NEWS

Security got the mends

McNish cuts role in department

by Benjamin Clark

Deb McNish, interim dean of student life, has eased up on the active role she took last semester in mediating the Safety and Security Department. McNish will limit her supervision in order to give Director of Security Keith James more room to control the agitated department.

McNish felt she made progress bringing James and the security union, the Oberlin College Security Association, together over conflicting issues. Despite McNish's work with security, James held his position that his office never really had any problems, while union representatives expressed pleasure over McNish's intervening efforts.

James downplayed the existence of any difficulty within the security department. "To me, there was never a problem," said James. "I am elated she has left the leadership to the management team." McNish believes that management and the officers have succeeded in increasing their communication, and would like James to lead his department without any outside intervention. "Anytime you intervene at my level, sometimes you compromise the leadership of the people involved," said McNish.

McNish worked with James, his supervisors and the security union on a weekly basis to increase communications within the department. Last semester, tensions developed between members of OCSA and James over scheduling conflicts, empty union positions that are to date unfilled and disagreements over varying interpretations of the unions contract. McNish said, "Last semester I tried to step in and restore a crisis. I think I made some strides in stepping up progress."

OCSA Vice President Chris Diewald was concerned when she heard that McNish would cut back on her supervision of the security department. "The union felt that communication improved with the help of an intermediary. I hope that the meetings are going to continue," said Diewald.

McNish focused on increasing communication at every level, between management and security officers. "I met with Keith once a week to try and plan and create direction, new direction for the office," said McNish.

She emphasized reinterpreting the union's new contract, which was signed by the union in July of 1998. Bringing both sides together on an understanding of scheduling matters and other disagreements helped McNish ease the tense situation percolating in the security department. "We worked on changing roles and understanding the contract. About 60 percent of the problems were built around the new contract," said McNish.

To McNish's credit, OCSA calmed down in its rapid fire production of grievances against security management. "Grievances are down, complaints are down. That's a real indication to me that things are getting better," said McNish.

According to Diewald only two grievances were filed by the union since McNish began meetings between James, union representatives, McNish, and Director of Human Resources Ruth Spencer.

James remained steadfast on his role as director of security. Even though he had McNish checking up on his office at every level, on a weekly basis, he did not feel uncomfortable about his authority. James said, "It's not a matter of comfort. The dean makes a decision, and it is my job to support her."

"I feel quite capable to do the job that I am doing now," said James.

One problem that still remains for security are three vacant officer positions. These vacancies coupled with a rash of injuries from the inclement winter weather, two officers on bereavement leave, and another officer currently on vacation, have left security shorthanded. Overtime has increased for most officers while they await the return of their co-workers. James has interviewed a host of applicants for the three positions, and hopes to hire for the positions by the middle of March. "I think we have a system, but we need the staff to put the system into place. When the dust has settled, we will have the schedule that satisfies the needs of the campus," he said.

Officer morale has always been in question with the unstable relationship between management and the OCSA. Diewald said, "Due to the labor-management meetings, morale has stabilized." Whether or not morale will improve as McNish leaves security on its own remains to be seen.

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Copyright © 1998, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 127, Number 15, February 26, 1999

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