Good News for AAUP Chapters

I’m writing to update you on some important developments for AAUP chapters that occurred this week.

Wright State Strike Resolved

Following three long and cold weeks on the picket lines during one of the longest US higher education strikes in history, faculty in the Wright State AAUP chapter are back at work this week after coming to an agreement with the university’s board on Sunday. While faculty took a financial hit on the new five-year contract, the agreement is a significant improvement over a contract that the university imposed in December, triggering the strike. Key wins include retaining the right to bargain over health care, maintaining existing workload agreements, reasonable timelines for continuing contracts for non-tenure-track faculty, clear merit raise standards, summer teaching rights, and limits on the administration’s ability to impose retrenchment and furloughs.

Thanks to the many of you who sent letters and photos of support during the strike!

More information:

• ‘Standing Up for What’s Right,’ in Inside Higher Ed
• Wright State Faculty Ends One of the Longest Strikes at a Public University in U.S. History, on Democracy Now

University of New Mexico Faculty Petition for Union Election

Organized as United Academics of the University of New Mexico, a clear majority of faculty declared their support for unionization in an official election petition filed today. The chapter is affiliated jointly with the AAUP and the American Federation of Teachers. The bargaining unit comprises more than 1,600 full- and part-time faculty on five campuses—UNM’s main campus in Albuquerque, and campuses in Gallup, Los Alamos, Taos, and Valencia.

The faculty hope to strengthen student supports, tenure and promotion, faculty recruitment and retention, and job security to provide the best possible environment for teaching, learning, research and outreach across New Mexico. Faculty will formally vote on the union in the coming months.

In the meantime, we look forward to welcoming the UNM faculty to the AAUP family and to working with them to achieve their goals!

In solidarity,
Julie Schmid
AAUP Executive Director

PS--If you would like stickers, buttons, mini-Redbooks, or other AAUP materials for your spring membership campaigns, please email communications@aaup.org with approximate quantities and the best address to which to mail them.