Earlier today, the IFO began the biennial Delegate Assembly. To kick off the festivities, President Brent Jeffers gave the following remarks to frame the work of the last three years and what his vision is for the future of the IFO.
A President’s Report at a Delegate Assembly is intended to update the delegates on the organization’s actions since the last Delegate Assembly. We are three years removed from the last DA and in my report today I will reflect on the IFO from the position I have held since July 2018. There is only one member of today’s delegation that knows the presidency, Dr. Jim Grabowska, Professor of World Languages & Cultures at Minnesota State University – Mankato. All other former Presidents of the IFO are retired and Jim, one month from now, you too will be retired. Congratulations on your career, a noble career educating students and changing lives! And thank you for your service to the IFO. On a personal note, thank you for the occasional email, text, phone call of encouragement and understanding – they always seemed to come at the right time because you know this position. Periodically over the past three years, I have received communications from Nancy Black, Don Larson, & Rod Henry, all former Presidents I had the opportunity to work very closely with, they offered words of wisdom, but they also wanted to know how the IFO was doing. I have had the privilege to tell many retired faculty the Organization is progressing and staying strong!
When we entered the 2018 Delegate Assembly, we were still in a pre-Janus decision and the IFO had been preparing for a new era in the labor movement, members were asked to recommit to the union by signing new membership cards, efforts to engage our members were greatly enhanced, and the IFO Staff agreed to cut their mileage per diem in addition to volunteering to delay the negotiation of their contract in an effort to keep the union strong and to maintain the level of service for all faculty.
I deliberately avoid describing our efforts as an attempt to move from a service model to an organizing model and that is because the IFO has always been an organizing model – the original group of faculty that gathered in 1938 to support each other and to advocate for higher education issues were grassroots. The IFO had equity committees in the last century and members of the FIC and MIC were engaged in the union for the right reason and their struggles continue today, and we will continue to advance this work. One of the most significant changes that came out of the 2018 DA was the adoption of the new dues structure. After Janus, the loss of “fair share” fees was significant in our organization’s revenue, the new dues structure and the work of all of you promoting the IFO saved us in the first year after the Supreme Court decision.
Lawsuit
The Janus decision came down on June 27, 2018, within 2 weeks from that decision, a lawsuit was filed against the IFO challenging the constitutionality of exclusive representation; this was the first lawsuit of its kind filed in the post-Janus era and it thrust our union to the forefront in the fight for exclusive representation and collective bargaining. We have been carrying this fight for all public sector unions in the country and we have been winning the legal argument in the courts. I have had a front-row seat in this fight, and I would like to share based on my observations why I think we are winning this case:
1) Minnesota’s PELRA law is very strong and the IFO’s efforts over the years to preserve this legislation is proven to be absolutely critical to our success.
2) The Attorney General’s Office and their representation of our co-defendants, SCSU, and the System Office have been key to a cohesive strategy and cooperation. The outcome of the 2018 election was essential for this cooperation. The discussion in the IFO Board that proceeded our action to support Keith Ellison’s candidacy was probably the most consequential meeting I have ever participated in during my entire career in the IFO. Those Board members that shared their perspectives and experiences had a tremendous impact – we came out of the meeting that day a much better union. Having Keith Ellingson in the AG’s office has been extremely important. And, when we needed his client to get on board with our strategy, the Chancellor complied.
3) The IFO Master Agreement, do not underestimate the value of this document. The IFO contract provides rights and benefits to all faculty in our bargaining unit regardless of one’s union membership. Now, I have some experience with the contract. By the time I joined the Negotiating Team in fall 2000, we already had what was considered a mature contract, much of the language established within was negotiated previously starting with the initial contract 25 years earlier in 1976. I have always believed the untold story of negotiations is the proposals from management we successfully keep out of the contract and our commitment to preserving the rights we have.
4) The Faculty that provided affidavits – these testimonies provided both the context and the facts to support our legal arguments. A special thanks to those faculty that helped us in this effort. Some of you are in our delegation today.
5) These previous 4 factors are fundamental to our case but the single most important reason for our success is the IFO legal staff, and remember our success is the success for all unions across this country, Pat Arseneault, Kathryn Engdahl, Dick Kaspari, and Tiffany Heagle worked tirelessly and around the clock to track down those affidavits, to proofread the legal briefs, meetings to prepare strategies, and not to mention, the time they have spent educating me, our Board, and our membership on federal court proceedings. When this chapter of labor history is written, these names will be lost, but I want you to know, it was our legal staff that connected all the dots and help establish the legal arguments that will serve as the blueprint for all unions to follow in defense of exclusive representation. (standing ovation)
6) And finally, the last ingredient to our success, based on the recommendation from our legal staff, we hired Brendan Cummins as our outside counsel. Brendan was credible and had the experience of a 20-year career litigating on the side of labor, but our case should help establish he has one of the premier labor attorneys in the United States. And, when the big national unions wanted to get involved in our case, we welcomed their support, but we demanded Brendan Cummins remain the lead.
Last month, our case was heard in the Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and once again, Brenden performed well, and we are waiting for the ruling from the panel of three judges. My concern going forward – is that other lawsuits challenging exclusive representation have been filed and they have jumped over ours and they will likely reach the supreme court before us. I believe our case, our PELRA, our contract, our team has the best case, the best chance to defend our right to assemble, our right to collectively bargain, and our right to democratically choose our exclusive representation. We won’t give up this fight and, in the end, the IFO will be there either as a defendant or an amicus.
Caucus Structure
The other highly significant change that came from the 2018 delegate assembly was the adoption of a caucus structure. This structural change to the IFO both recognized and valued the faculty from marginalized communities and provided a respected place in the organization – exactly what a union should do. The caucuses have had a profound and lasting impact on the IFO. Thanks to all the participants in the caucuses, you are all leaders, and you are making us a better union.
The IFO Equity & Inclusion Plan
In September 2019, the IFO Board adopted the organization’s first strategic plan focused on equity and inclusion. Historically, this work has long been done by staff and individual leaders in the union, whose labor is much appreciated. As a union, we had been expressing our commitment to the values of equity and inclusion, but we had no strategic plan to guide our actions, to hold us accountable, and to provide measurable ways to assess our progress. I wanted such a plan, and our staff embraced the idea. The strongest public sector unions recognize that to reach genuine unity and solidarity we must take action to achieve true equity and inclusion for all members who have been marginalized in society and in our institutions.
I want to thank Kim Park Nelson for her work and leadership on this plan, it would not have happened without her. More broadly I thank Kim for her service in the three years she has served as the IFO Equity & Inclusion Coordinator, this union is indebted to you – thank you!
There was intentional design in the E/I plan related to diversifying our committees, the Board, leadership, etc. the concept of adding seats versus changing the representation of existing seats, and, it was carefully decided that adding seats yielded the inherent tokenism that accompanies such a strategy and diluted one’s power by further fractionalizing the vote in committee. True equity and inclusion are more than a seat at the table or a voice in the process, equity and inclusion are only achieved with empowerment. This not the foundation of a union – our collective voice gives us power, a voice that that is typically ignored in other places should be heard in that person’s union, and one’s voice should be provided every opportunity at empowerment. This concept is the foundation of our E/I plan and aspiration, it is the core of our union.
Solidarity, we use that term a lot, solidarity with each other. In my mind, solidarity means your fight is my fight, your struggle is my struggle. This perspective was confirmed for me in the IFO when I joined the negotiating team. Professor Hyle, who is responsible for training many of us in both the science and art of negotiating, the very first meeting I attended with Matt, said, “I don’t have to agree with it, I don’t even have to understand it, but if it is a DA resolution or there is a constituency that wants it, he would fight to get it.” That attitude has permeated among the team and that is the meaning of a union!
Let me also use the Negotiating Team to illustrate to a large degree the realization of our Equity & Inclusion plan. When I first joined the Team, it was considered a good old boys club – no place for a woman. For the first time in the history of the IFO, the 7 campus representatives that constitute the voting members of the Team, are majority women; our equity caucuses are well represented on the Team, and for the first time, a faculty member with a contingent appointment holds a seat with 1 of those 7 votes.
I have challenged all Faculty Associations to develop their own Equity and Inclusion plan, these plans do not require administrative approval and although these plans may reflect aspects of your campus Equity and Inclusion plan, they are not your campus E/I plan; they should be a FA plan and E/I plan that identifies what you are willing to do to ensure equitable treatment and opportunities for all members? What can you do differently to be a more inclusive union? These plans should be led and guided by the local equity caucuses. I will ask FA Presidents and Board members to report on local E/I planning starting with the first Board meeting in the fall and I will keep it on the agenda for the entire year.
Contract Settlement
We had a contract settlement since the last DA. In the fall of 2019, the Negotiating Team had momentum moving towards a settlement for the 2019-2021 contract but there were still many language items in the IFO proposal. The totality of those remaining language items had a major significance that would impact a number of our constituency groups, so Pat and I jumped in the car, and in 7 days, we visited all 7 campuses. We met with coaches, librarians, faculty with contingent appoints and we heard your interests and suggestions on contract language. We then brought your input back to the negotiating team and that input was instrumental in the final settlement that was achieved. Although not a big economic contract, that contract had something for everyone and, therefore, it was a good settlement.
As always, it seems the public sector contracts are a political bargaining chip at the end of the legislative session and 2020 was no different. As the session was winding down there was a threat to vote down our contracts and claw back the first-year pay raises. In the short version of what happened, our lobbyist, Jonathan Bohn, worked some magic and in the end, the Governor ratified our contract.
IFO Challenges
Overall the IFO continues to do good work for faculty but we have our challenges. We continue to be an under-funded investment from the state. The IFO and our Government Relations Committee relentlessly advocate for the 2/3 founding mandated in statute. When I look at the Governor and many of the members of the higher ed committees, they are from my generation – the generation that benefited the most from the investments made by the previous generation. - in my testimony, to the Governor, the House, the Senate I describe our obligation, that my generation needs to invest in the current generation of students and at the same levels the previous generation invested in us. In fact, it should be our generational gift to these students. The IFO will always press hard for more state investment.
I have also had a front-row seat at the capital, and I can assure you, no one advocates harder or more effective for students, for our institutions, and for public higher education than the IFO.
At the same time, we are receiving insufficient funding, we are experiencing serious enrollment declines and the declines are projected to continue as the number of high school graduates will continue to drop through the next 5-10 years. Consider this - Since 2011, just ten years, all of our institutions have experienced drops in enrollment; 5 of our 7 Universities over the past decade have experienced enrollment declines in tuition-paying students that exceeds 22% or more. In fact, just counting the loss FYE at the 7 universities over this time period, we have 11,734 fewer FYE students than we had in 2011. That number of almost 12,000 less FYE, is larger than the current FYE enrollments at our three smallest universities combined.
The impact of deficient state appropriations and declining enrollment is devastating. We are seeing the impact in our faculty lines across the system. From last year to this year, we have 284 fewer faculty in our bargaining unit; and over the last four years from FY18 to FY21, we are down 435 faculty lines in the bargaining unit. Some of these are due to retrenchments and avoiding retrenchment is highly important because retrenchments are painful. But we are also losing faculty lines to attrition and unfilled positions. Fewer faculty lines correlate to fewer IFO members, fewer members equates to reduced dues revenue. Therefore, the IFO has a structural deficit in our budget. The one upside of COVID for the last 13 months - is the shut-down has enabled us to avoid the inevitable deficits over last year and for this fiscal year. The Board’s recommendation to take a cautionary approach in phasing in our return to normal for the next fiscal year will help out but, we have to address our structural deficit. This semester, in the TAC and in the Board we have begun discussions to address our budget challenges, and I will make sure the budget is a top priority on our agenda starting with the first Board meeting in September with recommendations for the ’22 DA 11, months from now. Delegates there is a hearing on the budget today and you will have the opportunity to take action tomorrow.
Equity2030
We have another Challenge before us and that is our responsibility in eliminating the educational equity gaps. The Chancellor has identified a problem and established a Goal in his Equity 2030 Initiative. The double-digit gaps in completion rates for our students of color are unacceptable. All 7 universities have such inequities, and thus, we are not succeeding. The IFO has been in ongoing meetings with the System Office multiple meeting with multiple perspectives related to equity & inclusion many of these meetings began prior to Equity 2030 and we have been pressing for accountability and leadership from the Chancellor and other System Office personnel. Again, no stakeholder is as effective at applying pressure, affecting change, and maintaining campus autonomy in the MinnState System as the IFO. We are persistent, we are good at it, and we will continue to leverage this initiative to our advantage.
However, I believe the worst thing about Equity 2030 is it came out of the Chancellor’s mouth; it became his initiative. Due to the nature of his position or his location in St. Paul, we have doubts, we lack trust, and our instinct is to resist. All earned and all justified reactions. But imagine for a moment, if eliminating all equity gaps in higher education was a faculty initiative. We all agree with the moral imperative, we all should have a sense of disappointment with our collective performance in this regard, and we realize it is in our interest to do this. The success of Equity 2030 will position our institutions for 2040. Sometime between 2040-2045, the United States will become a minority-majority country and there is no turning back. We need to respond in a positive way to these changing demographics. Minnesota will need a strong, robust, representative system of higher education. We educate the citizenry; we develop the workforce – That’s our message. Do it well by reflecting the emerging demographics and that is our message to the legislature, that is our message to students and to prospective students. Do it well and it is a critical component to our enrollment strategy, for the long term! There is no need to debate who has the greatest influence on the recruitment, retention, education, and graduation of students – it is the faculty!
Don’t misunderstand me, continue to scrutinize your local administration on Equity 2030, we will continue to scrutinize the System Office. I am asking you to apply the same level of scrutiny to our role, to the role of your program, and if we don’t make this a part of our personal agenda, I don’t believe we can transform this system.
To those faculty that understand this and have been doing this work for their careers, thank you. I know you are out there; I want to thank you; you are the reason our equity gaps are not even worse. We need to model your examples.
What I did not expect
Most of what I have shared thus far, I expected, to some extent, these things are inherent in the position of IFO President. What I did not anticipate, (when I took this job) is the number of statements I would be compelled to send out to the membership. Statements denouncing anti-Semitism, xenophobia, racism, and white supremacy. As recently as this week with the killing of Daunte Wright at the hands of another Minnesota Police Officer. These episodes are difficult and painful for me but offering support to our faculty, solidarity, and speaking out against injustices is exactly what a union should do.
COVID
I want to end my report by commending you, all of you, for your flexibility, your adaptability, and the exceptional hard work you have done over the last three semesters. When the decision was made last March to shut everything down, the IFO was advocating for students to get an extra week of spring break so faculty would then have the duty days to make the conversion to teleworking – I was saying it with conviction, and indeed, in a week’s time faculty converted over 4,000 classes to online or a remote delivery and the flexibility and adaptability has continued through this academic year, it is a remarkable achievement and your students have benefited. Congratulations, I am proud of you!
Thank you for being here today, this the largest gathering of our membership and the primary governance of our organization. Your service and willingness to endure a lengthy zoom format at the end of a trying year are greatly appreciated.
The IFO Staff has worked hard to prepare for this meeting and there was a lot of planning trying to ensure we all have a good experience and a productive DA - a heartfelt thank you to everyone that did that work.
Please be patient, it may take a little longer to do simple tasks like voting this is a new experience, and we will get through it.
Everyone - have a good DA and enjoy!