HOW COLLECTIVE BARGAINING WORKS FOR FACULTY: Some Frequently Asked Questions and Summary Responses
ARE FACULTY UNIONS ABOUT BIGGER SALARIES?
Faculty unions are about protecting your profession in the fullest sense. That means making sure you have the freedom, security, and resources you need to do your job well. Bargaining agreements can add the force of state law to other guarantees besides compensation, including rules for academic freedom, shared governance, the selection and evaluation of administrators, non-discrimination, and intellectual property.
DOES COLLECTIVE BARGAINING MEAN NO MORE FACULTY SENATE?
No, it means a stronger Faculty Senate. Not a single Ohio campus has lost its Faculty Senate as a result of establishing a faculty union. Instead, on campuses where the faculty has organized, Faculty Senates continue to conduct the business of shared governance. They clearly enjoy more respect and accountability with their administrations. A union is a means to protecting and nurturing our profession.
HOW MANY STATE UNIVERSITIES HAVE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING?
Faculty at 9 of 13 state universities in Ohio have moved to collective bargaining. This trend continues as administrative costs soar. Most university faculties in Ohio choose to enjoy peace of mind and protect their rights, rather than let administrators make all the decisions.
WILL COLLECTIVE BARGAINING CHANGE MY JOB?
It will add security and clarity to your professional life, but you'll still be the same teacher and scholar you've always been. Much of the union contract will codify what's in the current Faculty Handbook. Your daily routine on campus will change very little, except that you will enjoy the security of a stable, transparent contract, as well as whatever additions to health care or other benefits your elected representatives negotiate.
HOW WOULD COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AFFECT MY RAISES?
Here, you and your colleagues decide. You could have a contract that's negotiated every three or four years. The recent contract at University of Akron, for example, guaranteed a roughly 19% increase over four years, split between cost-of-living and merit-based increases and correcting for salary compression. Wright State faculty negotiated a 13% raise over three years. O.U. may negotiate differently. It's up to you.
DO FACULTY UNIONS ONLY BENEFIT FACULTY MEMBERS?
Absolutely not. Through collective bargaining, the faculty gains a strong voice that can advocate for the rights of students, staff, and part-time faculty. For example, the California Faculty Association recently worked hard and publicly to prevent budget cuts that would prohibit up to 10,000 students from going to college. Administrators also benefit by having a reliable method for resolving grievances and disputes.
HOW MUCH WOULD HAVING A FACULTY UNION COST ME?
On average, chapter members pay roughly 0.75%, a cost later to be built into the negotiated salary base. But membership is voluntary. As a non-member, you might pay 0.55% of your salary as “fair share,” as at Akron, or nothing, as elsewhere. “Fair share” dues may be restricted to collective bargaining costs, while member dues, at least, defer other costs at the local, state, and national levels. Most of the money by far goes to legal fees for protecting individuals and negotiating contracts. You may wish to serve as a chapter officer or negotiator yourself. AAUP prioritizes local decisions and local control. This would be your union.
DOES HAVING A UNION CONTRACT MEAN I MUST FILE A GRIEVANCE FOR EVERY COMPLAINT I HAVE? WOULD I HAVE TO STRIKE?
A contract gives you the right, not the obligation, to file a grievance and for that grievance to be heard. Most complaints are handled amicably, so that a grievance isn't filed. Right now, you’d have to rely on the power of persuasion or pay legal fees out of your pocket. Unionized faculties in Ohio have almost never chosen to strike and most of their contracts explicitly prohibit strikes during the lifespan of those contracts. Meanwhile, you can focus on your job.
To see actual contracts from other Ohio state universities please see http://ocaaup.org/chapters.asp Feel free to contact local AAUP representatives, including kevin.uhalde@gmail.com, with any questions.
