporting to Chancellor Aiken, the committee is developing a better grievance procedure and looking into paths for career development. At least one college has even encouraged its departments to give academic professionals a better than average raise.

Why the sudden interest in academic professionals after so many years of neglect? Is it merely coincidental that the administration became interested in academic professionals at about the same time we began working for independent workplace representation? We think not.

Sources within the administration have told the Association of Academic Professionals that the campus leadership is even more concerned about our organizing than about the graduate employees' movement. That concern is now manifesting itself in the form of very real but short-term benefits for academic professionals. Employers often take a new interest in employee welfare when an organizing movement begins. They see this as a way to convince employees that there is no need for collective bargaining and contractual relationships that reduce management's cherished "flexibility" (which often translates as complete control over the working lives of employees). We are delighted if this new-found interest in employee welfare improves conditions in the short run, but we fear that it may be short-lived unless our union succeeds in giving academic professionals a real voice on campus. It takes a legally recognized collective bargaining unit to guarantee true respect and permanent attention to our concerns.

The following are some changes we academic professionals can expect to hear more about in 1999--so long as our movement continues to grow.

More professional development opportunities

A task force is being established by the Professional Advisory Committee to study the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats ("SWOT analysis") of the current professional development environment for academic professionals. (If you are interested in serving on the task force, contact Maureen Banks at 4-0415.)

Better procedures for grievances and evaluations

The Mediation Committee of the Professional Advisory Committee is developing an alternative, streamlined grievance procedure for non-union staff. The committee is also participating in training for performance reviews; sessions will be offered in January and February to supervisors of academic professionals.

Bigger pay increases

While it may be unlawful under the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act for the Professional Advisory Committee, as an organ of the administration, to represent academic professionals on issues of salary, benefits, and terms of employment, committee members have delicately raised the issue of salary with administration. The issue seems to resonate at high levels. Chancellor Aiken has added the theme of better staff pay to his well-publicized campaign for better faculty pay. And Provost Herman told a gathering of academic professionals in December that "we will invest in you."

More publicity for Professional Advisory Committee

Inside Illinois, the administration newspaper, has mentioned the committee in two recent issues, including a lengthy article on November 19. A web search shows that the committee was not mentioned in the previous 59 issues! As long as academic professionals are passive and quiet, the administration ignores us. Look forward to more university bulletins about the chancellor's academic professional advisory body.

Willing listeners

Look forward to additional overtures from the administration to meet with academic professionals to discuss our concerns and get our input.

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Enjoy the improvements that the new union campaign is helping to produce in 1999, but don't be distracted from our ultimate goal: an independent, legally recognized collective bargaining unit that will guarantee fair treatment for academic professionals--in 1999 and beyond.

Happy New Year to all UIUC academic professionals!