As a longtime member of OberlinCollege Office and ProfessionalEmployees, Office and ProfessionalEmployees InternationalUnion, local 502, I would like toexpress my dismay at how the recentsearch for a new administrativeassistant for the Chemistrydepartment has been handled.Not only was the posting of theposition unnecessarily delayedfor many months, contrary to languagein the contract between theCollege and the Union, but the internalcandidates for the positionwere misinformed about certainparameters of the job during the interviews, necessitating the repostingof the position and furtherdelaying the process. Could it bethat the rumors are true, that theChemistry department will dowhatever they want, including violatingthe contract and the rightsof OCOPE members, to keep thetemp for as long as they want? Ido not wish to cast any aspersionson the good name of the workerwho is temping in the Chemistrydepartment. I knew her when sheworked in Mudd library as an undergraduate,and she bears no culpabilityin this matter.

Oberlin College and its lawyersnegotiated a contract with themembers of OCOPE. Every word inthat contract was thoroughly vettedand approved by the Collegeadministrators and lawyers, andboth sides agreed to the contractand signed it. I understand completelythat the business of the Collegemust continue, but the agreementthat the College negotiatedand signed with a group of its employeesmust also be upheld. Whenone party in an agreement decidesthat it can disregard with impunitya mutually agreed upon contract,it is making a powerful statement.Does Oberlin College really wish tosay that its word means nothing,that when it signs a contract or anagreement it cannot be relied uponto uphold its end of the bargain?

The current delays concerningthe Chemistry department positionsmack of incompetence or deliberatedelay tactics. The deans andmanagers of Oberlin College haveshown little evidence to OCOPEthat they are willing to apprise andinform supervisors of the parametersunder which an importantgroup of employees of this institutionwork or of their responsibilitieswith regards to job searchesand management of employees ingeneral. It is not sufficient for HRand the College attorney to enterinto an agreement if the supervisorswho must also administerthat agreement are not informedof the details of the agreement orchoose to ignore those details withimpunity and negatively impactthe ways in which they interact ona daily basis with employees.

The delay of the hiring processhas been blamed on OCOPE in anumber of meetings. OCOPE requesteda statement from the Collegeexplaining that the delay wascaused by the department chairsnot interviewing in a timely fashionwith total disregard to the terms ofour collective bargaining agreement.That has not yet happened.

Michael B. Palazzolo

OCOPE Personnel Coordinator

Originally posted here:
Chemistry Hiring Delays Favor Temps - The Oberlin Review