As if to accentuate the timeliness of last weeks post on the surge in non-traditional union organizing, adjunct faculty organizing in the Twin Cities has been in the news again this past week. The Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, is targeting additional local institutions for adjunct faculty organizing. In addition, the Macalester College adjunct faculty vote has been postponed, with union organizers claiming both sides need more time to consider the issues underlying the vote. Several outspoken adjunct from Macalester have voiced opposition to the unionization effort in letters (Letter 1, Letter 2) to the editor in the Mac Weekly.
An interesting fact related to adjunct faculty elections is that, under the National Labor Relations Act, an election is decided by a majority of those who vote, not a majority of the overall members in the proposed bargaining unit. Due to the applicable voting timelines, the currently anticipated local elections are likely to occur during the summer months when adjunct faculty may not be on campus.
Keep checking in to the Modern Workplace to keep posted on the latest developments in labor law, from adjunct faculty to football players and private religious schools.