University of St. Thomas votes against unionizing

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After weeks of contention, the University of St. Thomas voted against unionizing adjunct faculty late yesterday afternoon.On July 21, the National Labor Relations Board tabulated the votes with 84 in favor of unionizing and 136 opposed, with 24 votes challenged before the session was over, according to university officials. About 300 adjunct instructors were eligible to vote.The union has until July 28 to file an appeal over the decision, said adjunct professor Kathy Jenson, in which case the NLRB will gather evidence and likely hold a hearing to determine the merit of the objections. If no objections are filed the decision will take effect on July 29 and the university will continue to work with adjunct faculty without union backing, she said.While some adjunct professors argued that the university treats adjunct professors unfairly by keeping them for several years without offering tenure, other professors have argued that unionizing now would be too soon and take away adjunct’s bargaining rights.There was a particularly large turnout for this vote, said Jenson.”This was a very high turnout of voters during this summer election,” she said, “when adjunct faculty is not on campus.”Correction: This article stated the vote would take effect on the wrong date. With no objections filed the vote will take effect on July 29. Continue Reading

Sumer Spika: Home care workers unionize to bring dignity to work we love

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On Tuesday, July 8th, I was proud to be part of the group who celebrated turning in thousands of cards signed by Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) and other home care workers from across Minnesota expressing our interest in forming a union. The move not only triggered the largest union election in Minnesota’s history, it was the first step in improving our state’s home care system so it works for those who need services and values the work of those of us who provide the services, some 90% of whom are women.If you talk to the thousands of home care providers who signed cards, you will hear that same number of unique and powerful stories. There is, however, a common thread that helps illuminate why this is such a powerful movement: we love providing care for the seniors and people with disabilities who we serve.For me, it is all about a gorgeous 6-year-old little girl named Jayla. She was born with a genetic disorder called Opitz Syndrome, has a pulmonary hypertension, and is deaf. She requires breathing treatments, help with toileting, and help doing many other daily activities. Continue Reading

On strike! 80 years ago Minneapolis goes union

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This week, local labor activists have organized a series of events to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the 1934 Minneapolis Teamsters’ strikes. These strikes changed the course of history and the lives of tens of thousands of working people. They transformed Minneapolis from one of the country’s most notorious anti-union citadels into a “union town.” The story of this transformation resonates with the challenges faced by working women and men in 2014. Continue Reading

Video: Adjunct union vote this week at St. Thomas

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On the heels of a successful campaign to form an adjunct faculty union at Hamline University, adjuncts at St. Thomas will vote this week about whether they would also like a union. Advocates say their work at UST is not compenstated sufficiently, and that instructors face a level of uncertainty and job instability around issues like class assignments, schedules, work space, and more. As contingent labor, individual faculty members have limited power to negotiate better terms, but organizers hope that collectively they can have more influence over the terms of their employment.

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