XVI. IRRA ANNUAL REPORTS

IRRA EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING

Friday, June 8, 2001
Omni-Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C.

Revised January 3, 2002, at Executive Board meeting

      Maggie Jacobsen, president of the IRRA, called the executive board meeting to order on June 8, 2001, at 9:00 a.m. at the Omni-Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC Present were president elect John Burton, past president Sheldon Friedman, and board members: Ronald Blackwell, Kate Bronfenbrenner, Douglas Gamble, Tia Schneider Denenberg, Richard Hurd, Stephen Sleigh, and Arnold Zack. Also in attendance were: Hoyt Wheeler, acting editor of Perspectives on Work; Peter Feuille, secretary-treasurer; Paula Wells, executive director; Suzi Millas, assistant to the executive director; and Paula Hamman, administrative coordinator. Absent board members were: Teresa Ghilarducci, Mark Keough, Cheryl Maranto, Kenneth McLennan, Lavonne Ritter, Dennis Rocheleau, Daphne Taras, and Janet Conti, NCAC chair.

      Guests included Jim Armshaw, National Policy Forum (NPF) 2001 co-chair; Marlene Heyser, NPF 2001 CO-chair; Paula B. Voos, editor-in-chief; and Gregory Woodhead, finance and membership committee chair.

      Approval of the Minutes--The minutes of the New Orleans, LA meeting, January 4, 2001, were reviewed. A motion was made by Paula Voos to approve the minutes, and was seconded by Arnold Zack. The minutes were unanimously approved.

      2001 Policy Forum Report--Jim Armshaw and Marlene Heyser, co-chairs of the forum, provided information regarding attendance, representation of labor and management, and evaluations received from attendees. The evaluations provided positive feedback. Suggestions were made regarding future NPF planning including staying on top of fund raising, planning regarding hotel booking, and future conference calls to coordinate decisions. The round table format of this forum was well received by participants; however, it was suggested that speakers increase interaction with the participants at the tables.

      Arnold Zack discussed the issue of a one-day vs. two-day meeting, President Jacobsen mentioned the possibility of a one and one half-day meeting, with the half day being a training/seminar day, and Kate Bronfenbrenner suggested that the half day could be optional, and could be provided as a time for participants to make contact with persons such as members of the House or Senate Labor Committee or EPI Members.

      The FMCS TAGs system was discussed for possible use in the next policy forum, and there was interest in whether or not it could provide a real-time link for persons who were not able to attend. Additional discussion took place regarding the various panels and the combination of panelists throughout the meeting.

      2002 Policy Forum Report--John Burton, chair of the 2002 NPF and president elect, stated that Washington, D.C., was the unanimous choice for the NPF location. He discussed the possibility of holding a one to one and a half-day meeting, with several slots to hold three concurrent sessions. Burton reported that hotel space availability will be a problem in June in Washington, D.C. There could be a possible conflict with an IILR meeting in Canada at the end of June, and the IRRA was asked not avoid conflict with this meeting if possible.

      Nonhotel locations were discussed, as well as the consequences of using these locations (the expense of the facility and the distance from lodging creating transportation problems). The possibilities of scheduling the meeting for May or July and of scheduling on Monday/Tuesday dates instead of Thursday/Friday dates were also considered.

      Burton recommended that the planning committee should consist of locals in the Washington, D.C. area as well as persons from outside of the area and noted that if the forum is held in Washington, D.C. next year, this will be three IRRA meetings in a row for that location. The increased burden placed on the Washington, D.C. members was considered, as well as the possibility of holding the forum every other year to save money and decrease the strain on these members. Final mention was made of the National Press Club, and that the prestige associated with this site may draw more participants. Burton invited all board members to join the planning committee and provide input.

      Program Committee 54th Annual Meeting, Atlanta--Jim Armshaw, co-vice chair, stated that George Strauss coordinated and was the driving force behind this program. Paula Wells discussed the program, including the balance between symposiums and workshops, the three pre-conference workshops on Thursday, the three concurrent distinguished panels on Friday (each for a different faction of the organization), and the desire for section meetings and a variety of presentations and workshops. The Atlanta Chapter will be sponsoring one session, and three NCAC workshops are planned. Several board members suggested including tourism information in the program packet, and to continue the packet pick-up feature in Atlanta if possible.

      Perspectives on Work Editorial Search and Advisory Board--Hoyt Wheeler, acting editor, stated that during this transition stage he would continue in this position until a new editor was appointed. The editorial advisory board was comprised of a member of each interest section and 3 appointees from NCAC--one each from labor, management, and neutral. Marlene Heyser and Janet Conti will provide names of appointees. Two to three candidates were interested in the position.

      Wheeler suggested a book review editor was also needed, and Tia Schneider Denenberg stated that Robert Taylor of the Financial Times would be a good candidate for a book editor. Wheeler told the board that the new editorial advisory board would be meeting in January at the annual meeting to help the new editor plan future issues. Paula Wells reported that the University of Illinois Press is now handling the copyediting and production of the Perspectives on Work, and that she and Hoyt were working together to continue magazine publication on schedule for December.

      Finance and Membership Committee--Chair Greg Woodhead stated that the auditor's report looked favorable. He mentioned there was a $42K budget surplus for 2000, and the $14K budgeted deficit for 2001. The plan was approved in January 2001 to increase dues in 2002 to $85 for regular membership and to $125 for contributing members. The $25 flat fee for students would remain the same. In addition, half-priced new memberships, increased emeritus memberships, and combination chapter/national memberships with national dues equal to $35 were also approved last winter to go into effect for 2002. Meeting expenses were discussed, including annual and spring meetings, as was meeting attendance. The fulfillment with the University of Illinois Press created a new $23K expense in the budget, but will decrease other promotional and editorial costs and increase some revenues.

      Membership statistics were broken down. Long-term trends showed a decrease from 3,900 members in July 1990 to 2,800 members in June 2001, with a noticeable decrease in student members. It was discussed that this may have been due in part to the increase of graduate students in labor union organizations and a decrease in graduate students entering into the industrial relations field, and due to the increasing number of students joining UALE (United Association of Labor Educators) and SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management). In addition, students often have trouble obtaining funding and need ample time for planning, which can be a problem regarding annual meetings.

      Suggestions were made including: pursuing a joint UALE/IRRA membership or to sponsor a session at a UALE meeting; including graduate students in activities such as paper presentations and poster sessions and asking them to act as discussants in sessions; asking IRRA members to sponsor students; choosing topics that are of interest to students; contacting student directors at various campuses; and creating a graduate student listserv. Suggestions for promoting the IRRA included providing an IRRA presence at the next FMCS Chicago meeting, networking with people in industrial relations, promoting publications, and highlighting our publications in e-mail messages or on the Web. Additional ideas for increasing membership included a joint SHRM/IRRA membership, co-sponsor a SHRM meeting or have an IRRA member speak at a SHRM meeting, sending a mailing out to SHRM members, survey the IRRA members who are also managers, and having senior board members recruit members. The national office reported that they had sent more mailings out this year than in many previous years. Wells suggested the 2002 Directory should create interest for new and renewing members, as only members are included. In the next year, the Directory may be placed online, with limited member access only.

      Report of the Secretary/Treasurer and Executive Director--Peter Feuille, Secretary/Treasurer and Paula Wells, Executive Director, presented financial statements and an auditor's report that was favorable. Financial statements included Statement of Financial Position, Activities, Functional Expenditures, and Cash Flows. These were discussed, as were the Profit and Loss Statement and Balance Sheet. The Balance Sheet showed strong cash revenues.

      Income and Expenses 1999 through 2001 Budget, Historical Income and Expenses 1991 through 2001, and membership statistics were also provided. Paula Voos mentioned that from 1998 to 1999, we increased membership dues but did not realize a loss of membership, although this could have had a delayed affect. Paula Wells stated that the Sloan Grant funds are diminishing, and that the FMCS grant will have a neutral effect on the budget, as budgeted expenses will correspond to revenues.

New Business

      FMCS Grant Report--Sheldon Friedman, past president, reported on the status of the $125K grant from FMCS. An earlier FMCS grant to the Southern CA IRRA Chapter had been used to implement a collective bargaining education curriculum in the Los Angeles high schools. That curriculum had been developed by two high school social studies teachers, Patti Litwin and Linda Tubach, and was very successful in Los Angeles. The purpose of the current FMCS grant to the national IRRA is to disseminate the curriculum to other sites around the country. Initial sites may include New York City, Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, MD, and Minneapolis, MN, as well as Alameda and San Bernardino Counties, CA. A Labor-Management Committee has been formed to oversee the project, which IRRA is carrying out in partnership with the George Meany Center. A brochure is being developed to describe the program and will be distributed to the board. There will be an important role for IRRA chapters in site locations to supply volunteer coaches for the mock collective bargaining sessions that are the heart of the curriculum.

      Electing vs. Appointing Officers--The process of electing officers was discussed. Some members thought it might have a negative effect on those persons who do not win the election, decreasing their desire to participate in the association and that appointing officers might be a better procedure. Others pointed out it was an honor to be nominated and that those who were nominated continued to be treated as honored members of the association. Paula Wells pointed out that the election process was specified in the constitution and bylaws and that a change in this process must be voted on by the board and general membership.

      University of Illinois Graduate Employee Organization--There was a long discussion regarding a letter that was sent to IRRA president Maggie Jacobsen from Professor Ron Peters at the University of Illinois. The letter brought up issues regarding the University of Illinois Graduate Employee Organization (GEO) and their desire to unionize. Specific sections of the IRRA bylaws and constitution were mentioned regarding the position of IRRA in relationship to these issues. There was discussion of drafting a response letter to Professor Peters and/or the University; however, no consensus was reached. President Jacobsen agreed to draft a response and to get back to the board for their input.

      Adjournment--The meeting was adjourned at 11:45 a.m. The next meeting will convene Thursday, January 3, 2002, at 7:00 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency; Atlanta, GA. Dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m.

IRRA EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING

Thursday, January 3, 2002
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Atlanta, GA

      John F. Burton, Jr., president elect of the IRRA, called the executive board meeting to order on January 3, 2002, at 7:35 p.m. He thanked IRRA President Magdalena Jacobsen, in her absence, for her contribution to the association, and asked all present to introduce themselves. Present were Past President Sheldon Friedman and board members: Ronald Blackwell, Douglas Gamble, Tia Schneider Denenberg, Teresa Ghilarducci, Richard Hurd, Cheryl Maranto, Anthony Oliver, Jr., Lavonne Ritter, Dennis Rocheleau, Stephen Sleigh, and Arnold Zack. Also in attendance were: Janet Conti, NCAC chair; Peter Feuille, secretary-treasurer; Paula Wells, executive director; and Suzi Millas, assistant to the executive director. Incoming board members present were Nancy Biagini, Sanford Jacobi, Arthur Schwartz, and John Truesdale. Absent were IRRA President Magdalena Jacobsen (due to weather-related travel complications), IRRA Editor in Chief Paula B. Voos, board members Kate Bronfenbrenner and Kenneth McLennan

      Guests included James Auerbach, 2003 Program Committee co-vice chair; Dale Belman, chair, Statistics Committee; Marlene Heyser, incoming chair, NCAC; Eileen Hoffman, Perspectives on Work Editorial Advisory Board member; George Strauss, 2003 Program Committee co-vice chair; Hoyt Wheeler, chair of Perspectives on Work Editorial Advisory Board; and Gregory Woodhead, chair, Finance and Membership Committee.

      Approval of the Minutes--The minutes of the Washington, D.C., meeting, June 8, 2001, were reviewed. Paula Wells suggested that several amendments should be made to the minutes based on a request from Sheldon Friedman. In the New Business section of the minutes, in the subsection titled FMCS Grant Report, the proper name Indianapolis, IN, should be changed to Minneapolis, MN.

      In the subsection titled University of Illinois Graduate Employees Organization, the wording was changed to read, "The letter brought up issues regarding the University of Illinois Graduate Employee Organization (GEO), their desire to unionize. Specific sections of the IRRA bylaws and constitution were mentioned regarding the position of the IRRA in relationship to these issues. There was discussion of drafting a response letter to Professor Peters and/or the University, however no consensus was reached. President Jacobsen agreed to look into drafting a letter and said she would get back to the board for their input."

      John Burton mentioned that these changes were supported by Sheldon Friedman and asked for a motion to accept the minutes with the abovementioned changes. Motion was made and Lavonne Ritter seconded the motion. The minutes were unanimously approved.

      Burton asked if there were any other changes to the agenda at this time, due to the fact that bad weather prevented several members from attending the meeting, and there were none. He also stated that outgoing board members Mark Keough, Cheryl Maranto, Lavonne Ritter, Stephen Sleigh, and Daphne Taras would be recognized with certificates after IRRA President Magdalena Jacobsen arrived in Atlanta.

      Nominating Committee Report--Jill Kriesky, chair of the Nominating Committee, was unable to make the meeting due to the weather conditions. Sheldon Friedman, committee member, was asked to present the report in her absence. Chair Kriesky held a conference call on November 15, 2001, and the nominating committee selected candidates for five Executive Board vacancies for terms beginning in 2003. As per discussion from the January 4, 2001 Executive Board meeting, the academic ballot was split and members were asked to vote separately for one of two Canadian candidates and one of two other candidates.

      There was discussion regarding the criteria that exists for nomination of a candidate in the Government/Neutral/Other category. The general criteria for this type of candidate included that the nominee not be of a union, academic, or management affiliation. John Burton noted that the nominating committee would look more closely at defining the criteria in the coming year. The question arose as to protocol regarding a board member's changing affiliation mid-term, or as to a board member's residence in the United States. Paula Wells reported that in the past, the IRRA has not removed a board member for an affiliation change, but rather that the member was asked to exercise sensitivity with regards to maintaining balance on the board and the expectations of the members who had elected them. Arnold Zack questioned the validity of holding elections versus appointing board members. There was a short discussion on this topic; it was deferred to the 2002 nominating committee. There was a motion that the candidates mentioned in the Report of the Nominating Committee be approved for the 2002 ballot. It was seconded and the board unanimously approved it.

      Finance and Membership Committee Report--Greg Woodhead, chair of the committee, presented several general recommendations regarding increasing association membership in light of decreasing renewals. He first discussed the need for Executive Board members to become more involved in recruiting members. He stated that the slight increase in dues might be offset by a decrease in renewals and new memberships, but that student memberships were slightly up (their dues remained a flat $25). Ultimately, Woodhead pointed out that contact between board members and potential IRRA members would be key in the next year.

      The appearance of a deficit in the budget was discussed due to the publication of the IRRA Directory in 2002, which is published only every 4 years. That deficit was not projected for the following year. It was also pointed out the inclusion of the FMCS grant money in the budget skewed the true operating budget figure, and it was explained grant revenue was recognized only as expenses were incurred. The role and potential role of chapters in membership figures was also discussed. The example of the Washington, D.C., chapter providing half-price memberships was cited, as well as other similar examples among other local chapters. This type of promotion was determined to be a good method of expanding national as well as chapter membership. Past promotions requiring chapter members to also be national members failed "miserably" according to John Burton. Members were encouraged to contribute any ideas they have for promoting membership. John Burton moved to approve the Finance and Membership Budget proposed for 2003. The budget was unanimously approved.

      Education Committee Report--Adrienne Eaton, chair of the committee, was absent due to weather-related travel delays. Sheldon Friedman, who was present at the committee meeting, discussed the events of the meeting. He noted that Cheryl Maranto was nominated as incoming chair of the committee. Funding possibilities for the Collective Bargaining Program, after the FMCS grant expires had been discussed.

      The Innovative Teaching in HR/IR Conference, held November 8-9, 2002 and hosted by Ohio State University and co-sponsored by the IRRA, was discussed. The national office will be promoting the conference on the national website. Ohio State had not sent any information to IRRA members regarding the conference, but would soon as they have our mailing list. Co-sponsorship of the conference was determined to be consistent with IRRA practices and went on record as an appropriate National IRRA activity.

      FMCS Grant Report--Sheldon Friedman provided a brief report since Valerie Ervin, FMCS Grant administrator, was absent due to weather-related delays. He discussed the FMCS Brochure included in the Executive Board packet and briefly cited the areas of possible expansion for the Collective Bargaining program developed by Linda Tubach and Patti Litwin. These areas included New York City, Montgomery County and Prince Georges County, MD, Minneapolis, MN, and Alameda County and San Bernardino County, CA. He stated that local chapters might be able to provide support for these programs, as the California chapters have in the past.

      Statistics Committee Report--Dale Belman, chair of the committee, presented a brief report. He stated that he and Larry Mishel have been attending Federal Statistical Users Association Meetings but may cut back on attendance, saving money and sharpening their focus. He also stated that many new data products are available for use in census and economic analysis, and that it might be advantageous to provide a forum (workshop) for members during our annual/national meetings showing them how to access and utilize these data products as well as surveying members regarding their concerns in this area. He stated that he would provide a formalized proposal to the program committee. John Burton stated that he would consider including it in the program for the Annual Meeting 2003.

      Editorial Committee Report--Paula Voos was absent due to weather-related travel delays, and committee member Cheryl Maranto provided a report. The main focus of the discussion was placing the IRRA 2002 Membership Directory and future issues of the IRRA Proceedings online versus printing hard copies. The committee discussed that in future years the directory would possibly be printed in a limited run for libraries and institutions, and persons who request the hard copy could get it at cost. In the current year, printed copies and the online version would be available for members only, and information about the directory would be disseminated on the IRRA website and newsletter. The directory would be searchable in the same ways that the hard copy is, but with protection to prevent mass downloading and use of the membership listing. John Burton asked the board if they supported the committee's recommendation, and they did so unanimously.

      Discussion took place regarding publishing the Proceedings online. The committee recommended that the printed version be made available only to libraries and subscribing institutions, and that copies be made available at cost for those members who request the hard copy. Otherwise, the printed version would be abandoned. They recommended that two versions of the Proceedings be provided online: to everyone in HTML format immediately and to members-only in PDF format the first year. A savings of $12K would be realized after the first year of online publication. The issue of access for members and non-members was discussed. It was recommended that authors or the membership be surveyed regarding the switch to an online publication, possibly through the TAGS/FMCS system. John Burton suggested authors be contacted soon as Paula Wells noted that this decision must be made by the end of March or beginning of April for the 2002 edition.

      Topics were proposed for future research volumes. The proposed topic for the 2003 research volume was "Public Sector and Service Quality", for the 2004 research volume was "Industrial Relations Theory." Ideas discussed by the committee in order to prepare and issue a call for proposals for the 2005 and future research volumes included but was not limited to: "Survey of Research in Industrial Relations and Human Resources", "Work and Family Issues", "Service Sector Employment Conditions", "State of the Unions: New Model of Unionism" and "Comparative Industrial Relations". Future topics would be discussed by the Editorial Committee, and reviewed by the board.

      Perspectives on Work Board Report--Hoyt Wheeler, past acting editor-in-chief of the Perspectives on Work, introduced (in absentia) Charles Whalen, the new editor-in-chief, and Robert Taylor, the Perspectives on Work book review editor. The Editorial Advisory Committee would meet at a later time during the Annual Meeting. John Burton thanked Hoyt for his many contributions in developing and editing the magazine and his many years of service and leadership to the IRRA.

      National Chapter Advisory Committee Report--Chair Janet Conti presented a report of chapter activity. There are 47 active local IRRA Chapters, one student chapter. The committee had six contacts regarding new chapter start-up or reactivation including Louisiana, Miami, Texas, Maine, Pittsburgh, and New Mexico. The national office provided support in the form of reports, website maintenance and expansion, listserv utilization, and the distribution of promotional items to chapters. The development and sale of lapel pins featuring the IRRA logo was spearheaded and supported by the NCAC in conjunction with the National Office.

      Since 1997, 20 chapters have received IRRA Awards. In 2001, 22 Merit Awards, 3 Chapter Star Awards, and 1 Outstanding Chapter Award were presented to local chapters. The Chapter Star recognizes continued chapter efforts and requires that the chapter received 6 different types of merit awards out of the 8 merit award categories, while the Outstanding Chapter Award requires that the chapter received 4 different types of merit awards out of the 8 merit award categories.

      The 2002 initiatives included the convening of a subcommittee to distribute $250 grants from national to chapters (award criteria will be established by the committee but these are meant to help promote regional meetings and membership efforts), submission of NCAC Workshop Proposals for the 2003 Annual Meeting, support for the Collective Bargaining in Schools Program (embodied in the current FMCS Grant) as it expands, refining and increasing chapter liaison functions, and updating the Chapter Manual. Janet stated that she would be stepping down as the NCAC Chair, taking an advisory role, and that Marlene Heyser would be the new NCAC Chair, with Lavonne Ritter as vice-chair.

      Policy Forum Program Committee 2002--John Burton reported on the 2002 National Policy Forum, to be held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. He described the background leading up to the NPF, starting with chapter-based spring meetings based on proposals submitted by local chapters. Due to declining attendance by local chapter members and the substantial burden placed on chapter members, the Executive Board deliberated for a year, skipping one spring meeting, and ultimately deciding to hold a policy- and practitioner-focused conference each June in Washington,
D.C. The NPFs held in Washington, D.C., have been fairly successful regarding attendee diversity and quite successful financially. One difficulty has been finding a union hotel at an affordable price. In the past, hotel accommodations offset meeting room rental. This year the meetings will be held offsite at the National Press Club, Thursday and Friday, June 20-21, 2002. The planning committee will meet on Sunday, January 6, and an open invitation was extended to board members to attend and provide input. A tentative theme as well as hotel accommodations were discussed briefly and would be discussed further at the meeting Sunday.

      NPF 2003 Preliminary Discussion--There was no preliminary discussion due to the absence of Paula B. Voos. John Burton noted that the next three meetings (NPF 2002, Annual 2003, and NPF 2003) would all be held in Washington, D.C. He recognized the extra burden that would be placed on the Washington, D.C., chapter and thanked them for their pledged support in the future.

      Program Committee 55th Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C.-- John Burton mentioned his call for proposals regarding "Improving Employment Relations". Another area mentioned was Anti-Trust Developments and the Relevance for Labor Relations. The call was not meant to limit the range of proposals submitted. Program co-vice chair George Strauss stated that there should be a balance among topic proposals and between labor and management within session. Session time limits were discussed briefly in relationship to the number of session participants. The 55th Annual Program Committee was mentioned, as well as the deadline for proposals (January 15, 2002) and the final program deadline of March 1, 2002. Strauss also stated that committee members would be communicating via email rather than conference calls on a regular basis.

      Report of the Secretary/Treasurer and Executive Director--Peter Feuille stated that the IRRA is financially in remarkably good shape considering all of the constraints that have been placed on the association in the last year, with about $350K currently in the bank earning interest. As a result of hiring a new half-time annual secretary, providing mandatory severance pay to Lisa Narug, and fulfillment of the first year of the contract with UI Press, the Operating Budget saw a deficit of only $12,000. The membership database has been upgraded, and the website has been overhauled by the national staff. The 2002 dues increase and membership efforts should provide an increase in revenues for the association.

      Paula Wells discussed the improvements in the website and the fact that this has drawn potential new members to the IRRA. She thanked the board for approving the budget last year allowing the office to utilize a part-time administrative assistant. She discussed the gradual decline in membership and reported the National Office will begin surveying the membership regarding the benefits that they value. A new promotion using "personalized" yellow sticky notes would be undertaken, asking renewing members and board members to invite a friend to join the IRRA. National asked that board members help to contact non-renewing members in the near future.

New Business

      Recommendation to Appoint the New IRRA Editor in Chief and Education Committee Chair--John Burton addressed the fact that Paula B. Voos is the new IRRA president elect, and that she would be stepping down as the IRRA editor in chief in September. He recommended members of the Executive Board consider Adrienne Eaton for appointment as the new IRRA editor in chief. Anthony Oliver moved that she be appointed, Theresa Ghilarducci seconded the motion, and the board unanimously approved the motion. Due to this new appointment, Adrienne had asked to be relieved of her position as chair of the Education Committee. Cheryl Maranto was recommended for appointment as the new chair of the IRRA Education Committee. Richard Hurd moved that Cheryl be appointed, Tia Dennenberg seconded the motion, and the board unanimously approved the motion.

      Awards Report and Criteria Discussion--The presentation of awards at the Annual Meeting was discussed. The awards were to be presented at different events during the meeting. The Education Awards and Lifetime Achievement Award would be presented at the National Reception on Friday, the Young Scholar and Practitioner Awards and the Best Dissertation Award would be presented at the Presidential Luncheon on Saturday afternoon, and the Chapter Star and Outstanding Chapter Awards and Perspectives on Work special recognition awards would be presented at the General Membership Meeting on Saturday evening. Past Lifetime Achievement Awardees were discussed. John Burton discussed the need for an advisory committee to determine future Lifetime Achievement Awardees, and the board concurred with his recommendation to appoint a committee if he so desired.

Other Business

      The University of Illinois GEO and the situation regarding their desire to unionize were discussed. The issue of Illinois State Law and existing negotiations was discussed, as well as a letter sent by Ron Peters to the IRRA in May 2001. Specific discussion focused on Section 2, Subsections e. and f. of the IRRA Constitution and their relationship to this issue. Previous examples of students attempting to organize were cited, including Harvard and Wisconsin (the previous headquarters of the IRRA National Office). One board member, Lavonne Ritter, recused herself from the discussion on the advice of FMCS council. Arnold Zack read a draft of a possible letter but several board members asked for it to be put on paper and circulated. Ultimately, it was determined that a draft of a single letter addressed to the University of Illinois and the GEO would be circulated to the 2002 Executive Board via e-mail, after January 6, 2002, for their review.

      Adjournment--The meeting was adjourned at 11:15 p.m. The next meeting will convene Friday, June 21, at 11:30 a.m. at the at the National Press Club, Washington, D.C.

IRRA GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Saturday, January 5, 2002
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Atlanta, GA

      Call to Order and Welcome to New Members--President Magdalena Jacobsen called the meeting to order on January 5, 2002, at 6:20 p.m. She welcomed new IRRA members, asking them to stand and be acknowledged.

      Nomination Committee Report--Magdalena Jacobsen announced the board had approved the slate of candidates for election in 2002 for the IRRA 2003 Board. She announced that Marlene Heyser would be the candidate for president elect for 2003 and reminded everyone that Paula B. Voos had earlier been confirmed as president elect for 2002.

      Finance and Membership Committee--In 2002 the association is budgeted to operate in the red $12,000. Woodhead reported that the IRRA lost members in 2002 and would not be realizing interest income as it had the previous year. He stated that the board had unanimously approved the budget, and that the focus of the Finance and Membership Committee would be to increase membership. Peter Feuille, IRRA secretary-treasurer, stated that the deficit in both 2001 and 2002 was only a small fraction of the entire budget, and that the IRRA has $350,000 in the bank, providing financial stability. He stated that the University of Illinois Press had taken over the national membership database, upgrading the software and taking some of the burden off of the national office, and that the half-time secretary hired last year would help to free up Paula Wells for membership promotion. Expanded promotion of organizational and new individual members was mentioned as a focus in 2002.

      Education Committee Report--John Burton provided a short report of the Education Committee. He stated that Adrienne Eaton had been appointed by the Executive Board as the incoming editor-in-chief of the IRRA, effective September 1, 2002, and would be stepping down as chair of the IRRA Education Committee. Cheryl Maranto had been named chair of the Education Committee to replace Adrienne. Burton discussed the IRRA's cosponsorship of the Third Innovative Teaching in IR/HR Conference, hosted by Ohio State University. He stated that the deadline for proposals was March 1, 2002 and that IRRA members would be receiving information in the mail. Additional information could be found on the IRRA website.

      Editorial Committee--Editor-in-chief Paula Voos reported that she would be stepping down as the editor in chief and that Adrienne Eaton would be assuming those responsibilities later in the year. She mentioned that there had been a recommendation for the Editorial Committee to move the IRRA 2002 Proceedings online and to print a limited amount of copies to go to libraries and authors. This would provide some monetary savings to the organization in future years.

      Perspectives on Work Report--Magdalena Jacobsen introduced the new editor of the Perspectives on Work, Charles J. Whalen. Charles asked the membership to please send him and the new Perspectives Editorial Advisory Board any ideas for articles or themes. Special awards were then presented to the co-founders of the Perspective on Work: Tom Kochan, Hoyt Wheeler, and Susan Cass.

      Chapter Advisory Committee (NCAC)--Marlene Heyser reported that the committee held two workshops at the meeting in Atlanta, one distinguished panel and one workshop on the Contingent Workforce. She announced that nine chapters received merit awards: Arizona, Atlanta, Central New York, Hudson Valley New York, New York Capital, Washington, D.C.--Outstanding Programming Awards
Arizona, Atlanta, Hudson Valley New York, TERRA, Washington, D.C.-Consistent Chapter Excellence Awards
Central New York--Chapter Turnaround Award
Arizona, Washington, D.C.--Member Innovation Award
Arizona, Long Island--Community Involvement Award
Arizona, Atlanta--Chapter Communications Awards
Hudson Valley New York, New York Capital, TERRA, West Central Florida, Washington, D.C.--Chapter to National Relations Awards.

      Heyser presented three chapters with the IRRA Chapter Star Award: Arizona, Hudson Valley New York, and TERRA, and then presented the Washington, D.C., IRRA an Outstanding Chapter Award. She thanked all of the chapters for their efforts.

      Report on Annual Meeting for 2003 and National Policy Forum 2002-Maggie Jacobsen announced the 4th annual NPF meeting date as June 20-21, 2002 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. She stated that the 55th Annual Meeting would be held Jan 2-5, 2003 in Washington, D.C., as well. John Burton discussed the NPF briefly and introduced the members of the program planning committee. Burton then discussed the 2003 Annual Meeting, and stated that proposals were due January 15, 2002, and that the program vice chairs were George Strauss and Jim Aurbach.

      Administrator's Report--Paula Wells reported that the session counts for the meeting were good and that the sessions were well attended. She thanked Magdalena for all of her hard work and asked the general membership for input, feedback, and ideas regarding the national office. She reiterated that the national office added a half-time staff member, and had increased its web profile. She stated that in 2002 there would be greater changes including an online membership directory and online versions of the proceedings. IRRA members would be able to renew their memberships and update their directory listings online. The national office would also consider surveying the membership in 2002 regarding their perception of the value of Association membership benefits.

      Request for New Business--Maggie Jacobsen addressed the general membership and asked for any new business to be discussed. Ron Peters, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, addressed the membership regarding a letter that he had written to the IRRA National Office in May 2001. The letter addressed the dispute between the university administration and the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO) regarding the right of the GEO to unionize, and Peters' request that the IRRA address this issue in the form of a response letter. Peters made a motion of consent of the general membership that the Executive Board should go forward with this action and deal with this issue. Executive Board member Richard Hurd read the following draft of a response letter composed by he and Arnold Zack for Board consideration, "The Industrial Relations Research Association is an organization of professionals interested in all aspects of industrial relations, human resources and dispute resolution. Our Executive Board has been informed of the dispute involving graduate students and the University of Illinois, which houses our national office. We strongly urge the parties to work toward a voluntary resolution of their conflict consistent with our constitution which declares ‘support for fundamental worker and human rights in the workplace and for the rights of employees, employers, and their organizations to full freedom to organize and administer their activities and to formulate and pursue their lawful purposes'."

      Maggie Jacobsen asked John Burton to discuss his and the Executive Board's position on the matter. He stated that at the Executive Board meeting it was determined that a version of the statement would be circulated to the board members for review and a vote and that this process was in place. In addition, he added that a "no" vote by any member would indicate that this was a partisan issue. Doris Blank questioned the process and pointed out that the original motion of consent to the general membership appeared to be redundant and should therefore be withdrawn. The suggestion was made to resolve the issue at the general membership meeting; however, lack of representation of the general membership would prevent a legitimate vote. The question was addressed and the motion before the membership was not passed. John Burton stated that he would accept the revised version of the statement, read by Ron Peters, for submission to the 2002 Executive Board for review.

      Adjournment--As her last official act as president, Maggie Jacobsen handed over the presidency to John Burton. John thanked Maggie for her service and adjourned the meeting at 7:15 p.m.