Washington State Adjunct Activist Dr. Keith Hoeller's Editorial Published in New York Times, November 12, 2013
"While the tenure-track faculty have comparatively high wages, great benefits and lifetime job security in the form of tenure, one million contingent professors have none of these things, often teaching for decades for poverty-level wages, and wondering whether they will even have a job next quarter. "
KEITH HOELLER
Seattle, Nov. 11, 2013
The writer is the editor of the forthcoming book “Equality for Contingent Faculty: Overcoming the Two-Tier System.”
For replies to this editorial, see
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/17/opinion/sunday/sunday-dialogue-academias-two-tracks.html?pagewanted=3&_r=0
Dr. Hoeller's reply includes this closing statement:
"It is not surprising to see the two-track system defended by those who profit from it the most. But as the Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education, even a “separate but equal” system is inherently unequal. It cannot be reformed; it must be abolished."
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
New York Times Describes Adjunct Faculty Turning to Service Employees International Union, December 04, 2013
"...a movement catching on across American campuses where adjunct faculty members, the working poor of academia, are turning to collective action." Service Employees International Union
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/04/us/more-college-adjuncts-see-strength-in-union-numbers.html?emc=eta1&_r=0
"A version of this article appears in print on December 4, 2013, on page A18 of the New York edition with the headline: More College Adjuncts See Strength in Union Numbers."
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/04/us/more-college-adjuncts-see-strength-in-union-numbers.html?emc=eta1&_r=0
"A version of this article appears in print on December 4, 2013, on page A18 of the New York edition with the headline: More College Adjuncts See Strength in Union Numbers."
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Affordable Care Act Results in Community College Decision to Cut Workers' Hours to Avoid Paying Health Care. Article published by Phoenix Business Journal. September 30, 2013
Affordable Care Act Results in Community College Decision to Cut Workers' Hours to Avoid Paying Health Care.
"Because the employer mandate was delayed a year, employers have until Dec. 31 to restructure the workforce without the fear of this new retaliation lawsuit.
This is something many employers already know, including the Maricopa Community Colleges, which announced earlier this year its plans to cut 1,300 workers’ hours to avoid $13 million in health care costs."
Affordable Care Act Provision Could Spur Retaliation Lawsuits Against Employers.
By Angela Gonzales. Phoenix Business Journal. Sept. 30, 2013.
A little-known provision in the Affordable Care Act could put employers in the middle of retaliation lawsuits if they restructure their workforce in 2014.
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/blog/health-care-daily/2013/09/affordable-care-act-provision-could.html
State Legislation and Actions Challenging Certain Health Reforms.
http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/health/state-laws-and-actions-challenging-ppaca.aspx
"Because the employer mandate was delayed a year, employers have until Dec. 31 to restructure the workforce without the fear of this new retaliation lawsuit.
This is something many employers already know, including the Maricopa Community Colleges, which announced earlier this year its plans to cut 1,300 workers’ hours to avoid $13 million in health care costs."
Affordable Care Act Provision Could Spur Retaliation Lawsuits Against Employers.
By Angela Gonzales. Phoenix Business Journal. Sept. 30, 2013.
A little-known provision in the Affordable Care Act could put employers in the middle of retaliation lawsuits if they restructure their workforce in 2014.
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/blog/health-care-daily/2013/09/affordable-care-act-provision-could.html
State Legislation and Actions Challenging Certain Health Reforms.
By: Richard Cauchi, Program Director, NCSL Health Program
This article includes charts, graphs, etc. for visual presentation:
"In response to the federal health reform law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA or just ACA)*, and separate state reform initiatives, some members of at least 47 state legislatures proposed legislation to limit, alter or oppose selected state or federal actions."http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/health/state-laws-and-actions-challenging-ppaca.aspx
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Requiem Article for Adjunct Faculty : Professor Margaret Mary Vojtko of Duquesne University September 19, 2013
University's cold hearted policy toward its adjunct faculty leaves professor out in the cold.
"Underpaid 83-Year-Old Professor Died Trying to Make Ends Meet by Working Night Shift at Eat an' Save." By Daniel Kovalik, Attorney and Adjunct Professor. September 18, 2013. Alternet.
Professor Vojtko was thrown out of her job, just at the old horse in Animal Farm was sent to the glue factory. This professor was professional until she died. The university bears the shame.
"She could no longer keep her electricity on in her home, which became uninhabitable during the winter. She therefore took to working at an Eat 'n Park at night and then trying to catch some sleep during the day at her office at Duquesne. When this was discovered by the university, the police were called in to eject her from her office. Still, despite her cancer and her poverty, she never missed a day of class.
http://www.alternet.org/economy/underpaid-83-year-old-professor-died-trying-make-ends-meet-working-night-shift-eat-save
UPDATE Forum Discussion on Higher Ed.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/09/19/newspaper-column-death-adjunct-prompts-debate#.UjsZUpQ_odA.email
"Keith Hoeller, an adjunct instructor of philosophy in the Seattle area and co-founder of the Washington Part-Time Faculty Association, said ... the story illustrates the "meanness" of a two-track faculty system, which is particularly vicious late in an adjunct's career. Instead of retiring with benefits and pension like tenured colleagues,... adjuncts end up with neither and, in all likelihood, little to no savings. In other words, in poverty."
Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/09/19/newspaper-column-death-adjunct-prompts-debate#ixzz2fUxQte3e
Inside Higher Ed "
"Underpaid 83-Year-Old Professor Died Trying to Make Ends Meet by Working Night Shift at Eat an' Save." By Daniel Kovalik, Attorney and Adjunct Professor. September 18, 2013. Alternet.
Professor Vojtko was thrown out of her job, just at the old horse in Animal Farm was sent to the glue factory. This professor was professional until she died. The university bears the shame.
"She could no longer keep her electricity on in her home, which became uninhabitable during the winter. She therefore took to working at an Eat 'n Park at night and then trying to catch some sleep during the day at her office at Duquesne. When this was discovered by the university, the police were called in to eject her from her office. Still, despite her cancer and her poverty, she never missed a day of class.
http://www.alternet.org/economy/underpaid-83-year-old-professor-died-trying-make-ends-meet-working-night-shift-eat-save
UPDATE Forum Discussion on Higher Ed.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/09/19/newspaper-column-death-adjunct-prompts-debate#.UjsZUpQ_odA.email
"Keith Hoeller, an adjunct instructor of philosophy in the Seattle area and co-founder of the Washington Part-Time Faculty Association, said ... the story illustrates the "meanness" of a two-track faculty system, which is particularly vicious late in an adjunct's career. Instead of retiring with benefits and pension like tenured colleagues,... adjuncts end up with neither and, in all likelihood, little to no savings. In other words, in poverty."
Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/09/19/newspaper-column-death-adjunct-prompts-debate#ixzz2fUxQte3e
Inside Higher Ed "
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Eastern Washington University News Story Cites Faculty Raises, with No Mention of Faculty Classified as Adjunct or Part Time September 13, 2013
EWU is broadcasting a new faculty contract:
"A novel faculty contract at Eastern Washington University focuses on bringing everyone up to the national salary averages in their fields.
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021820596_facultycontractxml.html
At present, the AFA website is waiting for clarification to see if the new contract excludes faculty who are classified as "adjunct" or "part-time."
Friday, August 16, 2013
Overtime Limit Legislation "Ceiling or Incentive?" Article and Discussion
"Faculty groups in California are divided over legislation that would set a limit on how many overtime courses full-time faculty members can teach at community colleges. Adjuncts and full-timers are divided on whether a cap would help or hurt part-timers -- and students."
Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/08/13/faculty-groups-california-disagree-whether-proposed-overload-law-would-limit#ixzz2cBrhERPQ
Inside Higher Ed
"Ceiling or Incentive?" By Coleen Flaherty. Inside Higher Ed. August 13, 2013
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/08/13/faculty-groups-california-disagree-whether-proposed-overload-law-would-limit#.UgpAUmz9vII.email
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Article "Adjunct Faculty of America, Unite!" by Kay Steiger of The Nation
Kay Steiger's July 15, 2013 article "Adjunct Faculty of America, Unite!" beats a familiar drum to scholars working for poverty wages at America's colleges and universities.
"A recent analysis conducted by the Coalition on the Academic Workforce found that the pay for adjunct faculty lagged far behind that of their tenured peers, averaging just $21,600 while tenure-track positions averaged $66,000 a year. "
Adjunct Faculty of America, Unite!
http://www.alternet.org/adjunct-faculty-america-unite
The article mentions the efforts to unionize on the East Coast. Here on the West Coast, specifically Washington State, "part-time" faculty are forced into the same unions, or non-union associations, with "full-time" faculty, who serve as de facto supervisors. The Washington State Public Employees Relations Commission has turned down every request for a separate bargaining unit.
"A recent analysis conducted by the Coalition on the Academic Workforce found that the pay for adjunct faculty lagged far behind that of their tenured peers, averaging just $21,600 while tenure-track positions averaged $66,000 a year. "
Adjunct Faculty of America, Unite!
http://www.alternet.org/adjunct-faculty-america-unite
The article mentions the efforts to unionize on the East Coast. Here on the West Coast, specifically Washington State, "part-time" faculty are forced into the same unions, or non-union associations, with "full-time" faculty, who serve as de facto supervisors. The Washington State Public Employees Relations Commission has turned down every request for a separate bargaining unit.
Friday, June 14, 2013
The Olympian Publishes Dr. Keith Hoeller's Editorial Against Washington State Plan to Replace State-Paid Health Insurance with Obamacare , Published June 13, 2013
The Olympian
June 13, 2013
June 13, 2013
Adjunct faculty would be hard hit by health care plan
Keith Hoeller
"...Senate Majority Coalition Caucus passed its budget (SB 5034)...abolishing a decades-old law that provides state-paid health insurance for state employees who work 50 percent or more. The bill would end state-paid health insurance for part-time state workers and force them to purchase health insurance in the new state exchanges. [Obamacare].Dr. Keith Hoeller, a professor of philosophy in Washington State, co-founded the Washington Part-Time Faculty Association. He has received numerous awards for his work.
Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2013/06/13/v-print/2582904/adjunct-faculty-would-be-hard.html#storylink=cpy
Monday, June 3, 2013
Green River Community College Abuse Complaint Is Rejected by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities . Faculty Will Appeal the Decision. May 28, 2013 Chronicle of Higher Education
The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities has made a rejection of the complaint by faculty classified or misclassified as "part-time" that they are suffering abuse at Green River Community College. The faculty will appeal this action by the NCCU.
Accreditor Rejects Adjuncts' Complaints Against College in Washington State. By Peter Schmidt. May 28, 2013. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
http://chronicle.com/article/Accreditor-Rejects-Adjuncts/139491/
Accreditor Rejects Adjuncts' Complaints Against College in Washington State. By Peter Schmidt. May 28, 2013. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
http://chronicle.com/article/Accreditor-Rejects-Adjuncts/139491/
Saturday, April 27, 2013
"Adjunct Faculty Bear Brunt of Higher Ed Cuts." By Jack Longmate. Tacoma News Tribune. December 31, 2010.
"Adjunct Faculty Bear Brunt of Higher Ed Cuts." By Jack Longmate. Tacoma News Tribune. December 31, 2010.
Friday, April 19, 2013
SB 5905 would eliminate part-timers from the current statewide health insurance plans. Contact Washington State Legislators
From Dr. Keith Hoeller, info about Washington State Senate Bill SB 5905
SB 5905 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5905&year=2013 would eliminate part-timers from the current statewide health insurance plans. Here is the text of the letter from Dr. Keith Hoeller of the Washington Part-Time Faculty Association. Please contact state legislators to share your opinion.
Here are the two sponsors:
Senator Andy Hill(R) 45th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT
"While the Senate Majority Coalition Caucus has proposed raising higher education spending by $300 million, none of this money would go to raise the poverty level incomes of the 8,000 part-time (or adjunct) faculty in the two-year colleges. From 1995-2007, the legislature appropriated $60 million to increase our salaries, but stopped in 2007 with the recession.
Adjunct faculty who teach a full-time load are paid only 60% of what full-time faculty earn for teaching the same number of courses. But since each union contract prevents adjuncts from teaching full-time, and allows full-timers to teach overtime, the average adjunct, teaching 50%, is earning only about 30% of a full-time teaching load, or about $18,000 a year. These professors have graduate degrees, families, and student loans to pay off.
In 1998, I initiated a class action lawsuit over the denial of state-paid health care insurance to thousands of part-time faculty who teach half-time or more. (The case was settled out of court for $12 million in 2004. I initiated another lawsuit, settled for $12.5 million in 2002, to extend state-paid retirement benefits to part-time faculty.)
SB 5905 would eliminate part-timers from the current statewide health insurance plans and force them into exchanges whose cost is unknown, but certain to be higher, and to include much lower coverage.
The provision to pay some part-timers $2 more per hour will not help part-time faculty, who are paid by the class contact hour, and not for all of the hours they work outside of class. An adjunct teaching two five-credit classes (that is 66% of full-time) is paid for only 110 hours of class time (55 x 2). So in a three month quarter, an adjunct would receive only $240 to compensate for buying new coverage that would cost hundreds of dollars more a month.
The adjuncts are exploited and mistreated by both the colleges and their own unions. State law currently forced adjuncts, who have no job security, into the same unions with full-time faculty who have tenure and serve as their supervisors. We dropped a bill earlier this session to give us independent unions, but it did not get a hearing due to our late start.
Since virtually no state agencies will protect us from harassment and retaliation from union bullies, we just filed a 75 page complaint with the regional accreditor asking for an investigation of the entire community college system. Potentially, the accreditors could withhold accreditation primarily because of the mistreatment of the adjunct faculty.
You cannot claim to be for higher education, and yet make matters worse for the adjunct faculty.
I urge you to abandon this contentious bill immediately. I would like to meet with you ASAP to discuss this issue. I can meet before 8:30 a.m. on weekdays, and after 3:30 p.m. as well. I am available anytime tomorrow (Friday).
Please let me hear from you.
Cordially,
Keith Hoeller"
SB 5905 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5905&year=2013 would eliminate part-timers from the current statewide health insurance plans. Here is the text of the letter from Dr. Keith Hoeller of the Washington Part-Time Faculty Association. Please contact state legislators to share your opinion.
Here are the two sponsors:
Senator Andy Hill(R) 45th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT
| Olympia Office: 303 John A. Cherberg Building PO Box 40445 Olympia, WA 98504-0445 (360) 786-7672 Senator James Hargrove(D) 24th LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT
|
"While the Senate Majority Coalition Caucus has proposed raising higher education spending by $300 million, none of this money would go to raise the poverty level incomes of the 8,000 part-time (or adjunct) faculty in the two-year colleges. From 1995-2007, the legislature appropriated $60 million to increase our salaries, but stopped in 2007 with the recession.
Adjunct faculty who teach a full-time load are paid only 60% of what full-time faculty earn for teaching the same number of courses. But since each union contract prevents adjuncts from teaching full-time, and allows full-timers to teach overtime, the average adjunct, teaching 50%, is earning only about 30% of a full-time teaching load, or about $18,000 a year. These professors have graduate degrees, families, and student loans to pay off.
In 1998, I initiated a class action lawsuit over the denial of state-paid health care insurance to thousands of part-time faculty who teach half-time or more. (The case was settled out of court for $12 million in 2004. I initiated another lawsuit, settled for $12.5 million in 2002, to extend state-paid retirement benefits to part-time faculty.)
SB 5905 would eliminate part-timers from the current statewide health insurance plans and force them into exchanges whose cost is unknown, but certain to be higher, and to include much lower coverage.
The provision to pay some part-timers $2 more per hour will not help part-time faculty, who are paid by the class contact hour, and not for all of the hours they work outside of class. An adjunct teaching two five-credit classes (that is 66% of full-time) is paid for only 110 hours of class time (55 x 2). So in a three month quarter, an adjunct would receive only $240 to compensate for buying new coverage that would cost hundreds of dollars more a month.
The adjuncts are exploited and mistreated by both the colleges and their own unions. State law currently forced adjuncts, who have no job security, into the same unions with full-time faculty who have tenure and serve as their supervisors. We dropped a bill earlier this session to give us independent unions, but it did not get a hearing due to our late start.
Since virtually no state agencies will protect us from harassment and retaliation from union bullies, we just filed a 75 page complaint with the regional accreditor asking for an investigation of the entire community college system. Potentially, the accreditors could withhold accreditation primarily because of the mistreatment of the adjunct faculty.
You cannot claim to be for higher education, and yet make matters worse for the adjunct faculty.
I urge you to abandon this contentious bill immediately. I would like to meet with you ASAP to discuss this issue. I can meet before 8:30 a.m. on weekdays, and after 3:30 p.m. as well. I am available anytime tomorrow (Friday).
Please let me hear from you.
Cordially,
Keith Hoeller"
Monday, April 15, 2013
Alternet Reports on Adjuncts, 76% of Profs are Indentured Servants
"Adademia's Indentured Servants." By Sarah Kendzior. April 12, 2013 . Al Jazeera and on Alternet|
http://www.alternet.org/education/academias-indentured-servants
"Most adjuncts teach at multiple universities while still not making enough to stay above the poverty line."
"On April 8, 2013, the New York Times reported that 76 percent of American university faculty are adjunct professors - an all-time high." http://www.alternet.org/education/academias-indentured-servants
Public Records Act on the Chopping Block with HB 1128 in Washington State
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Washington State Adjunct Faculty Jack Longmate's Complaint Regarding College Accrediting Board Lack of Action Results in US Department of Education Accusing Accreditor of Neglect April 04, 2013
April 4, 2013
Education Dept. Accuses Accreditor of Neglecting Adjunct's Complaint
"The U.S. Department of Education has accused ... the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, of violating federal standards by mishandling a complaint filed against a Washington State community college by an adjunct instructor there.
...the accrediting body faced possible limitation, suspension, or termination of its federal recognition ..."
Washington State Adjunct Faculty Jack Longmate's Complaint Regarding College Accrediting Board Lack of Action Results in US Department of Education Accusing Accreditor of Neglect April 04, 2013
Monday, April 1, 2013
Abuse and Retaliation for Reporting Abuse and Retaliation
As faculty who experience further abuse and retaliation for simply reporting ongoing abuse and retaliation in the state and private institutions of learning, we must support all workers who are standing up for human rights, which are universal. Perhaps we may agree and/or disagree with proposed solutions; yet, being aware of the issues can help us all.
Undocumented workers' grim reality: speak out on abuse and risk deportation
Migrants in the low-wage depths of the US economy say they're being targeted for simply standing up for employees' rights
Sunday, March 17, 2013
College Adjunct Faculty Input by Midnight March 18, 2013, for IRS and Treasury Hours of Work Guidelines
Here is some time-sensitive and important information regarding providing the IRS and the Treasury department with your input about faculty preparation and additional work hours: Due by midnight, Monday, March 18, 2013:
"The IRS and the Treasury department are considering using a conversion rate for adjunct faculty that would count one credit as three hours for purposes of calculating hours/week of work. (The Carnegie conversion). SEIU members feel that this conversion rate grossly underestimates the amount of work that is actually done, and is not an accurate method for measuring the real work of contingent faculty."
http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=IRS-2013-0001-0012
From the Seattle area:
Please read the message below my reply and respond by March 18 (Monday).
"The IRS and the Treasury department are considering using a conversion rate for adjunct faculty that would count one credit as three hours for purposes of calculating hours/week of work. (The Carnegie conversion). SEIU members feel that this conversion rate grossly underestimates the amount of work that is actually done, and is not an accurate method for measuring the real work of contingent faculty."
http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=IRS-2013-0001-0012
From the Seattle area:
Please read the message below my reply and respond by March 18 (Monday).
| It appears the proposed rule is only accounting for actual classroom contact hours per credit. I, and several other adjunct faculty members from the community colleges, worked with the Washington state Employment Security Department over a period of 2-3 years a decade ago to develop a scaling formula that accounts for the outside prep hours (prep, grading, meeting with students, course design) based on the classroom contact hours reported to the department for determining eligibility for unemployment benefits during summer breaks and other periods of non-employment. I have made reference to these rules in my comments to the IRS as a possible model for the feds to follow in determining an accurate accounting of the actual number of hours worked per specified number of academic credits taught. You might mention the same rules in the Revised Code of Washington (RCW). Dana Rush From SEIU Local 925
As you all probably already know, new federal rules
will require employers to provide healthcare coverage to all workers working
over 30 hours/week. Contingent faculty, unlike many other workers don’t punch a
clock, so there is no easy metric for how many hours a professor works a week.
The IRS and the Treasury department are considering using a conversion rate for
adjunct faculty that would count one credit as three hours for purposes of
calculating hours/week of work. (The Carnegie conversion). SEIU members feel
that this conversion rate grossly underestimates the amount of work that is
actually done, and is not an accurate method for measuring the real work of
contingent faculty.
The period for comment to the IRS closes Monday,
March 18, and SEIU’s experience is that in the IRS’s eyes, quantity
matters. SEIU members are being urged to contact the IRS today to tell the IRS
NOT to adopt the three hours/credit conversion. I’m pasting a copy of the
email blast that is going out to all 2.2 million SEIU members. Even though you
don’t belong to SEIU yet, I am hoping you will take the opportunity to urge the
IRS not to undervalue your time and work.
How
those hours are counted could substantially impact adjunct faculty access to
affordable healthcare.
For adjunct professors, the work doesn't stop at the
classroom door, but the pay and benefits often do. Contract faculty, who make up
70% of instructional faculty nationwide, spend many hours outside of the
classroom preparing courses, supporting and assessing student performance, and
designing curriculums.
Right now, the Treasury Department and the IRS are asking for
guidance on how to determine adjunct faculty hours as a way of assessing an
employer's responsibility for coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
The standard the Treasury Department and the IRS are considering - a three hour per course credit standard - grossly underestimates the time adjuncts spend working outside the classroom. Click here to submit your comments to the IRS now to let them know adjunct working hours should be assessed in a way that accurately reflects their true workload. Treasury Department and the IRS need to hear directly from adjunct faculty about the size and breadth of the workloads outside the classroom which are critical to providing the quality instruction and support students deserve. No singular standard can accurately and fairly calculate the hours for adjunct faculty. Too many factors influence the actual hours required to teach the same number of credit hours. The Treasury Department and the IRS should establish a minimal standard, and instruct higher education institutions to adjust that standard when specific circumstances increase the workload of adjunct faculty. All comments must be submitted by midnight on March 18th. Click here to submit yours now. | |
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Washington State College Teachers Prove Retaliation through Union's Emails
In Washington State, January 28, 2013, a faculty and union member classified as "part-time" notifies the National Education Association president of union corruptions and cover-ups at Green River Community College, and requests that the NEA assume "immediate trusteeship." Implicated are the Green River CC union, the United Faculty Coalition (UF), and the Washington Education Association, both under the NEA.
Adjunct Nation's investigative news by P. D. Lesko includes the results of a Freedom of Information Act request for emails concerning this issue. The emails show that union not only stonewalled investigations into union theft, but also actively used union resources to attack "part-time" faculty. From the article:
"...Kathryn Re...sent a 10-page letter to the President of the National Education Association, Dennis Van Roekel. In her letter, Re—a mathematician— lays out a meticulously detailed and documented indictment of her union’s Executive Committee’s failure to adhere to the group’s bylaws..."
Re writes, “We are writing this formal complaint to request your urgent assistance because the union rights of NEA members are being systematically violated by the United Faculty Coalition (UF) of Green River Community College (GRCC) and the Washington Education Association (WEA), both NEA affiliates. We believe that immediate harm will befall NEA members should you fail to act quickly to correct the systematic corruption that is now taking place at Green River Community College.”"
Reference and Link to Complete Article:
"Washington Part Timers Allege Union Corruption Cover Up Ask NEA President for Trusteeship." Written by P. D. Lesko. Adjunct Nation. January 30, 2013.
http://www.adjunctnation.com/2013/01/30/washington-pters-allege-union-corruption-cover-up-ask-nea-president-for-trusteeship/
Adjunct Nation's investigative news by P. D. Lesko includes the results of a Freedom of Information Act request for emails concerning this issue. The emails show that union not only stonewalled investigations into union theft, but also actively used union resources to attack "part-time" faculty. From the article:
"...Kathryn Re...sent a 10-page letter to the President of the National Education Association, Dennis Van Roekel. In her letter, Re—a mathematician— lays out a meticulously detailed and documented indictment of her union’s Executive Committee’s failure to adhere to the group’s bylaws..."
Re writes, “We are writing this formal complaint to request your urgent assistance because the union rights of NEA members are being systematically violated by the United Faculty Coalition (UF) of Green River Community College (GRCC) and the Washington Education Association (WEA), both NEA affiliates. We believe that immediate harm will befall NEA members should you fail to act quickly to correct the systematic corruption that is now taking place at Green River Community College.”"
Reference and Link to Complete Article:
"Washington Part Timers Allege Union Corruption Cover Up Ask NEA President for Trusteeship." Written by P. D. Lesko. Adjunct Nation. January 30, 2013.
http://www.adjunctnation.com/2013/01/30/washington-pters-allege-union-corruption-cover-up-ask-nea-president-for-trusteeship/
Adjunct Nation Presents FOIA Findings Regarding Adjuncts Alleging Cover-Up
Precise language helps to clarify. In the quote below, it's possible that the Humanities Division Chair intended to use the word "insinuation," but instead used the word "indication." The reader can decide which word best fits the circumstances.
"Humanities Division Chair Will Scott emailed this to the UF Board when informed of Re’s request for financial records in order to analyze the union’s dues structure:
“I saw this coming. It is basically an effort by the adjuncts ...to take over the union….I, for one, am pretty upset about the tone of this ... message. There seems to be an indication that 1) we as a board are incompetent, 2) we as a board are somehow institutionally working to destroy adjuncts, 3) we as a board have not only ignored, but been negligent in addressing adjunct issues. It is really upsetting to me.”"
http://www.adjunctnation.com/2013/01/30/washington-pters-allege-union-corruption-cover-up-ask-nea-president-for-trusteeship/
"Humanities Division Chair Will Scott emailed this to the UF Board when informed of Re’s request for financial records in order to analyze the union’s dues structure:
“I saw this coming. It is basically an effort by the adjuncts ...to take over the union….I, for one, am pretty upset about the tone of this ... message. There seems to be an indication that 1) we as a board are incompetent, 2) we as a board are somehow institutionally working to destroy adjuncts, 3) we as a board have not only ignored, but been negligent in addressing adjunct issues. It is really upsetting to me.”"
http://www.adjunctnation.com/2013/01/30/washington-pters-allege-union-corruption-cover-up-ask-nea-president-for-trusteeship/
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Adjunct Nation : Article about Part Time Faculty Notifying the NEA President of Union Cover Up
The recent AdjunctNation.com article covers the Green River Community College corruption in the union:
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