Remarks by Patricia V. Markunas
Board of Higher Education Meeting
June 15, 2004
Framingham State College

Welcome to Framingham State College. I am speaking on behalf of the 2500 faculty and librarians who provide quality education at an affordable price at colleges with regional and statewide access to the students of the Commonwealth. I thank Chairman Tocco once again for the opportunity to address you, the Board of Higher Education, our statutory employer of record.

Recent press reports have celebrated the fact that state revenues are running hundreds of millions of dollars over last year's projections. You know that it has been 624 days since our last comprehensive pay increase. You have seen our research showing that state college faculty are paid $6500 less, on average, than faculty at peer institutions when adjusted for cost-of-living. You have undertaken a salary study of your own. Not a single representative in management has expressed any doubt about the general conclusion of our salary study. Indeed, the only doubt that I have heard expressed is that the salary shortfall we documented is too small, especially as we are to be compared to the new peer institutions approved at today's meeting.

On June 7th, 343 days after the expiration of our contract with you, we finally received the proposal for a three-year contract from your representatives. Your economic offer is insulting. Your economic offer is disrespectful. Your economic offer demonstrates, once again, your failure to advocate on behalf of our work with the students of the Commonwealth. Your offer is worth little more than the paper on which these Mitt dollars are printed.

The language proposals are no less insulting and disrespectful. The governor's political vendetta against public employee unions and his agenda to undermine the state college system are clearly evidenced in several proposals, regardless of their source. Preparing a list of the ten worst aspects of this proposal was difficult, only because we decided to limit the list to ten items.

The academic principles embodied in this proposal are repugnant to the faculty and the librarians of the state colleges. The proposal is not designed to foster dialogue with the faculty or improve education for students. It is intended to drive morale among my colleagues even lower than the past year of BHE's actions at the bargaining table and in the press have done.

On behalf of the faculty and librarians of the state colleges, I call upon you to advocate for our work on behalf of the students of Massachusetts. Direct your representatives to get this proposal off the table. Come back on June 30th with a proposal that has a fair economic package and language proposals that will open up true negotiations. We deserve respect. Thank you for your time and attention this morning.