After news broke of future instructor cutbacks, teachers were angry, but they did not go out of their way to join unions.
Unionization has not occurred among unsuspecting instructors because, until two weeks ago, departments only talked about restructuring the balance between professors and instructors.
The recent decision to reduce the number of math and English instructors drastically during the next three years will affect everyone within those departments. Without a union to represent instructors, they are not left with many options.
English instructor Renee Major, who has worked at the University for nearly 20 years, said instructors did not form unions because they were happy with what they had.
“We did allow ourselves to become complacent,” Major said.
Up until now the English department’s climate for instructors has been wonderful, Major said. When instructors attended conferences they were a model for what can be achieved among instructors at a university.
Not only were instructors proud to be a part of the English department, they also may not have unionized because of their obligation to the students, Major said.
“I think there is still a sense among teachers that we have an obligation to our students, which means we do not have the freedom to simply say ‘no’ and walk out at midterm,” Major said. “I think there is very little support among instructors to take that kind of stand.”
Another reason unionization is not popular among University employees is because of the difference between federal and state laws regarding the matter.
“This is a state that is not very welcoming to unions and unionizing,” Major said.
Attorney Charles Dirks said state employees have greater challenges to face if they choose to unionize. Federal law guarantees certain rights to federal employees that state and municipal employees do not have.
One of those rights is the guarantee of employers to not retaliate against the formation of a union, Dirks said. The University possibly could retaliate against any organization by refusing to negotiate.
However, Dirks said, there is safety in numbers.
If a large percentage of employees would agree to unionize, employers would probably not retaliate, Dirks said.
“You can’t retaliate against everybody,” Dirks said. “It is rare that retaliation occurs.”
Another challenge state employees are faced with when unionizing is that while federal employees are mandated to join one, and only one union, state employees have a choice.
State employees can join whatever organization they want.
Dirks said this may result in competing interests among a variety of groups who unionize in a number of different associations.
Major said that regardless of a union or not, instructors will go only so far when fighting for their rights.
“To effectively unionize and stand up for what we believe is ours, we would have to be ruthless,” Major said. “I think that teachers here would find it very hard to be ruthless in that way.”