Anti-Democratic Principles in Stewards Council Elections

Stanley Jeffers

"There is a movement to get a wider range of people involved in YUFA. And there are those, like Stanley, who don't like that. I suppose they are afraid that a truly democratic YUFA would be very different from what it is now." [Michael Mazurkewich on YUForum, April 6]

Really Michael! Truly democratic? I try to solicit from a candidate for Stewards Council information regarding where they stand on issues relevant to YUFA in order to ascertain whether I will vote for said candidate and you and others heavily criticize me for doing so while the candidate continues to ignore requests for information! Would a truly democratic YUFA involve candidates for positions having the good grace to inform their prospective constituency of where they stand on issues that are important to YUFA?

I have been involved with YUFA from its very inception. Its formation was strongly resisted by some, primarily from our own faculty who fought tooth and nail against the formation of YUFA up and including failed law suits.

I sincerely believe that YUFA has, by and large, been a force for good within the university. The Collective Agreements negotiated by YUFA have enhanced our working conditions substantially and have progressively enhanced the status of our female colleagues and those of minorities. I know from my own work as Chief Steward in our faculty that the grievance procedures have prevented numerous instances of colleagues being unjustly disadvantaged.

You paint a picture of a "truly democratic YUFA very different from what it is now"? What might that look like? Well it could evolve such that many of the progressive provisions of the Collective Agreement could be rolled back, YUFA could evolve such that it becomes what some characterize as a "company union". It could evolve such that it is basically with little real power if the right to strike is essentially conceded prior to any negotiations. Yes, it could evolve to be very different from what it is now.

On that we do agree.

Stanley

Commenting on this Story is closed.