Boston University Adjuncts Vote Overwhelmingly to Unionize

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The vote comes as the campaign announces it will be seeking a new minimum of $15,000 per course for adjuncts. (Henry Zbyszynski / Flickr)


http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/17613/boston_university_adjuncts_vote_overwhelmingly_to_unionize

BY KEVIN SOLARI MONDAY, FEB 9, 2015, 4:28 PM

Boston University adjunct faculty voted to organize on February 4, continuing a string of victories for contingent faculty across the country and in Boston.

The vote, part of the Service Employees International Union's (SEIU) Adjunct Action and Faculty Forward actions, saw overwhelming support from the adjuncts, with 319 votes for and 158 against—a margin of almost 2-to-1 in favor. The vote will affect a total of more than 750 instructors.

The campaigns have focused on creating a better learning environment for students. With over 50 percent of faculty nationwide working as contingent faculty, according to the American Association of University Professors, their impact on students and higher education is immense. Ensuring instructors have the resources to both make a living and do their jobs is at the forefront of the campaigns.

“Every adjunct I’ve spoken with, our number-one priority is being able to focus on our students and focus on our teaching,” Bayla Ostrach, a member of the BU organizing committee, told the Boston Globe. “And it’s really hard to do that when you don’t know until the first week whether you’re going to have class.”

FULL story at link.