I added a link to the blogroll, MATC Part-time Faculty. Part-time faculty at MATC and many other post-secondary schools are paid much less per course compared to full-time faculty with similar qualifications. A member of MATC’s part-time teachers union sent me this press release (link is to another site with release already uploaded).
Making less money for doing the same job as someone else sucks, I’ve been there, which is why I am happy to publicize the part-time faculty’s cause. The image in this post conveys the essence of the problem.
Good luck Local 6100, I’m pulling for you.
That’s not very “Madison.”
I couldn’t have said it any better myself Susan.
Who do you know that’s in that union? Allen? Also, these part-time folks apparently need to take a note from the full-timer’s union. The real question is, if part-time teachers are so much cheaper, why doesn’t the school simply hire all part-timers and get 5 times the faculty with the same level of teaching ability. My guess would be that the full-time union got there first and won very favorable contracts, at the cost of the part-time teachers. This would seem to show the principal that unions earn higher wages only at the cost of other workers in the same industry.
I don’t know anyone in that union, I know (via internet) a part-time teacher in Milwaukee.
Regarding the contracts the FT union won, if those contracts are the reason PT faculty are paid less, do you blame them for using their union to attempt to better their pay?
If this does show the principal that union workers earn higher wages at the expense of other workers…count me in the union.
It is true that part-timers are paid way less. In addition, its harder to organize as contracts are very short-time for individual part-time instructors. It is also pretty well-known that Universities have steadily been hiring more part-time while eliminating full-time or tenure positions. Add to that the fact that most first year courses at a lot of universities are taught by graduate teaching assistants, who also have their own Union but not much bargaining power, and you’ve got a really crappy situation.
Not to mention state furlough this year which essentially caused all UW faculty to take a pay cut… their contract stays the same, but they have to record furlough days and accept less pay.
I don’t know everything about this, but I do know it really sucks.