A whirlwind of confusion has enveloped Safety and Security. In the wake of a paper trail of grievances voicing the conflicts between Director of Safety and Security Keith James and security officers, parking problems, and a new contract for security officers, the turmoil has continued to gust.
All parties involved have made attempts to correct these problems. Several grievances have been settled in favor of security management, which has resulted in the Oberlin College Security Association (OCSA) filing a complaint with the National Relations Labor Board (NLRB). James sent out a letter to the College community explaining parking regulations on Oct. 6. Meanwhile, Interim Dean of Student Life and Services Deb McNish has taken an active role in the management of security.
McNish has paid particular interest to grievances. OCSA has repeatedly voiced its displeasure through the filing of multiple grievances. Director of Human Resources Ruth Spencer settles all third stage grievances. "This is a matter of the union being unhappy with the director [James]. They do this by diluting the system with grievances. Some of them are valid. Some of them are not. But you have to address them all," said Spencer.
Two grievances that Spencer addressed have caused a great uproar from OCSA. The union had filed complaints regarding the schedule negotiations and the hiring of non-union workers. Spencer ruled in favor of security management in both cases. According to a union official, OCSA is currently filing a complaint with the NLRB regarding James' unwillingness to negotiate officers' schedules and his policies regarding media relations. This complaint is in addition to another complaint filed with the NLRB regarding unsafe working conditions.
According to Spencer, the officer's contract clearly states that the College sets the work schedule. The contract states, "Determination of the daily and weekly work schedules shall be made by the College." In the past, James allowed some input into the work schedule by the union, but that is no longer the case.
Spencer said, "It was a gesture. It was not something we were required to do in the contract."
"I can't schedule staff because I have to negotiate how I distribute that staff. That's problematic. To some extent I need to determine schedules," James said.
The other grievance that is unsettling union officials involved the hiring of non-union workers for what they define union positions. "It's an issue of how to use the resources in the right department," said Spencer. "Which is a management decision."
The union also claims that James' unwillingness to negotiate is a "union busting tactic". Ruth rejected this view of James' actions. "The union is not going to be busted at this college. There is a difference between giving the union what they want, and busting the union," said Spencer.
McNish is planning on working with security staff to address the grievance situation as a whole. McNish said, "I've asked them to step up and resolve issues. In the past three weeks they have really done this."
Complaints on parking focused on the registration form sent out to faculty and staff, which stated that the College could garnish employees' wages for unpaid violations. In response to these complaints, James issued a campus-wide mailing.
"We regrouped and sent out a mailing that we wouldn't deduct from pay because we want 100 percent registration," said James. The mailing requests that all individuals register their automobile, as well as pay their fines in a timely fashion. James said, "We are now focusing on registering everyone."
McNish has begun to meet with security staff to settle issues within the department that have been the basis for problems. "I've been focusing on staff itself. I have three meetings a week with security to plan and move through problems," said McNish.
Spencer expressed some optimism for the resolution of the conflicts between James and the union. "I think that working with Deb McNish there will be more of a compromise at the lower level," said Spencer.
McNish attributed some of the labor difficulties to the new contract that the security officers signed this July. McNish said, "The union has a new contract from spring and sometimes grievances come from different interpretations."
"My take on it is that we need to look at the facts, and let the facts speak for themselves," said James.
Copyright © 1998, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 127, Number 7, October 30, 1998
Contact us with your comments and suggestions.