Category Archives: Commentary

Our Weekly Reader for the Week Beginning January 13, 2013

A new year begins. The big story this week is that the legislature continued its great tradition of punting on the pension funding situation. I won’t put any links on the top about this; there’s plenty in the e-news, and I imagine most readers are up-to-date on this. (A good op-ed is at the top.) Continue reading “Our Weekly Reader for the Week Beginning January 13, 2013”

Our Weekly Reader for week beginning December 16, 2012

Well … GEO settlements, finals preparation, latkes, fiscal cliffs, eggnogs, Mayan solutions to the pension crisis. Somewhere in here comes Our Weekly Reader. No obvious huge story. Quote of the week is taken from Ford Prefect of the Hitchhiker’s Guide: “They can’t win against obsession. We care. They don’t. We win.” — Bruce 1. CommentsContinue reading “Our Weekly Reader for week beginning December 16, 2012”

Our Weekly Reader for Week Beginning December 9, 2012

1. The first big news this week is that the GEO ratified their contract with the University. The University wanted to put the tuition waivers into the revenue mix, but those crafty grad students outsmarted them once again. For details go to the GEO homepage  uigeo.org ; fortunately, there is no longer any need forContinue reading “Our Weekly Reader for Week Beginning December 9, 2012”

Our Weekly Reader for week beginning November 25, 2012

1. Lead story right now is the potential GEO strike this week. For up to date information, don’t read this, go to https://cfaillinois.org/tag/geo2012/ http://www.uigeo.org/ 1b. Google-news-ing led to a piece on wsws.org, which appears to be a website written through a Trotsky lens. http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/nov2012/grad-n20.shtml Their point of view is very much anti-AFT and the essayContinue reading “Our Weekly Reader for week beginning November 25, 2012”

UIUC Prof Chronicles History of Faculty Unions at UIUC

UIUC has a rich history of faculty union organizing which began long before the advent of CFA.  Timothy Reese Cain of the College of Education has begun the process of chronicling that history with a short piece for the blog of the Illinois Program for Research Into the Humanties (IPRH).  We applaud Professor Cain forContinue reading “UIUC Prof Chronicles History of Faculty Unions at UIUC”

CFA Sends Our Solidarity to Chicago Teachers’ Union

CFA has sent a letter of solidarity (see below) to the Chicago Teachers’ Union President Karen Lewis wishing them success on their strike. For more news on the strike visit: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/11/chicago-teachers-strike-k_n_1873527.html http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=8803 From the text of our letter to the CTU: Dear President Lewis: I write on behalf of the executive committee of the CampusContinue reading “CFA Sends Our Solidarity to Chicago Teachers’ Union”

CFA President Jim Barrett’s News-Gazette Op Ed on University Finances

This op-ed from CFA President Jim Barrett appeared in the paper version of the News-Gazette on Sunday, September 9, 2012. We think it answers some very important questions about whether changes within the university are really motivated by financial problems or other issues. The University’s Financial Situation: A Matter of Priorities By this point everyoneContinue reading “CFA President Jim Barrett’s News-Gazette Op Ed on University Finances”

Chronicle Article Highlights Dilemmas of Professors Expressing “Opinions”

‘I’m Not Paying for Your Opinion’ August 13, 2012, 11:13 am By Rob Jenkins Perhaps, to explain Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa’s now infamous findings in Academically Adrift, we need look no further than the current customer-service culture. That thought came to me after a recent incident in my introductory rhetoric course. We were talkingContinue reading “Chronicle Article Highlights Dilemmas of Professors Expressing “Opinions””

Pension Blues

Cary Nelson It’s no secret that public employee pensions are under political and legislative assault throughout the country. The effort in state capitols is being promoted by conservative think tanks that provide allied senators and representatives with model legislation that either demolishes or degrades existing pension systems. Indeed it is clear from increasing ideological attacksContinue reading “Pension Blues”

Ever So True?

Yesterday was my department’s graduation ceremony, and it was great–the weather was perfect, the students were excited, and the parents glowing with pride. We had the bagpipers, the brass quintet, the inspiring speeches,  sang the “Alma Mater,” the whole nine yards. In Communication, our tradition is that at the end of the ceremony, faculty standContinue reading “Ever So True?”

University of Oregon Faculty Union Gains Recognition

The University of Oregon administration has recognized the faculty union at their institution. The actions by U of O admin are in sharp contrast to those of their counterparts at U of I who have tried to block our colleagues at UIC from gaining recognition. These efforts by the U of I admin have wastedContinue reading “University of Oregon Faculty Union Gains Recognition”