Terence Long

LMU Adjunct Advocates Changes in Labor Law

Dr. Darren Murray recently testified at a hearing of the National Labor Relations Board in D.C. about how proposed changes to national labor law could benefit adjuncts who want to form a union. Murray is involved in the effort of adjunct faculty at Loyola Marymount University to form a union, and has first-hand knowledge of what it means to have a union contract.

“I taught at LMU for twenty-one years, and I recently started teaching at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) where the adjuncts are protected by a union contract. At CSUN adjuncts have many more benefits than at LMU, including the ability to earn one-year and three-year contracts, a seniority system, full medical, dental and vision benefits and a retirement program. I was struck by the start contrast between CSUN and LMU where we are considered per diem, at-will employees who can be terminated for little or no reason.”

Murray testified at the NLRB hearing in favor of rule changes that would speed up the election process and allow employees to have equal access to communicate with their colleagues about forming a union as the employer has.

“It’s important for us to be able to exercise our right to free speech and talk to our colleagues about unionization and at least have the same access as the employer does to get the word out and make sure everyone is educated about this issue,” said Murray.

Adjuncts at LMU are currently building support amongst their colleagues to file for a union election. “We’re letting people know that by forming a union at LMU, we have a chance for our voices to be heard by collectively organizing rather than dealing with the university as individuals which really hasn’t accomplished anything.”

For more details about the proposed changes to NLRB rules about union elections, click here.

VIDEO: LMU Adjunct Arik Greenberg Shares Experience at Congressional Briefing on Issues Affecting Contingent Faculty in Washington, DC

SEIU Local 500 member Terilee Edwards-Hewitt with Local 500 Vice President for Higher Education, Kip Lornell and LMU Adjunct Professor Arik Greenberg.

LMU adjunct Arik Greenberg spoke up for L.A. adjuncts during a briefing for congressional staffers in Washington, DC. on January 24. The briefing on “Higher Education Adjunct Faculty Working Conditions and the Legislative Agenda,” included panelists Maria Maisto, President & Executive Director, New Faculty Majority Foundation; Esther Merves, Director of Research, New Faculty Majority Foundation; and Dan Maxey, Dean’s Fellow, Rossier School of Higher Education, University of Southern California and Co- Investigator, The Delphi Project on the Changing Faculty and Student Success.

During the hearing Arik spoke about his experience at Loyola Marymount, and forming a union. “Adjuncts are beginning to join together and collectively we are working to increase standards at our universities. Together we can make progress toward making improvements in academic working conditions, which will in turn lead to improvements in student learning conditions. Congress can also do its part, too. I’m not the policy expert here, but there is much that is within your purview that would improve academic working conditions and student learning conditions.”

 
The House Committee on Education and the Workforce Democratic Staff also released its report on contingent faculty in higher education, “The Just-In-Time Professor,” the result of Rep. George Miller’s (D-Calif.) e-Forum that collected stories from 845 adjunct faculty in 41 states.

Thanks to LA and Adjunct Action advocates nationwide, we are building a voice for part-time and contingent faculty across the country and on Capitol Hill.

For more about the House Committee on Education and the Workforce’s report, read the recent Inside Higher Ed article. Read more about SEIU Local 500 members who also attended the briefing here.