Spring 2010 - Union of Teaching Faculty

UNION OF TEACHING FACULTY
AFT, AFL-CIO
Nontenure-Track Faculty of Central Michigan University
We are a Majority; Election Soon!
NEWSLETTER
Volume 1 Issue 1
March 2010
In this Issue:
Union Files!
Organizing the Industry
Member Profiles: 2-7
The Union of Teaching Faculty has reached an
important milestone: on February 23, UTF filed
for an official union election with the Michigan
Employment Relations Commission (MERC). This is
exciting news as we have worked for the better part
of the last year to build an active community among
our colleagues, and we are excited to have a majority
Union cards prior to filing with MERC
of the nontenure-track faculty as members of our
growing organization! MERC is now working with us and with the CMU
administration to discuss the exact composition of the UTF bargaining unit
and the date for our certification election. We have already had some cordial
preliminary meetings with the administration, and we are confident that we
will have an election soon.
A majority of ballots cast in favor of the union will require the CMU
administration to recognize our union and begin negotiations. With a
majority of us signed as official UTF members, we are confident about
the outcome of the forthcoming election, but we will continue to contact
everyone to ensure our success.
Continued on Page 2
In the News: 4
Higher Education: Organizing the Industry
Union Myths and Facts: 5
We are part of a movement.
AFT Michigan Welcome: 7
It's a movement made possible—and necessary—by a radical change in higher education over the last 40 years. Nationally, between 1970 and 1995, the
number of full-time faculty grew modestly (49%) while the number of parttime faculty grew an astonishing 266%. By the Fall of 2007, there were more
than 1.5 million people working in post-secondary instruction; of these, less
than 430,000—about a third—were so-called regular faculty, tenured or
tenure-track. Another 330,000 were graduate student employees, meaning
that the remaining 740,000—just about half of the total number—were full
and part-time nontenure-track faculty.
Get to know
Michael Evans!
Page 4
represents over 6,500 faculty in higher education.
AFT Michigan
Tenure-track faculty—especially at public institutions—began organizing in
the 1960's following huge nationwide increases in undergraduate enrollment
and the exponential growth of what University of California president Clark
Kerr famously dubbed "the knowledge
Nontenindustry."
ure-track faculty were left out of
these bargaining units
because many at the time were in
fact "adjunct" faculty:
full-time professionals in the community who taught
AFL-CIO
a course or two to supplement the regular curriculum.
That loophole became a floodgate
for an oversupply of
AFT is the American Federation of Teachers. AFT Michigan Ph.D.'s in the labor market and led to the current crisis.
Continued on Page 6
Central to Faculty - Central to Education - Central to Central Michigan University!
Brenda Luckhart
Health Professions
Who is UTF?
Stephen Jones
History
“I hold helping others as a salient
characteristic of my life’s mission.
That is why I entered nursing and
why I teach others,” states Brenda
Luckhardt.
“I feel I have been treated fairly by my department,
but where budgets are tight and priorities are intensely debated, we need to ensure our voices are heard,”
says Steven Jones, of the History Department.
Luckhardt’s nursing career, and her
enthusiasm for teaching, began in
the Internal Medicine Unit at the
University of Michigan. “This is where
teaching really became my passion,”
she says. “Every clinical day was a learning day, and I experienced
firsthand how disease and severe illnesses impacted patients and their
families.”
Jones studied at Michigan State University, and after
receiving his Ph.D in American Studies, he worked as
a journalist and later at Chadsey High, in the Detroit
Public School System. He arrived at CMU four years
ago and now teaches a multiplicity of courses in the
History Department.
Jones, a big fan of the arts,
is an actor, songwriter,
and general performer. He
After teaching at various institutions across the state, she began
has written songs for folk
educating students at CMU in the fall of 2007. She teaches a number
of classes now; all fulfill her passion for teaching and bringing students artists and is currently
performing in Forgotten: A
into the fold of the healthcare service industry.
Jazz Opera documenting a
Through the UTF, she believes, work equity can be addressed in several labor struggle at the Ford
ways: proper compensation for new class preperations, fair class sizes
Rouge Plant.
that promote quality teaching and learning for students, a voice in
setting class schedules suitable for the faculty member and students,
As a longtime union memand advance notification of teaching in the future are a few examples.
ber, he has seen the benefits of collective bargaining,
“The Union of Teaching Faculty will help us be more effective teachers
and believes that unionization at CMU is the best way
and be an even better benefit for students, CMU, the State of Michigan to improve things on campus. He looks forward to
and beyond. Quality teaching produces quality students.”
coming together with his colleagues and negotiating a
contract of which we can be proud.
When Luckhardt is not educating the next generation of health
professionals, she enjoys maintaining a close relationship with her
children and grandchildren. She also has Master Gardener credentials,
and she produces and packages much of the food her family eats.
Union Reaches Majority, continued from the front page
For months, we have made it our
mission to talk with everyone
on campus and have discovered
significant support for a union.
Non-tenured folks would like to
see improvement, particularly
in the areas of job security, wages, and benefits. These are the
very issues that we can address
through organizing a union and
negotiating with the university
administration. Upon winning
our election, we can expect bargaining to begin later this year.
2
In fact, a union will give us
the voice to address almost
any issue on campus.
By organizing, we can also address issues
such as access to research and travel funds,
representation within departments, and our
role in curriculum development. Additionally, the contract will establish a grievance
procedure for resolving conflicts we may have
with the administration. In fact, a union will
give us the voice to address almost any issue
on campus.
While we have made substantial
progress building our union, there is
still much to do, and we need you to
participate; the foundation of a strong
union is its active membership. You
can help by emailing the organizing
committee at [email protected] or by
calling the UTF office at (989) 7723238.
The UTF Organizing Committee
meets every Thursday at 6:00 in the
UTF Office (711 East Bellows [behind
Jon’s Country Burgers]); we are always
happy to welcome new activists!
Meet the Members!
JOIN US!
The UTF Organizing Committee meets every Thursday
at 6:00 PM in the UTF Office:
711 East Bellows St.
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858
Qiana Towns
English, Language &
Literature
“I love Mount Pleasant, and
I love teaching at Central
Michigan University,” declares
Qiana Towns. She received
her undergraduate and M.A.
degrees from CMU and
returned to the university
because, she says, “It was my
life-long dream to return here
to teach.”
Towns, a resident of Flint, teaches composition and
creative writing at CMU and received a MFA in poetry
from Bowling Green State University. In addition, she
serves as adjunct faculty at Davenport University in Flint.
When she’s not swimming in a sea of papers, she can be
found prepping and planning for class. She admits that,
“As a young teacher and person of color, I feel a bit of
added pressure to do well. But it doesn’t leave much time
for writing poetry.”
Towns also notes that the stress of lower pay and the
wait to find out if she’ll be rehired each year occasionally
causes her to question her choice of careers. “But I’ve
wanted to be a teacher ever since I was a kid. And when
I hear my 8-year old daughter tell people that she wants
to be a professor like her mom, it makes me work harder.
The money and security will come…we’ll find one another
soon.”
She’s continuing to seek out new opportunities to
participate in the arts. When she does find time for
relaxation, Towns says she loves visiting the Farmer’s
Market with her two young daughters and volunteering at
the local arts council.
Jan Huffman
Teacher Education &
Professional Devolopment
Jan Huffman is no stranger to innovative
education. For nearly forty years, she’s
worked as a K-12 public educator. This
experience, coupled with a collection
of education degrees and certificates,
gives the students taking her EDU 107
course the tools and skills to excel in the
contemporary K-12 environment.
Huffmann grew up in Mount Pleasant,
and CMU has always been part of her life. The University remains
dear to her, and she is particularly grateful for her students:
tomorrow’s educators. “The students bring everyone their energy,
their commitment to learning, and their passion for education;
they are our hope for the future.”
Huffmann thinks that CMU, an educational system, should
prioritize student needs. She is confident that the UTF can
improve the situation of the nontenure-track faculty and students
alike. “I’m helping establish the Union of Teaching Faculty because
it is necessary for every person to have a sense of security, the
opportunity to participate in our learning community, and the
respect to be treated and compensated fairly. Additionally, the
UTF brings together people from across campus and disciplines;
we can share teaching methods and concerns, and create solutions
to system issues—thus improving our abilities as educators.”
As a grandparent and a weekly after-school program coordinator,
Huffman communicates the value of education throughout
the community. Her travel abroad brings her an awareness of
educational history and diversity, cultivating an increased interest
in international education.
UTF brings together people from
across campus and disciplines;
we can share teaching methods
and concerns, and create
solutions to system issues—
thus improving our abilities as
educators.
-Jan Huffman
Teacher Education
3
CMU Works Because We Do!
Michael Evans
First Year Experience
Michael Evans moved to the USA two and a half years ago, after receiving his Ph.D in Medieval
History from Nottingham University in Great Britain. Now in his third year working as a part-time
instructor at CMU, he has taught in both the History and First Year Experience (FYE) programs. He
has also taught part-time at Mid-Michigan Community College and at Saginaw Valley.
“I enjoy working at CMU, and the FYE program is a great
opportunity for me to meet new students coming to CMU
and to help prepare them for university life,” says Evans. “I
feel I have been treated well by my department heads, but
it is frustrating not knowing from one semester to the next
whether I will still be employed.” As a part-time employee,
it is particularly difficult for Evans to coordinate his schedules between universities –
especially considering the travel required to get from campus to campus.
“A union will help us to fight for greater job security and stability. Not only will this make
our lives easier – it will also let us focus more on our work and develop our effectiveness
as teachers.”
When not commuting between campuses and filling out an array of appointment applications, you can find Michael working on his latest book: a historical biography entitled
The Real Eleanor of Aquitaine
A union will help us
to fight for greater job
security and stability.
Not only will this make
our lives easier – it will
also let us focus more
on our work and develop our effectiveness as
teachers
AFT Higher Education: Making News Across the State
UTF Buzz
The buzz surrounding our UTF organizing drive is intensifying daily. Articles about our success have been in the
Morning Sun; Detroit Free Press; The Associated Press;
CM Life; and a number of higher education articles, blogs,
and tweets!
Although the attention and publicity is nice, the important
thing is that people are learning about the situation of nontenure-track faculty at CMU and the issues we face. These
articles have corrected the misperception that all faculty are
well-paid professors with tenure and have bolstered community support for our cause.
Ferris State University
nontenure-track faculty meet
shortly before filing for a union
election. UTF ambassador Carol
Riddle (far right) helped the
Ferris organizing committee
prepare for their union drive.
Michigan State University nontenuretrack faculty turn out at a MSU
basketball game to show solidarity.
The Union of Nontenure-Track Faculty
(UNTF) is currently in contract negotiations with the MSU administration.
Visit the UTF website for a links to the latest press releases
www.cmuutf.org
F
4
Eastern Michigan University part-time faculty rally for
recognition on the Ypsilanti
campus. Part-time faculty at
EMU are campaigning to join
their full-time colleagues in
the Eastern Michigan University Federation of Teachers
Union Myths and Facts
The only way to bust a union is to lie, distort, manipulate, threaten, and always, always attack. The law does not
hamper the process. Rather, it serves to suggest maneuvers and define strategies. Each union prevention campaign . . .
turns on a combined strategy of disinformation and personal assaults.
—Martin J. Levitt, Confessions of a Union-buster
Thus far, the administration has not shown signs of running an anti-union campaign, although last year they did “oppose”
the efforts of CMU’s graduate employees, by sending out an anti-union letter to prior to the GSU election. The letter had little
effect, and in the end, the graduate students were victorious —winning by 88%. GSU and the university administration are currently bargaining GSU’s first contract.
Although we expect that the administration will not employ these methods during our election, it is always worthwhile to dispel some of the more common myths utilized in an anti-union campaign. Most of them play on fear and insecurity:
The third party myth: Who will make the decisions?
UTF is only what we want it to be. The union’s
issues are the members’ issues, not those of an
outside third party. We will hold membership
meetings, send out surveys, and continue to
meet with everyone before we formulate the
list of concerns we will take to contract negotiations. On other campuses, successful union
campaigns have empowered adjunct faculty and
made conditions better overall.
The Strike Myth: Will UTF strike?
Although withholding our labor is the most powerful tool we
have as workers, no one wants to walk out on their colleagues
and students. In reality, a strike is tactic of last resort — almost
all contract disputes are resolved without such measures. UTF
will go on strike only if a vast majority of us believe it’s a good
idea and vote to walk out. Members don’t vote to strike lightly,
and we will consider this only if we have exhausted all other options.
The high dues myth: How much will they be?
Union dues represent the basic principle of a union: we all chip
in a little and we can make big changes. Based on other unions,
we’ll probably set dues between 1% and 2% of salary — and we
wouldn’t be organizing if we didn’t think we could make more
than 1%–2% of change! Union dues — along with volunteer
time and energy — will be the way we keep UTF strong. With
our dues, we’ll rent office space, hire staff, print newsletters, and
contribute to our affiliate organizations to gain support, training,
and guidance in negotiations and other activities.
Continued on Page 8
Union Organizing During
Difficult Times
Forming a union is a serious undertaking, no matter the
economic climate. However, with unemployment rates
climbing and recession an ongoing subject of political
conversation, some might ask if this is really the best
time to form a union. If there is no money, is this the
right time to ask for more? Is greater security really possible in an uncertain economic climate?
The truth is that there’s no better time for us to have a
voice. If the economy, changes in the university’s state
funding, or enrollment fluctuations are going to have
an impact on our jobs, we need to be involved in those
decisions. If the worst happens and layoffs are necessary,
a union contract will help insure that such decisions are
made rationally and fairly—and that recall is similarly
predictable when work returns.
But we should not overstate the situation at CMU.
Enrollment is up, as it is at most universities and community colleges throughout the state, and the university
administration generally does a good job of managing
the university’s finances. Nontenure-track faculty are
already a bargain for Central—especially since we generate a good portion of the general fund income through
large undergraduate courses—and even a significant
raise for us will not translate to a large percentage of the
overall budget.
Finally, a union is not a short-term prospect. Our goal is
to establish an ongoing and regular place for nontenuretrack faculty in university decision-making. We are
confident that we will make significant improvements in
a first contract, but we also know that the time may not
be right for other changes. In those cases, a union allows
us to revisit those issues at a later time.
5
We Are CMU!
Cathy Church
Counseling and Special Education
Cathy Church comes to CMU with twenty years of experience in education, most recently as
a middle school special education teacher in Shepherd. She brings her expertise to fifteen
special education student teachers each semester as she follows them in their student
teaching assignments. Recently, Cathy has also taken on the job of placement of student
teachers for their field experiences.
Church hopes that the forming of UTF will encourage more recognition for non-tenured
faculty by the university community. The practical experience and perspective she brings to
students as they struggle to apply and synthesize what they have learned in their theoretical
coursework is a valuable asset to the university. “It would be nice and affirming to be more
valued through a show of longer contracts, which would create more stability for the nontenured faculty.”
Higher Education: Organizing the Industry, continued from the front page
Unionization is the only proven path for
nontenure-track faculty to improve working
conditions in the face of these trends. Here
in Michigan, especially, nontenure-track
faculty unions have been successful in making significant gains in the areas of greatest
concern to nontenure-track faculty: job security, health care for low fraction employees,
and salary parity. Lecturers at Eastern Michigan University began the trend by winning
recognition in 2000; they were followed in
quick succession by nontenure-track faculty at the University of Michigan (2003),
Wayne State University (2007), Henry Ford
Community College (2008), Michigan State
University (2009), and Western Michigan
University (2009). Currently, in addition
to our campaign at CMU, nontenure-track
faculty are organizing at Ferris State!
All of these unions are affiliated with the
American Federation of Teachers Michigan
(AFT), a group that represents more higher
education faculty than any other union.
Nontenure-track positions of
all types now account for 68%
of all faculty appointments in
American higher education.
(aaup.org)
CMU’s 5 year employment
trend:
Nontenure-Track 23%
Increase
Tenure Track 2.5%
Decrease
(unless academic qualifications are significantly different) and recalled when
work becomes available again. In the
first contract, minimum salaries were
raised—about 45% for the lowest-paid
At UM—as a result of the union contract— employees—and all nontenure-track
following a fourth-year review, nontenurefaculty receive a 7% promotional raise
track faculty are promoted to an ongoing
following a fourth-year review and
secure status; this “presumption of renewal” another 7% increase three years followensures that faculty continue to work as long ing. (A combined 14% retroactive raise
as they meet performance standards. In the
was negotiated in the first contract for
event of budget constraints or enrollment de- faculty members with the requisite years
clines, faculty are laid of in order of seniority of service.)
6
Additionally, nontenure-track faculty
receive annual raises equal to those of the
tenured and tenure-track faculty on each
campus (Ann Arbor, Flint, and Dearborn).
Faculty with at least a 50% appointment
and a one-semester appointment receive
heath insurance benefits through the university—including over the summer for
work during the regular academic year.
What happens here at Central is up to us—
in two senses. First, the issues we choose
to address and the proposals we make to
the administration will be determined by
UTF members; they may or may not be
similar to what union members at UM or
elsewhere have decided works for them.
Second, our success in negotiations—the
extent to which we can convince the CMU
administration to make serious changes in
the structure and rewards of our employment—will be proportional to our collective commitment and determination. We
continue to encourage all CMU nontenuretrack faculty to become active in UTF in
whatever way they can!
We Are UTF!
Bruce Patterson
Teacher Education and Professional Development
Dr. Patterson is in his eighth year in the TEPD department. “I teach science methods. In the past
I taught math methods as well as a battery of methods now covered under the title ‘secondary
education.’” Before comming to CMU, Patterson taught for 30 years in the Harrison County
Public school system.
Why union? “Well, solidarity. Working in a group. All the good things that come from having
multiple voices in the mix,” Patterson says. “The main strength of a union is overcoming the
isolation and weakness that comes from standing alone, but I think it’s particularly important
for non-tenured faculty because there’s an issue of getting the respect that our achievements and
experience warrant.”
He adds that consistency is also an important benefit from having a union: “It’s good for students as well as faculty. I’ve got it
good in my department, but some folks have to apply for their positions every semester. Jumping through hoops should be
the same, campus-wide.”
Patterson also enjoys travel, is an amateur wildlife behaviorist, a grandfather, a camper, and a mentor for outdoor education.
Of his passion for teaching, he says, “It’s never been the pay for me; it’s always been about the students.”
7
The Union of Teaching Faculty
March 30, Volume 1, Issue 1
Your address here
Union Myths and Facts, continued from page 5
The self-injury myth: Will positions be cut if we negotiate a contract?
Right now, we have absolutely no job security, and positions could be cut or individuals
could lose their jobs for any reason. We also have little or no control over our salaries.
A union will give us the power to sit at the table with the administration and gain a
significant measure of control over our situation on campus and the number of jobs on
campus.
The conflict myth: Could a union hurt collegiality on campus?
Right now, it would be difficult to say that nontenure-track faculty participate fully
in the collegial life of the campus. To the contrary, non-tenure-track faculty are frequently excluded from departmental, college, and campus-wide decision making. Even
in departments in which non-tenured folks participate, our lack of job security can
have a chilling effect on academic freedom and the ability to engage candidly with other
faculty and the administration.
The Union of Teaching Faculty
AFT/AFL-CIO
711 East Bellows St
Mount Pleasant, MI 48858
(989) 772-3238
[email protected]
www.cmuutf.org
Organizing Comittee:
Allegra Blake
Mike Evans
Denise Cole
Mary Ann Freling
Betsy Richard
Tom Stewart
Carol Riddle
Sue Murphy
Michael Ostling
Jan Huffmann
Don Socha
Alper Dede
Cassie Taber
Natalie Wetzel
Elizabeth Berriman
Jim Eikrem
Clint Burhans
Kenlea Pebbles
Dan Pugh
A union will improve collegiality by giving us a collective voice and rights in our employment; true collegiality implies a conversation among equals. Through a union, we
can gain predictability and stability so that we no longer have to rely on a chair’s or
administrator’s good graces to stay employed.