Comments on OSV Daily Take Blog: Faculty union: Jesuit University of San Francisco ...

Throughout my decades as a reporter in the secular...

2009-05-11T18:54:00.000-04:00

Throughout my decades as a reporter in the secular and Catholic press, I have held myself to the highest standards of journalistic fairness and accuracy. And I stand by my posting and by the transcription of my telephone interview with Mr. Neaman. This is not the first time I have seen an interviewee take a swipe at a reporter because of what in retrospect was an ill-advised comment.

What are the facts? As Mr. Neaman himself stipulates above, he told me that USF is not legally a Catholic university, and that years ago the Jesuits divested themselves of ownership of the university.

The context? He made that statement following my question about how a Catholic university could offer a health insurance plan that covers procedures that violate fundamental principles of Catholic social teaching.

He told me such questions were “irrelevant,” a word he used repeatedly.

“All that ideological, religious stuff is completely irrelevant,” he said. “We have a contract. The contract is important. It does not matter whether it is a Catholic university.”
Neaman then went on to say that legally, USF “is not a Catholic university.”

I reported his statement, his qualifications of his statement, and the context. He may not be happy with what he told me, but he was quoted fairly.

Throughout my decades as a reporter in the secular...

2009-05-11T18:53:00.000-04:00

It is highly significant that Valerie Schmaltz has...

2009-05-11T12:39:00.000-04:00

It is highly significant that Valerie Schmaltz has misquoted Professor Neaman. Both he and Fr. President Privett have reaffirmed that USF is indeed a Catholic University, whose tradition we honor. Professor Neaman is correct in consistently indicating that moral and contractual obligations, while related, are legally separate, and that changes in the contract need to be negotiated.

We look forward to an open dialogue on this issue, in the interests of both moral and academic integrity.

When the next collective bargaining begins it is t...

2009-04-27T22:12:00.000-04:00

When the next collective bargaining begins it is the right of the employer to propose that certain provisions in the collective agreement be amended or deleted.
At that time the University can eventually state that is their final offer, and then the Union can have their members vote on the last offer of the employer, and if the employees reject the offer, without the provision of Abortion in Health Care Coverage...the employees are free to go on strike...and stay on strike until they are prepared to accept the proposal.
Ten will get you one, that the majority of employees will vote to accept the University offer!
Wait and see!

Mr. Neaman's position may be correct but that does...

2009-04-26T21:37:00.000-04:00

Mr. Neaman's position may be correct but that doesn't ignore the fact that contracts can be good or bad and laws can be good or bad, but abortion is intrinsically evil and that is an absolute truth. It is not a matter of ideology, religion or even a matter of morals just evil, regardless of race, color, creed or persuasion. "Just doing my job" is a cop out, he should be helping to find a loop hole in a bad contract. It's sad that a bad contract should be binding because of lack of due diligence.

I am a law student at USF. Student groups that I h...

2009-04-25T14:16:00.000-04:00

I am a law student at USF. Student groups that I have been involved in have received university funding to host pro-life speakers, such as Nikolas Nikas, President of the Bioethics Defense Fund. My school cherishes its Catholic heritage and respects Catholic values. Based on this article, the university seems to be making a good faith effort to renegotiate the health insurance contracts now that the abortion issue has come to light. This shows that USF is sensative to Catholic teachings. Does anybody know whether other federally funded Jesuit universities have the same kind of health insurance contracts as USF?

Like it or not, the argument from the perspective ...

2009-04-25T03:44:00.000-04:00

Like it or not, the argument from the perspective of contract sticks. If you have ever worked in higher ed, you would know that faculty senates hold immense power.

For decades, Jesuit universities have scorned "hiring for mission" and now it is coming back to bite. Is it so difficult to hire good, devout, Catholics to positions of responsibility? Someone without sensitivity to RC teaching negotiated that contract, and now USF is stuck. My sense is that this will take about 5-10 years to fix, but the fix should not be played out in the press.

Mr. Neaman's comments are chilling and reminicent ...

2009-04-24T18:58:00.000-04:00

Mr. Neaman's comments are chilling and reminicent of Nazi rationalizations and mind game distancing of the extermination of millions of human beings.

Hey, let's get back to bashing public-school teach...

2009-04-24T16:03:00.000-04:00

Hey, let's get back to bashing public-school teachers.

And Mr. Neaman is the epitome of what is wrong wit...

2009-04-23T23:20:00.000-04:00

And Mr. Neaman is the epitome of what is wrong with the modern labor movement, not concerned with right or wrong or what is best for all parties involved, just "the contract." Many throughout history have tried the copout, "just doing my job" and like the rest, history will not judge him favorably.