from Curtis Keyes, August 24, 2010, Chicago IL
Colleagues,
GREAT NEWS!
The National Labor Relations Board has decided to uphold our Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) claim that East-West University violated our federally-protected rights to organize an adjunct faculty union. This decision is a major and SIGNIFICANT victory for all of us who have given so much to the institution!! It will be felt for many years to come! The Labor Board has given EWU about one week to settle the ULP under the following terms:
Colleagues,
GREAT NEWS!
The National Labor Relations Board has decided to uphold our Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) claim that East-West University violated our federally-protected rights to organize an adjunct faculty union. This decision is a major and SIGNIFICANT victory for all of us who have given so much to the institution!! It will be felt for many years to come! The Labor Board has given EWU about one week to settle the ULP under the following terms:
- Erma Faire-Doeing, Ken Peterson and I will be fully compensated for summer classes that we were scheduled to teach but were taken away from us by the administration.
- EWU will go back to the hiring procedures that it used during the 2010 Spring Quarter.
- This means that the firings related to our union organizing will be rescinded.
- While the pay raises announced by the administration for the 2010 Fall Quarter will remain intact, the University will not promise any "future benefits" to the part-time faculty as part of an effort to undermine support for the union.
The fact that the employer took this action of giving raises in response to the "threat" of bringing in a union is a big victory for all of us since we have not had a raise since 2004. This is just the beginning. Even with the raises, we are still the lowest paid adjunct faculty in the Chicagoland area; once we have a union, we can continue to negotiate for greater improvements than what we are currently receiving.
If EWU does not accept the terms of this settlement, the Labor Board will issue a formal complaint and prosecute EWU for violating the law. The ULP trial will not only be very expensive for the University, but it will also generate a good deal of negative publicity that EWU can ill afford.
Meeting with Congressman Danny Davis
Our delegation (Erma Faire-Doeing, IEA Organizers, Willie David Fuller, an EWU alum and I) met with the Congressman this morning. Davis is a member of the EWU Board of Trustees. We asked him to urge the EWU administration to accept the Labor Board's offer to settle our ULP. Congressman Davis has always been a supporter of the labor union movement. He was extremely gracious and promised to speak to the administration about the issue.
Protest on Thursday. August 26
We need to keep the pressure on EWU to get them to a settlement on our ULP. The University must decide soon whether to agree to a settlement or go to trial. EWU needs to see the wisdom of avoiding a long, expensive trial by agreeing to a settlement. Bring family, friends and colleagues to the protest.
If EWU does not accept the terms of this settlement, the Labor Board will issue a formal complaint and prosecute EWU for violating the law. The ULP trial will not only be very expensive for the University, but it will also generate a good deal of negative publicity that EWU can ill afford.
Meeting with Congressman Danny Davis
Our delegation (Erma Faire-Doeing, IEA Organizers, Willie David Fuller, an EWU alum and I) met with the Congressman this morning. Davis is a member of the EWU Board of Trustees. We asked him to urge the EWU administration to accept the Labor Board's offer to settle our ULP. Congressman Davis has always been a supporter of the labor union movement. He was extremely gracious and promised to speak to the administration about the issue.
Protest on Thursday. August 26
We need to keep the pressure on EWU to get them to a settlement on our ULP. The University must decide soon whether to agree to a settlement or go to trial. EWU needs to see the wisdom of avoiding a long, expensive trial by agreeing to a settlement. Bring family, friends and colleagues to the protest.
If you can, please show your physical support by joining us. We need to see you! It will be Thursday, August 26 from 11 AM -1PM at 816 S. Michigan Ave. Contact me at: EWUAdjuncts@gmail.com
If EWU refuses to comply with terms of the settlement, we will continue to protest publicly its anti-union animus. We are committed to ensuring that all EWU adjuncts are treated fairly and respectfully.
Sincerely,
Curtis M. Keyes, Jr.
If EWU refuses to comply with terms of the settlement, we will continue to protest publicly its anti-union animus. We are committed to ensuring that all EWU adjuncts are treated fairly and respectfully.
Sincerely,
Curtis M. Keyes, Jr.
Founder of the United Adjunct Faculty Association at EWU
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