Posted on Hunter-L, the College Listserv:
From: Billy d Herman
Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2014 7:29 PM
To: Greggory w Morris
Cc:
I signed! Here’s my added bit:
“I have already called my state officials to urge them to support this bill. We have had one bully in particular engage in more harassment and intimidation than any colleague should have to put up with. Details will surely come out in court once this good bill becomes law.”
I should have added, “unless that bully decides to change his ways.”
We’ll see.
Whatever you’re celebrating, happy holidays everybody!
Best,
Bill
___________________
Dear Bill,
“Bully for you,” as Rough Riding Teddy might say if he was still in the saddle and not pushing up daisies. “Beware of moles bearing daisies,” he might have said about moles he met as an U.S. Imperialist Warrior cum Imperialist President.
“Beware of moles bearing gifts,” I might have told the Rough Rider.*
You have two posts on H-L, I’m responding to this one (with context and clarification) because it looks more like a completed draft. The other one I can’t quite figure out. A few points:
– A good reading of the bill should show that, substantively, it’s not about court litigation, which can be costly. Its value lies in its human resources approach to bullying. Also, the Court of Law is not the only forum where details become public and that is good to know since lawsuits can grind on for years. Plus, financial penalties are limited but can sting if the bill becomes law.
– Among its democratizing measures for the workplace, the bill promises salubrious redress for targets of bogus Workplace Violence Complaints. It also provides better support to adjuncts and flexibility for union members to go it alone with a complaint or ask for union support (virtually nonexistent for adjuncts at this writing). If this bill passes in its present form, folks shouldn’t really need lawyers and union reps to file complaints.
– There are discussions in workplace bullying forums about Workplace Violence Complaints in case anyone wants to know.
– I know of two vicious bullying cases involving staff who were members of DC-37 (lucky for them). One also got a measure of help from Human Resources but had to leave the department where the bullying was taking place, and another got support because forcing a staff member to feed parking meters was a contract violation. That person too left that department.
– Academic bullying always involves trampling of Academic Freedom tenets. And can be especially vicious in departments and campuses more into peacocking their bling-bling of Academic Freedom while the core principles rot on the vine.
– “… unless that bully decides to change his ways”: Bullies rarely change – expect more from a pit bull told to stop chomping on its victim. Here is a link about the psychological make up of bullies. Personally, my dated copy of the DSM 4 serves me well.
“We have had one bully in particular…” – Has your bully endorsed mobbing? Forced staff to feed parking meters? Sicced Hunter 5-0 on staff members? Allowed staff to sic student staff on department members? Caught in a grade scam? Encouraged grade appeal scams? Used students in political subterfuges (AKA office politics, AKA “dirty laundary”)? Ask a colleague to smack him (“Hit me … Hit me”). Participate in a phony Violence in the Workplace complaint so bogus that the bully and sycophants engage in ongoing cover-ups to coverup the flaws of the coverups that failed?
Whew! A desperado, no doubt.
Well, “Game on!” as Teddy might have said when he was running roughshod. [Have you been checking out The Game, which just wrapped on BBC America? I thought Joe was the big mole but it was Sarah all along. Wow!]
Best,
GM
* “Daisies”: An in-joke about Collegial subterfuge.
________________________________________
From: Blanca Vazquez [profbv@yahoo.com<mailto:profbv@yahoo.com>]
Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2014 11:03 AM
Subject: Re: Sign the petition for a quicker contract
It is imperative a substantial majority of staff and faculty sign the petition to Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio to move on our contract. Just takes a second, GO TO:
http://action.aft.org/c/521/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=9357
Thanks,
Blanca Vazquez, Hunter PSC, bargaining team
Tags: Academic Bullying, Andrew Lund, Arnold Gibbons, Bernard Stein, Billy d Herman, campus bullying, Carolyn Kane, Christa Davis Acampora, Eija Ayravainen, Greggory w Morris, Gustavo Mercado, Hunter College, HUnter College Faculty Delegate Assembly, Hunter College Ombuds Office, Hunter College Senate, Hunter Faculty Delegate Assembly, Hunter FDA, Isabel c Pinedo, Ivone Margulies, James B. Milliken, James Roman, Jennifer Raab, Joe McElhaney, Joel Zuker, Karen Hunter, Kelly Anderson, Larry Shore, Martin Lucas, Mick Hurbis-Cherrier, New York Healthy Workplace Advocates, New York State Assembly, New York State Senate, Peter Parisi, Ricardo Miranda, Robert Stanley, S3863/A4965 – The NYS Healthy Workplace Bill, Shanti k Thakur, Steve Gorelick, Stuart Ewen, Tami Gold, Timothy Portlock, Tony Doyle, Vita C. Rabinowitz, workplace bullying