Solidarity with Custodial and Technical Staff

WU-AAUP Affirmation of Consultative & Transparent Decision-Making
​The Willamette University Advocacy Chapter of the American Association of University Professors affirms the guiding principles of the 2016 Joint Agreement on Shared Governance, Consultative Decision-Making and Communication.* The proposed schedule changes for custodial and technical staff violate these guiding principles and detract from efforts to create a more fair and inclusive campus community.
     We affirm the right of staff to participate freely in decisions directly affecting their livelihoods and wellbeing, where this will mean a permanent consultative structure with assurances of complete independence between their continued employment and participation in administrative decision-making.
     We call for immediate suspension of plans to change the schedules of custodial and technical staff, and for such schedule changes to remain suspended until a review of the proposal is conducted, with full opportunity for staff to represent their own interests and shape this policy that so directly impacts them.
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*Excerpt From the Agreement:
1. Consultative and Transparent Decision Making.
 All decision-making processes should be clear. Decision-makers (when not prohibited by confidentiality concerns) commit to consulting in a timely fashion with relevant stakeholders or representative advisory bodies (faculty, students, administrators, staff, alumni, and community partners as appropriate) throughout the decision-making process that directly impact the programs  or activities in which the stakeholders are involved. 
2. Responsibility and Accountability.
  We are committed to clearly specifying the respective authorities, responsibilities, and accountabilities of the trustees, administrators, staff, faculty, and students. We recognize the primary responsibility that each stakeholder has over certain areas (for example: faculty over matters of academic integrity, including curriculum and faculty evaluation) and we recognize the need for excellent communication and coordination between stakeholders as part of effective shared governance.
3. Equity. 
 We are committed to approaching all decisions with an equity lens and to work jointly to improve services and resources to better support our increasingly diverse community (students, faculty, staff, administrators, and trustees) to fully experience and fully contribute to an inclusive community.