I doubt that the adjuncts can win a union vote against the tenure-track faculty and the officers of administration. But if they do, it will permanently alienate the latter groups from the former.
If the adjuncts want to form their own union, fine — but they should still think about what the unforeseen consequences of that might be.
Anonymous
11/10/2011
I have no idea what the above comment is supposed to mean. I did go to the Senate meeting last night and it was made pretty clear that United Academics is trying to organize all faculty – tenure track, non-tenure track, post docs, and research assistants.
If I remember correctly, this about 2000 faculty altogether. If over 50% of the faculty want a union, they will sign cards and submit them to the state for certification.
I don’t see how this equals “adjuncts” voting “against the tenure-track faculty” and no one is talking about organizing officers of administration into that union.
Anonymous
11/11/2011
Re “All faculty.” Adjuncts (i.e., non-career instructors) are arguably faculty in a colloquial sense, but are not technically faculty. Less ambiguously: postdocs are not faculty and research assistants are not faculty. http://int-gov.uoregon.edu/node/29
“No one is talking about organizing officers of administration into that union.” The United Academics website certainly makes it look otherwise: “Ensuring that every faculty member (tenured and non-tenured), librarian, researcher and officer of administration has a respected individual voice and, as a whole, has an effective collective voice in determining our working conditions and in making the decisions that affect the future of the university.” http://uauoregon.org/our-mission
I think it’s fair to say that United Academics would like to see all employees at the UO unionized, but they made clear at the Senate meeting that the bargaining unit they envision is tenure-track, non-tenure-track, post docs, and research assistants. I believe this is what they have been saying for some time.
All that aside, I still don’t know what “adjuncts” voting “against the tenure-track” means.
Anonymous
11/12/2011
What it means is that the tenure-track faculty don’t want a union. Maybe the adjuncts do, I don’t know. Maybe they have enough votes to ram one through against the wishes of the (tenure-track) faculty. I hope not, but if they do, it will be the tenure-track faculty against everyone else. I don’t see anybody winning in that situation.
Anonymous
11/15/2011
Funny. I’m tenured. I want a union. Those who favor outnumber those who don’t by two to one.
I doubt that the adjuncts can win a union vote against the tenure-track faculty and the officers of administration. But if they do, it will permanently alienate the latter groups from the former.
If the adjuncts want to form their own union, fine — but they should still think about what the unforeseen consequences of that might be.
I have no idea what the above comment is supposed to mean. I did go to the Senate meeting last night and it was made pretty clear that United Academics is trying to organize all faculty – tenure track, non-tenure track, post docs, and research assistants.
If I remember correctly, this about 2000 faculty altogether. If over 50% of the faculty want a union, they will sign cards and submit them to the state for certification.
I don’t see how this equals “adjuncts” voting “against the tenure-track faculty” and no one is talking about organizing officers of administration into that union.
Re “All faculty.” Adjuncts (i.e., non-career instructors) are arguably faculty in a colloquial sense, but are not technically faculty. Less ambiguously: postdocs are not faculty and research assistants are not faculty.
http://int-gov.uoregon.edu/node/29
“No one is talking about organizing officers of administration into that union.” The United Academics website certainly makes it look otherwise:
“Ensuring that every faculty member (tenured and non-tenured), librarian, researcher and officer of administration has a respected individual voice and, as a whole, has an effective collective voice in determining our working conditions and in making the decisions that affect the future of the university.”
http://uauoregon.org/our-mission
Less ambiguously: postdocs are not faculty and research assistants are not faculty.
http://int-gov.uoregon.edu/node/29
Well, it seems the federal government and HR disagree, as they list both post docs and research assistants as “Faculty” under their EEO category.
http://ir.uoregon.edu/sites/ir/files/Unclassified%20060111%20to%20083111.pdf
I think it’s fair to say that United Academics would like to see all employees at the UO unionized, but they made clear at the Senate meeting that the bargaining unit they envision is tenure-track, non-tenure-track, post docs, and research assistants. I believe this is what they have been saying for some time.
All that aside, I still don’t know what “adjuncts” voting “against the tenure-track” means.
What it means is that the tenure-track faculty don’t want a union. Maybe the adjuncts do, I don’t know. Maybe they have enough votes to ram one through against the wishes of the (tenure-track) faculty. I hope not, but if they do, it will be the tenure-track faculty against everyone else. I don’t see anybody winning in that situation.
Funny. I’m tenured. I want a union. Those who favor outnumber those who don’t by two to one.