Comments on: Non-tenured CMU faculty looking to unionize http://www.cm-life.com/2009/11/20/non-tenured-cmu-faculty-looking-to-unionize/ Your 24-hour news source for Central Michigan University Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:41:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: steve http://www.cm-life.com/2009/11/20/non-tenured-cmu-faculty-looking-to-unionize/comment-page-1/#comment-8054 steve Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:56:30 +0000 http://www.cm-life.com/?p=48784#comment-8054 I hope there will be more about this topic. The situation with adjuncts is worth paying attention to. I hope there will be more about this topic. The situation with adjuncts is worth paying attention to.

]]> By: AnAdjunct http://www.cm-life.com/2009/11/20/non-tenured-cmu-faculty-looking-to-unionize/comment-page-1/#comment-6362 AnAdjunct Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:43:27 +0000 http://www.cm-life.com/?p=48784#comment-6362 Brannan states, "the suggestion was made by the FA [for adjuncts] to look at the MEA." Is Brannan stating that the Faculty Association, as an organized group, voted to formally suggest that non-tenure faculty “to look” at the FA's own union, the MEA, rather than the other union, the AFT? This is puzzling as not one FA member whom I've spoken with was aware that that the their union was endorsing, at any point, one union over another for non-tenure-track faculty. A few of these same regular faculty members astutely noted that this "recommendation" is a conflict of interest, i.e. FA members, who may be encouraging adjuncts to choose the MEA, are direct supervisors of these same adjuncts, and responsible for their rehiring and/or reviews. Furthermore, Brannan’s “suggestion” seems a bit more than that as a non-tenure-track faculty member sent out an email to fellow adjuncts on behalf of the MEA after this article was published that stated that the FA was in full support of, and encouraged, the “decision” of non-tenure-track faculty members to join the MEA. As an adjunct, I find the FA’s position (or at least its executive board) to be shady, in an ethical sense. The administration is not supposed to pressure faculty/staff to join a certain union or not join union, period, so why is the FA engaging in the same, seemingly prohibited, conduct? I find it unacceptable that a chairperson or personnel committee member could ostensibly pressure non-tenure-track faculty to join the FA’s own union. Brannan states, “the suggestion was made by the FA [for adjuncts] to look at the MEA.” Is Brannan stating that the Faculty Association, as an organized group, voted to formally suggest that non-tenure faculty “to look” at the FA’s own union, the MEA, rather than the other union, the AFT? This is puzzling as not one FA member whom I’ve spoken with was aware that that the their union was endorsing, at any point, one union over another for non-tenure-track faculty. A few of these same regular faculty members astutely noted that this “recommendation” is a conflict of interest, i.e. FA members, who may be encouraging adjuncts to choose the MEA, are direct supervisors of these same adjuncts, and responsible for their rehiring and/or reviews. Furthermore, Brannan’s “suggestion” seems a bit more than that as a non-tenure-track faculty member sent out an email to fellow adjuncts on behalf of the MEA after this article was published that stated that the FA was in full support of, and encouraged, the “decision” of non-tenure-track faculty members to join the MEA. As an adjunct, I find the FA’s position (or at least its executive board) to be shady, in an ethical sense. The administration is not supposed to pressure faculty/staff to join a certain union or not join union, period, so why is the FA engaging in the same, seemingly prohibited, conduct? I find it unacceptable that a chairperson or personnel committee member could ostensibly pressure non-tenure-track faculty to join the FA’s own union.

]]> By: Frank http://www.cm-life.com/2009/11/20/non-tenured-cmu-faculty-looking-to-unionize/comment-page-1/#comment-6221 Frank Sat, 21 Nov 2009 20:24:00 +0000 http://www.cm-life.com/?p=48784#comment-6221 Yeah Oh Boy, lets keep wages low and working conditions poor for those non-tenure track faculty. Nothing like a little lesson in the free market to keep them in relative poverty and struggling to help you earn a quality education. You'd think that someone with a PhD and 60k in debt should count themselves lucky earning 5 dollars an hour. Sigh. Perhaps you'd like to "get what you pay for?" Protect workers, protect education. Just because someone has an MA or PhD, doesn't mean they cannot be exploited. I support their efforts to organize - though I am surprised that Steve Smith was so quick to welcome them to the bargaining table, whereas the Graduate Student Union had to fight for nearly two years (still, relatively short considering other union struggles) in order to be finally recognized. Yeah Oh Boy, lets keep wages low and working conditions poor for those non-tenure track faculty. Nothing like a little lesson in the free market to keep them in relative poverty and struggling to help you earn a quality education. You’d think that someone with a PhD and 60k in debt should count themselves lucky earning 5 dollars an hour. Sigh. Perhaps you’d like to “get what you pay for?”

Protect workers, protect education. Just because someone has an MA or PhD, doesn’t mean they cannot be exploited. I support their efforts to organize – though I am surprised that Steve Smith was so quick to welcome them to the bargaining table, whereas the Graduate Student Union had to fight for nearly two years (still, relatively short considering other union struggles) in order to be finally recognized.

]]> By: Oh Boy http://www.cm-life.com/2009/11/20/non-tenured-cmu-faculty-looking-to-unionize/comment-page-1/#comment-6213 Oh Boy Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:05:43 +0000 http://www.cm-life.com/?p=48784#comment-6213 Yup steve, just like unions build up our great Public Schools and domestic automakers. Its purely job protection, not quality. Yup steve, just like unions build up our great Public Schools and domestic automakers. Its purely job protection, not quality.

]]> By: steve http://www.cm-life.com/2009/11/20/non-tenured-cmu-faculty-looking-to-unionize/comment-page-1/#comment-6119 steve Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:39:58 +0000 http://www.cm-life.com/?p=48784#comment-6119 Bottom line is part-time and non union faculty are a big part of a university. Being represented by union could keep quality education for students as a central focus. It is good to bring this into public discussion. Bottom line is part-time and non union faculty are a big part of a university. Being represented by union could keep quality education for students as a central focus. It is good to bring this into public discussion.

]]> By: Cathy http://www.cm-life.com/2009/11/20/non-tenured-cmu-faculty-looking-to-unionize/comment-page-1/#comment-6101 Cathy Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:11:18 +0000 http://www.cm-life.com/?p=48784#comment-6101 One clarification: the non-tenure *track* faculty are looking to unionize. Tenure-track faculty members who have not gotten tenure yet are also "non-tenured faculty" and are members of the Faculty Association. One clarification: the non-tenure *track* faculty are looking to unionize. Tenure-track faculty members who have not gotten tenure yet are also “non-tenured faculty” and are members of the Faculty Association.

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