THE
AUFA PRESIDENT COMMUNICATES
On behalf of the AUFA Executive, I would like to welcome all new members to campus and to wish you all of the best for your new careers. For those of you who are returning, I would also like to welcome you back, hoping that you are refreshed after what can only be termed a very trying year.
This year marks my tenth year at Acadia, and for those of you who do not know me, I am a member of the Department of History and Classics. I would like to begin by saying that I was honored when the nominating committee asked if I would run for the position of President last spring. A year previously, as my sabbatical drew to a close, I had agreed to serve as AUFA Chair when I was assured that the upcoming year (2003-2004) would be quiet and uneventful—negotiating appeared to be almost over, a new collective agreement loomed on the horizon, and I was told that we probably would not even get quorum at most of our monthly meetings. Needless to say this scenario did not play out. However, despite the trials of last year, and perhaps because of them, I was more than willing to serve as AUFA President.
I view last year as a major turning point in the history not only of our association, but also of our university. AUFA’s part-time and full-time units were merged into one bargaining unit. An overwhelming majority of our members voted to, and subsequently did, take strike action last winter in order both to protect several of our existing rights which were threatened and to begin to create a working environment that addressed our issues of equity, recruitment and retention. Although not perfect, the Eleventh Collective Agreement is an infinitely better contract than that which was first offered. For me personally, however, the most important developments of last year were less tangible, and included the feelings of unity and camaraderie. Although we did not all agree on every detail up for discussion, I believe that there was more that bound us together than divided us. This said, however, I think that it is time to move beyond our strike year and to look to the future.
Let us hope that this is the year when work is begun on rebuilding bridges at Acadia. So far, I am guardedly optimistic that this may indeed be the uneventful year that I was promised, and that there is a sincere desire on the part of the administration to work with faculty. Both President Dinter-Gottlieb and our new Vice-President Academic, Ralph Nilson, have made time for meetings with members of the AUFA Executive, and more importantly appear to be listening to what we are saying. Ultimately the proof will be in the pudding, but the tone is definitely much improved. Let us hope that there will be movement over the course of the year on both the daycare and dental plan fronts, as well as the need to bring our salary grids into line with the national averages in the Twelfth Collective Agreement. It has been made quite clear to the administration that these issues remain among our key outstanding concerns.
At Acadia’s recent Fall Convocation ceremonies, Dr. Dinter-Gottlieb surprised many of those in attendance by asking faculty to stand and then asking those in attendance to recognize our contribution to this institution. While a round of applause doesn’t fix our teeth, or solve my childcare problems, it was nice to sense that perhaps, just perhaps, a real change has occurred on our campus. While I have been informed that I cannot count my Communicator musings as refereed publications on my curriculum vitae, there is still an advantage to having a captive audience as finally I have the opportunity to quote Chairman Mao in a public venue: “We can learn what we did not know. We are not only good at destroying the old world, we are also good at building the new.” At this point in time, I believe that AUFA’s members are committed not only to Acadia but also to moving forward in building a new work environment where mutual respect forms the foundation of all campus relationships. I hope to see you all at the November General Meeting.
Bob Perrins