Wright State’s contract negotiations continue to go poorly. They have set a strike date for October 1st. Read the latest HERE.
Follow the Wright State AAUP Chapter on Facebook or Twitter to follow and support their ongoing effort.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court released its decision in Janus v. AFSCME. The decision, which was not unexpected, stated that public sector unions could not require non-union members in the bargaining unit to pay a fair share fee. This decision overturned decades of precedent and practice in American labor law.
The ruling is unjust. It allows non-members to reap all of the benefits of union membership without contributing anything. Fortunately, the Chapter is well-prepared. Austerity measures have already been introduced. Unfortunately, this included the very difficult decision of reducing the Chapter’s staff. The Chapter also passed a %0.25 dues increase, contingent on an adverse Janus decision, to mitigate some of its effects. This will be implemented on September 1st, 2018.
Unfortunately, Janus is not the end. Its intent is to weaken public sector unions for more direct attacks on our very existence. These will come from the state legislature and from Congress to roll back protections for public employees and lessen our role as civic partners here at the University. We will be prepared. As we did with SB 5, we will work with teachers, firefighters, police officers, with organized labor, and with students and parents, to defeat these challenges.
Janus is also an opportunity. The recent teachers’ strikes in West Virginia, Arizona, and other states have been inspiring. These are states with oppressive labor laws. These teachers have little or no right to collectively bargain. Yet they organized anyway. And they won.
We need to return to our roots. When a small group of faculty organized at the University of Cincinnati in the 1970s, they did not organize for fair share fees. They organized to collectively bargain for salaries, paid health insurance, shared governance and clear grievance procedures. They organized to improve student learning conditions and to strengthen our voice here at the University. Our mission is unchanged. We will continue to advocate for the faculty, for our students, and for higher education on this campus, in this state, and throughout the country.
Yours in solidarity.
Ron Jones
AAUP-UC President
Washington, D.C. – In response to the US Supreme Court’s 5-4 verdict in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31, the American Association of University Professors issued this statement from its president, Rudy Fichtenbaum:
Today, a narrow majority of Supreme Court justices issued a long awaited decision in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31, a case advanced by wealthy special interests. Although this decision was not unexpected, we are disappointed by the opinion of the majority. At issue was whether non-union members, who share in the wages, benefits, and protections that have been negotiated into a collectively bargained contract, may be required to pay their fair share for the cost. The court ruled that they may not.
Those AAUP chapters that have been formally recognized as unions negotiate legally enforceable contracts that incorporate AAUP principles. This ruling makes their job more difficult.
On the surface, this case may seem like a technical one that doesn’t affect many faculty. But Janus and similar court cases and legislative initiatives are part of a broad assault on public institutions and the common good. They seek to roll back protections for working people, lessen public support for civic building blocks such as education, and diminish the ability of unions to have a positive impact.
AAUP members and chapters on campuses across the country advocate for academic freedom, professional values and standards, and the faculty voice in higher education. They help ensure that our students have challenging learning environments and strengthen our institutions of higher education.
Make no mistake, our fight as AAUP members to have a positive impact on our colleges and universities, to strengthen public higher education, and to protect academic freedom is not over. Together, we will continue to fight for our students, our campuses, and our communities. We will continue to say, loudly and clearly, that strong universities and well-educated citizens are essential to our survival as a democracy. That’s why our work as educators, union members, and advocates has never been more important than it is now.
– Rudy Fichtenbaum, President, AAUP
September
Chapter Meeting
Date: Thursday, September 13, 2018
Time: 12:15 pm – 2:30 pm
Where: TUC 425
November
Chapter Meeting
Date: Thursday, November 8, 2018
Time: 12:15 pm – 2:30 pm
Where: UCBA – 100 Walters
February
Chapter Meeting
Date: Thursday, February 14, 2019
Time: 12:15 pm – 2:30 pm
Where: TUC 425
April
Chapter Meeting
Date: Thursday, April 11, 2019
Time: 12:15 pm – 2:30 pm
Where: TUC 425
Some good reporting from The UC News Record.
> Click here for the full article.
