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Ruling: USF shouldn't have forced faculty to take time off

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By LINDSAY PETERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 6, 2009

TAMPA - The University of South Florida was wrong to require members of the faculty union to take three vacation days in December and should reinstate those days, an arbitrator has ruled.

USF faculty president Sherman Dorn said he understood that the university was under financial strain, "but that doesn't excuse trying to change the work environment without bargaining."

Last May, the university decided to close for seven days in December and designated three of those as "vacation" days.

Last month, the United Faculty of Florida and USF faculty union vice president Mark Klisch filed grievances against USF for forcing members to take vacation days. They said the move violated the union and USF's bargaining agreement, which outlines how much vacation faculty receive and gives them the right to take it when they wish.

USF representatives argued that state law gave the university the right to manage its own employees. But the arbitrator, Cary Singletary, pointed out that the same law gave workers the right to raise grievances if the university violated collective bargaining agreements. And he found that requiring the December vacation days was a violation.

Dorn said that the vacation plan was one more example of the university failing to consult with faculty and staff before making a major decision.

USF President "Judy Genshaft could have picked up the phone at any point in the past two years and talked with me about the university's financial position," he said. "But neither she nor any chair of the Board of Trustees has had a one-to-one meeting with a faculty union leader in more than 7 years."

A call seeking comment from the university was not returned early Monday.

Reporter Lindsay Peterson can be reached at (813) 259-7834.

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