Montana College Faculty All Union, and More Organizing News

by James Parks, Apr 15, 2009

All faculty in public colleges and universities in Montana now are union members after the faculty at Montana State University-Bozeman voted yesterday to join the Montana Education Association-Montana Federation of Teachers (MEA-MFT), the state affiliate of the AFT and the National Education Association.

 MEA-MFT President Eric Feaver says:

All Montana public college and university faculty are now MEA-MFT. No exceptions. This could well be a unique event among public state colleges and universities across the nation. All of us here at MEA-MFT are excited and proud of our new members.

Tenure track and adjunct faculty voted separately to join the union, forming two separate locals, both affiliated with MEA-MFT.

Says Karen Leech, a 37-year adjunct professor of music: 

Two votes, one faculty voice, We’ve had two elections and will bargain two contracts, but we are united.

“We are interested in having a voice at the table with MSU administration,” said Sandy Osborne, a professor in health and human development.

In talking with unionized faculty around the state, we saw that union representation ensures that faculty can work with administration—backed by a legally enforceable contract that guarantees the rights of both parties. It makes us legal equals with administration. We decided that forming a union would help us do a better job of providing for our students.

In other organizing news:

• The National Pilots Association, representing the nearly 1,700 pilots of AirTran Airways, overwhelmingly voted to join the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA). ”We had a choice to cling to the past, keep complaining about our failures, and refuse to accept reality or make a bold decision for our future,” said Linden Hillman, president of the National Pilots. The ALPA Executive Board, which will meet April 28-29, must ratify the merger agreement. If that happens as expected, the merger will be effective May 1.
• Thirteen workers for Perkasie’s (Pa.) public works and electric departments have voted to join AFSCME.

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