Building Our Union
What is the process for building a union?
The first, continual, and most critical step is talking with your colleagues. Nothing replaces or is more important than having organizing conversations. This can be as easy as speaking with colleagues about workplace issues, identifying a faculty union as the solution, getting them plugged into the Organizing Committee, and repeating the process by recommending other faculty for conversations. If you want practice with role-playing this kind of issue-based organizing, then you can sign up for a training session.
Through these conversations, we identify key issues that we want to see addressed and continue to build support and solidarity among faculty. Eventually, when we have enough support—indicated by signed authorization cards–we will file with the PA Labor Relations Board for a union representation election. In order for an election to occur, a minimum of 30% of eligible faculty must support unionizing. Most of the time, however, faculty who are organizing file for an election when there is at least majority support (and more is always better). The PA Labor Relations Board will likely hold hearings to determine the exact group of faculty eligible to vote, and once that process is concluded, a union election will take place. When we win, we will begin negotiating for our first contract.
For now, we must continue talking with our colleagues in order to build strong union support. We need to build our lists of faculty at all campuses so that we have a clear picture of everyone in each department/unit. We will continue to build an organizing committee and to seek representation from each department/unit on each campus throughout the Commonwealth, to the extent possible. Throughout the process we will always act in solidarity with our colleagues, being vocal and taking actions on issues as they arise.
Why did we pick SEIU?
Of the three big players in higher education organizing, only SEIU has a strong presence in Pennsylvania. Local 668 represents 20 thousand professional employees throughout the Commonwealth and has staff located throughout the state. They have a strong lobbying arm, a Chief of Staff who has organized in higher education, and an Organizing Director who was a faculty member for eight years, organized his campus, and is deeply involved in this campaign.