Making the 4C’s a Strong Union--Part I: Transparency

For three weeks, we have discussed the contract inadequacies 4C’s members face because of our current leaders’ performance.

Now, the New Leadership Slate articulates for you our vision for creating a better future for 4C’s members.

We must become a strong union. Strong unions obtain strong contracts. To become strong, we must allow members to see how their union works, how their dues are spent, and how the decisions that affect their professional lives are made.

Here’s a test of our current level of union transparency. Our union president is paid a salary by the union, and the money comes from our dues. What is the salary paid to the 4C’s union president?

If you don’t know the answer, it is not your fault. It is the fault of our current union leaders, who keep members in the dark. You cannot find the answer to this question in our contract. You cannot find it on the 4C’s website. You have to be one of the few who are “in the know” to even understand that our president is paid a salary out of our dues!

(The answer to the question is the cash equivalent of five part-time lecturer sections, or 5 x $3726, or $18, 630 this contract year. The president also receives a mileage allowance of almost $300 per month, paid by your dues. These are in addition to a full state salary.)

The New Leadership Slate pledges to provide complete transparency in all union matters. We will:

* Put our annual budget (currently about $1 million) on the union website, with an explanation of each budget item in plain English for everyone to understand,

* Put complete balance statements and independent audit results on our website, with explanations in plain English for everyone to understand,

* Update you regularly on the status of our union’s reserve funds (currently about $1.4 million),

* Publish statewide union meeting agendas in advance for all to see,

* Publish accurate, complete, and up-to-date minutes of all statewide union meetings,

* Put union correspondence with management on the union website, just as the AFT does.

By the way, our current leaders have been announcing at candidate forums they have a “deal’ with management that 4C’s full-time faculty will not be required to teach a fifth course for the next three years. They did this deal “in the dark,” with no input or involvement from our Delegate Assembly, our Negotiating Committee, or our Table Team. Given that management does not give away anything for free, we can only wonder what price our members are paying for this “deal.”

NEXT: Making the 4C’s a Strong Union--Part II: Communication