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A Publication of the SUITE Union
Vol. 1, No. 5 November 15, 1994
The administration's current negotiating team is, unfortunately, seemingly capable only of two actions: 1) Declaring items to be "outside negotiations" and 2) Making and giving ultimatums.
Despite the school's negative stance SUITE remains hopeful of progress. True negotiators and true negotiations are needed for a peaceful and successful resolution of the crisis in the Community College.
Administration Position: "The Entrustment is not negotiable and will not be negotiated. Teachers must accept it 'as is' and must commit themselves by November 15, 1994 to sign the Entrustment in April 1995. If not they will be replaced."
SUITE's Position: The teachers deserve renewal of their Employment
Contract. Negotiations as to any new contract should be based on the current
contracts which have been in force for 5, 10 and 15 years. Changing the
teacher's status from "Employee" to "Guest" signifies
an unjustified demotion. The Entrustment contract does not benefit the school
- it cannot be relied on for continuing employment and does not support
a stable curriculum. It is detrimental to all concerned and it should be
withdrawn.
In their most recent communication with SUITE the administration asserted that they have "no intention to negotiate further about Spring 1995" and that they would only "accept negotiations as to the Autumn term 1995." Is this "offer to accept negotiations" meant to make a record of "good faith negotiations"?
We must remind the school that pronouncing the word "negotiation" does not in and of itself produce negotiation. Furthermore, ultimatums do not foster cooperation. Finally, removing items from the bargaining table does not seem to meet the standard, in spirit or letter, of "good faith negotiations."
Another legal requirement is to have an information meeting to explain any contractual changes to affected workers. Incredibly, the school flatly refuses to hold such a meeting for the teachers. The school further states that only teachers who are union members must give their "commitment" to sign the Entrustment by November 15. Non-union members have no such requirement. Such bald attempts to intimidate or divide the teachers only show how desperate the administration has become.
Despite the school's ultimatum, the teachers plan to teach in the Spring semester and they plan to rely on their employment contracts. The teachers have continuously relied on these contracts for 5, 10 and 15 years. There is no reason to change the contracts.
This contract dispute will eventually involve the students themselves; of course, they will suffer the most if the College is destroyed. The teachers know their students quite well; others at Sophia may not be so lucky. At first one may think the College students to be a rather diffuse grouping of the public at large; closer inspection reveals a very different reality.
A Sophia professor recently wrote of a plan to develop a new graduate school. The article discusses holding intermediary lectures, seminars and forums:
Of course it would be possible to offer these courses within the framework of the present Community College. To implement a joint program open to the general public from the very beginning runs the danger that the contents will become watered down, hence, it would be better not to do this until a sufficient academic level has been achieved. - from an article in The Future Image of Sophia University (Tokyo; Nanosha 1989) p. 226
The conclusion reached in the article above relies on an assumption which economics terms the "fallacy of division." In other words, one assumes that the whole is proportionally represented within each of its individual parts. Using that assumption one could conclude, as above, that the various College classrooms are peopled by inadequately prepared or inappropriately motivated "general public" students, hence the need to "water down" the lecture material.
Let us assure the academic community: a sufficient academic level at the College exists for any class you wish to teach. The College is a magnet that draws the best students from the metropolitan area. If you offer a class, the appropriate students will enroll. We challenge any professor who thinks that the College is not academically relevant: How can you dismiss the students before they are even enrolled?
Yes, there are many different students with many different interests and backgrounds who study within the Community College. But these students are grouped in different classes. Each class is made of students with a simple, common goal: to study the subject at hand. The various classrooms are individually focused points that in concert comprise a diverse and flexible curriculum.
We know why the students are here; the students know why they are here. Why does the school not know?
Let the students learn!
SUITE: Sophia University International Teachers and Employees Union - can
be reached in care of: NUGW 3-21-7 Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo phone: (03)
3434-0669 fax: (03) 3433-0334
The Sophia Internationale A Publication of the SUITE Union
SUITE Newsletter
Volume 1, Number 1 July 4, 1994
SUITE Newsletter
Volume 1, Number 2 October 1, 1994
SUITE Newsletter
Volume 1, Number 3 October 25, 1994
SUITE Newsletter
Volume 1, Number 4 November 10, 1994
SUITE Newsletter Volume 1, Number 5 November 15, 1994
SUITE Newsletter
Volume 1, Number 6 December 14, 1994
SUITE Newsletter
Volume 2, Number 1 July 4, 1995
The overview: Tokyo Observer article May 1995