BY MICHAEL MERANZE The following is reposted with the author’s permission from the Remaking the University blog. Michael Meranze is Professor of History at UCLA. As you may know, a 3-1 majority of the National Labor Relations Board ruled that Columbia University’s Teaching Assistants (known at Columbia as Instructional Officers) are to be considered “employees” under…
BY HANK REICHMAN Last week the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled in the Columbia University case that student employees at private universities have the right to organize unions to bargain collectively over the terms of their employment. The lengthy and carefully argued ruling overturned a 2004 decision in Brown University that denied such rights…
BY PETER N. KIRSTEIN Five years ago my university, Saint Xavier, prevented the counting of adjunct ballots for the purpose of organizing collectively with the Illinois Education Association (I.E.A.). I testified before the regional office of the National Labor Relations Board in Chicago. I was under subpoena and it was very intense. In the room were…
POSTED BY MARTIN KICH Writing for the Reading Eagle, David Mekeel reports that Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF), the union representing the faculty of the 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE), has made little progress in its continuing efforts to negotiate a new contract. The previous…
POSTED BY MARTIN KICH What follows is taken from Vox’s daily newsletter Sentences: “Student Union” Gets a Whole New Meaning –The National Labor Relations Board ruled on Tuesday that graduate students at private universities have the right to form unions and bargain collectively. [Vox / Libby Nelson] –The decision doesn’t affect grad students at public universities. Those…
BY GWENDOLYN BRADLEY In a victory for student employees and the unions that represent them, the National Labor Relations Board found today in the case Columbia University that student assistants working at private colleges and universities are statutory employees covered by the National Labor Relations Act. The 3–1 decision overrules a 2004 decision in Brown…
POSTED BY MARTIN KICH This item is from Politico’s Morning Transportation newsletter for August 15: “UNITED FLIGHT ATTENDANTS NAB NEW UNION DEAL: The flight attendants of United Airlines jet off to work today with a freshly ratified union contract after turning out in droves last week to vote for solidifying the agreement. More than 90 percent…
POSTED BY HANK REICHMAN The following is a partial transcript of Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis’ remarks at a news conference yesterday in response to the new Chicago Public Schools budget: I am Karen Lewis, president of the Chicago Teachers Union. I am joined by fellow officers, Vice President Jesse Sharkey and Financial Secretary…
BY HENRY REICHMAN Last month the Professional Staff Congress, a joint AAUP-AFT union representing faculty and staff at the City University of New York (CUNY), reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement with the CUNY administration after working six long years without a contract. The union’s executive committee and delegate assembly have voted overwhelmingly in support…
POSTED BY MARTIN KICH This “over the transom” piece is from a colleague who has chosen the pseudonym “Thucydides.” It owes a considerable debt—is in many respects an homage–to the legendary Chicago newspaper columnist Mike Royko. _________________________ Moose McGillicuddy had just opened his tavern on a quiet weekday morning, wanting to do some cleaning before…