Stewards' Council
York University Faculty Association Stewards' Council
An Open Letter to Arthur Hilliker, YUFA President
The YUFA Democracy Caucus
In your statement to YUFA members on May 25 you do not mention that you have blocked all attempts to discuss and resolve the election irregularities by the Executive, and have discounted the motion passed by Stewards Council reaffirming its procedures for the election...
The Failures of a Faculty Association
Jody Berland and Ricardo Grinspun
Challenging times require strong collective action to defend values of fairness, integrity, and democratic accountability. It is deeply disappointing to see the York University Faculty Association failing to stand up to the task. We are responding to egregious anti-democratic practices in the Executive of that Association, most recently in the election of Steward Council Representatives to YUFA Executive. In this article we offer context and commentary on this event.
Electoral Crisis in YUFA
We are a group of YUFA members who are concerned about a breakdown of democracy in YUFA. This crisis will prevent us from making our voices heard in the upcoming contract negotiations. Like Arthur Hilliker in his message sent on May 19, we too call for "us [to] unite and work together in the best interests of our members." However, without due process, democracy and transparency, this will not be possible.
Report on YUFA Executive Meeting of May 4 2009
The YUFA Democracy Caucus
How is it possible that a member of another union, is suddenly in a position to dictate what our elected members on Stewards' Council should and shouldn’t be doing? The lack of democracy makes me crazy – it’s a combination of a majority on Executive that wishes to control how another YUFA body, Stewards' Council operates, plus for good measure staff that now has far more power than YUFA members.
Executive's Proposed Abolition of Carriage Rights
Nick Lary
The Executive is considering changes in Article 9 that will seriously weaken members’ rights in the new Collective Agreement. The stewards and the members will have a chance to reject these proposed changes in their separate votes on the bargaining proposals before negotiations begin.
Stolen Stewards Council Election?
Laurence Green
The stewards should elect "their" representatives to the YUFA Executive. If the Executive chooses the Council's representatives, then this isn't "representation." The stewards present, agreed and voted accordingly. After the motion carried, no one was prepared for it to be overturned this week, and accompanied by claims that THIS MOTION and the stewards who voted for it were trying to change the terms of the election, during the election... when from my perspective, and others, we were clearly trying to accomplish the opposite and PREVENT any procedural irregularities from skewing the election outcome.
L'État C'est Moi: Hilliker as THE Authority on YUFA's Procedures and Constitution
The YUFA Caucus for Democracy
The President of YUFA showed his contempt for the recognized election procedures, which were changed a whole 6 weeks and 4 days into the elections for Stewards’ Council reps to Executive. Executive members were suddenly allowed to vote and thus skewed, and probably stole, the results of the election.
Appendix T (formerly U) -YUFA'S President Proposes Faculty Salary Freeze
Richard Wellen
YUFA has been very ‘cooperative’ in the last decade of negotiations. In consequence, we have won very few improvements in pay and working conditions over those years. In the meantime, we have seen faculty unions at Carleton, Brock and Wilfred Laurier win teaching load reductions that have been refused by our own employer. Now is not the time to fall further behind and make our own members pay the price for the misguided policies of both the employer and the government.
Anti-Democratic Principles in Stewards Council Elections
There has been much recent discussion on and off the YUForum discussion list about anti-democratic principles and process in the recent elections to Stewards Council. This posting by Stanley Jeffers on YUForm on April 6 was a response to Michael Mazurkewich on that list. It is posted here as an introduction to this question.
