Joining with thousands of faculty across the country, part-time and full-time non-tenure track faculty at Fordham University in New York City filed for a union election with SEIU Local 200United on March 20, 2017.
“I am excited that we are moving forward by filing for our union election,” Hannah Jopling, Adjunct Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, said. “I believe that the only way we can remedy the social injustice at Fordham – namely its exploitation of contingent faculty – is to form a union. With a voice in determining these work conditions, we can build a better Fordham.”
Over half of Fordham faculty are off the tenure track. The trend follows a national crisis in higher education that has led to broad concern over issues like the marginalization of teaching, academic isolation, and job stability which in turn affects student learning conditions.
“Fordham is a prestigious university, yet more than half the faculty have very little job security and adjuncts have no benefits at all,” said Chris Brandt, an Adjunct Professor in Communications and Media Studies. “Prestige is no substitute for a living wage. Faculty need a voice to advocate for better working conditions, which is why we are forming our union. We need to make investment in instruction—and in students—a priority again.”
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