SCUPA needs a contract settlement
Reflections
Anthony Maalouf
Issue date: 3/1/05 Section: Forum
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My experience with unions on campus has been an eye opening one. In my three years here, I have had strong dialogues with maintenance workers, faculty and non-faculty staff. All three of those groups are in their respective unions, which at some point during the last three years were involved in negotiations with the State System of Higher Education (SSHE). Right now, the union of that third group, known as SCUPA (State College and University Professional Association) is seeking a contract settlement. Their contract expired June 30, 2004.
To get a feel of who is a member of SCUPA, look to the WCU professionals who work in Admissions, Financial Aid, Student Activities, Residence Life, Judicial Affairs, the Registrar?s Office, Tutorial and Academic Assistance Services, the Career Center and Alumni Relations, to name a few. At some point or another, every WCU student has been in contact with a SCUPA employee.
As a Feb. 1 news article in The Quad points out, the major issue between SCUPA and SSHE centers around the state system wanting to include outsourcing of professional work that SCUPA workers currently perform. Given the importance of SCUPA employees to student life, these are serious issues that WCU students should be aware of.
Before going on, let me just
make two comments. First, this is a globalized society. America?s economy is open to the rest of the world and vice-versa. Business, professional and now educational work environments are going international, sending jobs overseas where the labor is cheaper. I don?t like it, but outsourcing is part of the reality of globalization. Americans are going to have to be more competitive in the job market.
Secondly, the whole issue of outsourcing is easily hyped. Can you imagine how jobs like Resident Director, Career Center Director, Student Activities Director, Judicial Affairs, etc. can be outsourced overseas? It wouldn?t happen because these are jobs which require staff contact with students. In fact, some of these staff members even live on campus.
To get a feel of who is a member of SCUPA, look to the WCU professionals who work in Admissions, Financial Aid, Student Activities, Residence Life, Judicial Affairs, the Registrar?s Office, Tutorial and Academic Assistance Services, the Career Center and Alumni Relations, to name a few. At some point or another, every WCU student has been in contact with a SCUPA employee.
As a Feb. 1 news article in The Quad points out, the major issue between SCUPA and SSHE centers around the state system wanting to include outsourcing of professional work that SCUPA workers currently perform. Given the importance of SCUPA employees to student life, these are serious issues that WCU students should be aware of.
Before going on, let me just
make two comments. First, this is a globalized society. America?s economy is open to the rest of the world and vice-versa. Business, professional and now educational work environments are going international, sending jobs overseas where the labor is cheaper. I don?t like it, but outsourcing is part of the reality of globalization. Americans are going to have to be more competitive in the job market.
Secondly, the whole issue of outsourcing is easily hyped. Can you imagine how jobs like Resident Director, Career Center Director, Student Activities Director, Judicial Affairs, etc. can be outsourced overseas? It wouldn?t happen because these are jobs which require staff contact with students. In fact, some of these staff members even live on campus.