Contractual Rights Training 2014--Scenario #3

The following are typical fact situations that may be presented to grievance stewards by unit members.  For each, we will discuss the following in small groups, then as a whole:

1.  Is this a gripe or a grievance?

2.  If it’s a grievance, which articles and subsections does it violate?

3.  If it’s a grievance, what kind of evidence do you need?  How are you going to get it: RFI, data base research, other?

4.  To the extent time allows, fill out a grievance form.

Scenario #3.   Farrokh has been teaching Business Communications (housed in the School of Business Administration) for twelve quarters.  It is a large lecture class with discussion sections led by TA.  Up until a couple of years ago, there were rarely over 100 students in the class (maximum 120), and two TAs handled the discussion sections with a maximum 20 students each.  Since the University built a new classroom building, the course is taught in an auditorium that seats 500, and class size has been steadily increasing.  The course last had 390 students, and Travis supervised 5 TAs this past year.  The course is valued at 1.0 IWC and no adjustment has been made for the increasing class size.  The department chair does not understand why Travis thinks more work is involved that what he’s always done, since all he has to do is deliver the lectures.  The union field rep, however, discussed the situation with a Labor Relations representative, who persuaded the department to enter into an informal resolution of a potential grievance whereby Travis will receive a $500 stipend for every 25 students above 350 during 2013-14, and class size will be capped at 350 with the stipend to be ongoing whenever the class has more than 350 students. 

Travis signed the settlement agreement pursuant to this informal resolution around the middle of June, and then noticed that his name is not on the course schedule for fall.  The Dean of SoBA had made comments in meetings about changes to the staffing, and the School stated that to keep its accreditation as a Business School, it needed all instructors to have PhDs.  The instructor listed is a lecturer from the university writing program (a campus-wide program, not housed in any particular college or department).