Why do we prefer collective bargaining over small group meetings with the university?

　Up until now, the negotiations between the university and the Yoshida Dormitory Committee have been conducted in the form of collective bargaining. However, the university is now seeking to change the structure of these talks to that of small group meetings. These meetings are intended to be more structured with a smaller number of participants involved. Why are we opposed to this change?

 

　Firstly, the Vice President, who is the head of the Kyoto University authorities, has far more power and influence than Yoshida Dormitory students. He is the ultimate authority at Kyoto University and can involve himself in the university’s internal meetings and decision-making processes regarding Yoshida Dormitory whenever he sees fit. On the other hand, Yoshida Dormitory students are barred entry to the university’s internal meetings and have little bargaining power in the negotiations regarding the dormitory. In other words, the power dynamic between the university Vice President and the students of Yoshida Dormitory is completely asymmetrical. Talks with the university in the form of collective bargaining help to prevent this power asymmetry from being used against us. This is because as a greater number of our student representatives can participate in the meetings.

​

　Furthermore, Yoshida Dormitory students and other people affiliated with the dorm come from diverse backgrounds. They differ in terms of their economic situation, whether they are undergraduate or graduate students, whether they are Japanese or international students and whether they are residents or simply users of the event space. All of these groups have different motivations for being involved with Yoshida Dormitory and we believe that each group’s interests should be represented in negotiations with the university over the future of the dormitory. For this reason, we prefer to engage in collective bargaining where more participants are allowed into meetings. 

​

​

　Vice President Kawazoe has declared that collective bargaining is not a ‘logical’ form of negotiation and that he wishes to establish, ‘roundtable talks where a structured and concrete discussion can occur.’ However, we do not agree with the assertion that collective bargaining is not ‘constructive’. In fact, the building of the new section of Yoshida Dormitory and the renovation of the dorm’s dining hall are all products of collective bargaining talks that we had with former university Vice Presidents. Clearly, the claim that collective bargaining is not ‘constructive’ is false. 

​

​

Afterword – 16/04/2018

On the 12th of April 2018, the Yoshida Dormitory Committee put forward a new proposal to Vice President Kawazoe in regard to small group meetings with the university. We submitted the proposal through the university Health Department and also through the Student Lifestyle Committee. For details of the proposal, please click here. here

​