When "Facts" Become Petulant

As the unions kicked off the official opening of Strike Headquarters this afternoon, the Chancellor sent around a new missive proclaiming "facts" about the history of these negotiations.  Was someone jealous there was a party that she was not invited to?  Here's the text of her recent email; I'll have comments for each of her "facts" after the break.

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Important Legal Notification

And on a definitely more serious note...

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Here are the links mentioned in the document:

Entire IELRA is at http://www2.illinois.gov/elrb/Pages/acts.aspx

FA Web Site http://siucunions.wordpress.com

Me and Mr. Baggott

The office of the Chancellor attempted to disrupt the informational meeting the IEA unions held for students in Lawson Hall on campus today. They did not succeed; at least 250 students came to the meeting, and most questions and comments from those in attendance were quite supportive of the unions.

I was in the middle of the abortive attempt to disrupt this meeting, and I don't come out of it unscathed, but I'm going to give you the straight scoop, as there will be rumors about this and the story may get reported in the DE (which interviewed me about it). The moral of the story is as I report it in the lead, but like many such stories, there's something of a twist.

From Wisconsin to Illinois?

Illinois isn't Wisconsin.  After all, legislators from Wisconsin and Indiana fled here.  And neither the state government nor our administration has made an open attack on collective bargaining.  Or are we too close to Wisconsin for comfort?  The administration has now cut off bargaining with the civil service union (ACsES) and with the NTT union, after short and rather cursory attempts at mediation.  And everyone expects that they will follow the same strategy with the Faculty Association.  They have declared that bargaining is at an impasse.  Is it?