With unmistakable determination to have a voice on the job, adjunct faculty at Marymount Manhattan College have voted to unionize and be represented by the New York State United Teachers/AFT in contract negotiations with the college. The NLRB-supervised vote, announced May 25, was 95 to 23.

Faculty at the private, liberal arts school earn the lowest wage of any institution in the metro area, reports NYSUT staffer Daniel Esakoff. Also at issue is health insurance, currently unavailable through their employer, and a rack of other concerns common among adjuncts: working conditions, job security and respect.

Although faculty enjoy their work with students and their contact with others at Marymount, they also want recognition on the job. "The pay scale is very low," says Joanne Schultz, who teaches theater and cultural studies at the Upper East Side Manhattan campus. "It's a good idea to have some union representation to help with the bargaining."

NYSUT, partnering with the AFT, has won elections to represent a number of important adjunct units over the last three years, including those at Dowling College, Pace, and Syracuse University. All told, NYSUT's higher education membership numbers 55,000 to 60,000. [Viginia Myers Kelly, NYSUT]

June 1, 2006