Faculty Unions and Struggle: For, By, and Against

I work at three places, and belong to AFT-affiliate (NYSUT) locals at two of them. Do I lose interest in unions when I teach at the third?

Of course not, not least of all because I believe that union successes and failures, in the long run, raise and lower the bar for adjunct and contingent faculty working conditions.

But I have three ways of thinking about unions: for, by, and against.

Steve M. Street, Prominent Advocate for Adjunct Faculty, Dies of Cancer

Steve Street started this blog, February 2009, originally to supplement Bob Samuels' New Faculty Majority Day. On the basis of my posting comments and his desperation, Steve invited me to contribute and then recommended  me for the New Faculty Majority organizing committee (before we even had a name). Later, he drifted away from blogging, which was not really his preferred medium but a responsibility he accepted to help both a friend's project and the fledgling adjunct coalition that later took its name. He will be sorely missed.

We're not ready yet, not psychologically, but hope to come out with an in depth piece commemorating Steve, sharing memories, more pictures and links to his writings. Until then, our thanks to Peter Schmidt for so promptly posting notice to The Chronicle of Higher Education today Friday August 17, 

Reading Room: Steve' Street's columns

Originally published March 21 2010, updated to correct bad links but worth republishing as current to bring it to your attention again... and mine as well for not following up on my exhortation to bring back the Reading Room series, which has only two other posts, "What are Universities for?" and "A Proposal to American Labor" (unless I retro-tag likely candidates among past posts).


Here's what I wrote introducing the first Reading Room post:

Remember the reading tradition in US union history? Reading Rooms in hiring halls. Samuel Gompers' cigar rollers voting to have a member on the clock read great books to them as they worked. Why not an online reading room right here

The call for suggestions still stands. Who and what are your choices? Cary Nelson, Keith Hoeller, Marc Bosquet.... all obvious choices. Let's include the less obvious as well. Accompanying links always appreciated. Post as comment or email me at vanessa.vaile@newfacultymajority.info

Thanks to NFM Board Member and Research Chair, Ross Borden, for list and heads up. Let's bring back the Reading Room and post more link lists. Suggestions welcome...

Steve Street: Select Bibliography 2008-2010

• “The Fog” (12 August 2010), Inside Higher Ed 
• "Wouldn't a New Progressive Era Require Faculty Equity?" (Fall 2009), Thought & Action (see Table of Contents under Special Focus). In pdf format 
• “Sticks and Stones, or Titles and Truth?" (23 Sept 2009), Chronicle of Higher Education 
• "The Silence of the Grads" (5 June 2009), Chronicle of Higher Education
• "Let's Talk Equity — Later" (14 Jan 2009), Chronicle of Higher Education: 
• "Mad About Numbers" (11 Dec 2008), Chronicle of Higher Education
• "Don't Be Kind to Adjuncts" (24 Oct 2008), Chronicle of Higher Education h
• "Don't Pit Tenure against Contingent Faculty Rights" (May-June 2008) Academe
• " A Cheeky Plea for Faculty Unity" (14 May 2008), Part-Time Thoughts, Adjunct Nation