Hamline University adjuncts have voted overwhelmingly to join part-time faculty at schools across the country in SEIU/Adjunct Action.The victory builds momentum for the upcoming vote at the University of St. Thomas and marks the first contingent faculty vote at a private school in Minnesota as adjuncts join the rapidly growing national union movement.
Hamline adjuncts will join SEIU Local 284 as part of the Adjunct Action campaign. The margin of victory was huge — 72% voted yes.
David Weiss is an adjunct faculty in the Religion department at Hamline and spoke about why the win reflects a victory for the entire Hamline community. He said, “This is a great day for faculty, students, and the whole Hamline community. It was clear in this campaign that for adjuncts in Minnesota, our time is now. By coming together to address the low pay and lack of benefits and stability for adjunct faculty, we are taking steps to strengthen all of higher education for students and faculty alike. I’m confident that our success today will help empower other workers, including adjunct faculty like ourselves at schools like St. Thomas, to change working and learning conditions in higher education.”
Jennifer Beckham teaches in the English department and spoke about the great opportunity this provides Hamline. She said, “We sent a letter to Provost Jensen expressing our interest in building a productive relationship that reflects our shared value in making Hamline a great place for faculty and students. Adjuncts have been energized by the support of tenured faculty, students, alumni, and community supporters throughout this process, and we look forward to continuing this important work.”
Minnesota adjuncts are joining a fast-growing union movement, as adjuncts come together to take on this crisis in higher education that has turned what was once a good middle-class profession into a low-wage, no-benefits job without any job security from semester to semester. Now their vision is to take this work a step further – to unite adjunct faculty market wide, and across the country – because this crisis in higher education will not be solved one school at a time.
Read more about the victory in the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Minnesota Public Radio
