During the summer and fall, AAP held a series of brown-bag lunch discussions at several locations around the UIUC campus. The purpose of the lunches was to spread the word about AAP's organizing efforts and to gather information from academic professionals about specific issues to be addressed as organizing proceeds.
Our advertisements encouraged you to "bring your lunch and your questions." Well, we haven't kept track of what people brought for lunch, but following is an incomplete list of frequently asked questions. If you have a question that is not addressed here, or if you simply would like to break bread and talk about work with your colleagues, check the AAP web page for a brown-bag lunch coming to a campus location near you.
What are the benefits of unionizing?
Union contracts provide employees with protection against arbitrary dismissal, fair procedures for grievance arbitration, and higher salaries and better benefits than non-union workers. Working at a great university is an extraordinary privilege, but UIUC administration leaves room for significant improvement in all of these areas.
Academic professionals brought a variety of concerns to the brown bag lunches, including the following:
Job security. None of us can be sure we will have a job for longer than the one-year term of our contracts (and a recent consultant's report suggests even that is too long). Academic professionals expressed a desire to be protected from unpredictable changes in administration which may leave them looking for a new position.
Career paths. Some jobs have them, most don't. Where does an academic professional go after mastering a job, and how does he or she get there? For our effort, academic professionals deserve to have clear career paths.
Evaluations. According to the campus administrative manual, job evaluations should take place annually, according to standard procedures. We know that in reality, evaluations can be separated by several years, and each supervisor uses a different procedure.
Other issues such as child care, overtime protection, vague or nonexistent job descriptions, compensation for work-related expenses, and management secrecy were also raised. Without a union, we lack mechanisms to address these issues on our own-we simply wait for them to improve. Organizing a union, we take the initiative to make things better.
What is the unionizing process?
There are four basic stages: (1) Union members conduct "outreach" to spread their message, gauge the level of support among colleagues, and learn about the most resonant issues in the workplace. AAP is currently in this stage of the process. (2) A "card drive" is held in which, according to Illinois law, 30 percent of the potential bargaining unit must petition the Illinois Labor Relations Board to authorize (3) a union election, in which union representation is ratified by the bargaining unit. (4) Through collective bargaining, a contract is negotiated with the university.
Why is AAP affiliated with the Illinois Education Association and National Education Association (IEA/NEA)?
AAP decided to affiliate with these larger organizations because of their record in representing professionals in higher education. The membership and resources of IEA/NEA provide us with powerful support in our struggle. One of the most valuable resources is IEA's excellent legal staff to represent members in employment disputes. What's more, IEA is able to leverage considerable consumer benefits for its members, including good deals on credit cards, insurance, and investments (for more information on IEA member benefits, see "Building a movement of higher-ed professionals" in this issue.)
What about dues?
Initially, AAP members pay "organizing dues" to IEA/NEA of about $10 per month for staff support, legal representation, and other member benefits. After the union wins a contract, that fee doubles. Dues for our AAP local will be established as our constitution and by-laws are written.
What if I don't want to join?
No one is forced to join the union, even after it becomes legally recognized and negotiates a contract. Members and nonmembers alike benefit from the contract, which may include a "fair share" clause requiring nonmembers to contribute to the union that represents them. There are two powerful reasons why it is in everyone's interest to join: (1) unions with strong membership bring more power to their negotiations with management, and (2) nonmembers cannot vote in union elections.