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Organizers Set On Spring Union Vote
By Kelly Josephsen
Pantagraph staff
Reprinted by permission
NORMAL -- Illinois State University non-tenured faculty are
determined to hold a union vote this semester even though
hearings on their case have been delayed a second time.
Sharon MacDonald, chairwoman of the Non-tenure-Track Faculty
Association, said her group intends to follow the regular process of
holding hearings, waiting a month after the hearings for a ruling
and then waiting another 30 days to vote.
But they will use other means if it's the only way to vote before
classes end May 9. "There's no hoping about it," MacDonald
said. "We're bound and determined to vote this spring."
New Hearing Date Expected
Hearings on who is eligible for the union should have started
today but were delayed due to a scheduling conflict. Hearings
already were delayed once.
MacDonald expects to hear a new date Wednesday.
Her group wants to organize under the Illinois Education
Association. Non-tenure-track faculty members are those with
one-year or one-semester contracts; there are 400 to 450 at
ISU.
The judge ruled on two issues, but MacDonald said one ruling
is vague and will be revisited.
First, a Jan. 1 change in bargaining rules for short-term
employees will not apply to ISU.
"Since we filed in 2002, they're going with the law in 2002,"
MacDonald said, adding her group argued for using the new
law because it represents the intent of the legislature.
The 2002 law said short-term employees aren't eligible if they
did not work two semesters in one academic year and did not
have a "reasonable assurance" of being rehired. Legislators
changed the wording to a "reasonable expectation" of being
rehired as of Jan. 1.
MacDonald said the new wording wouldn't have made a big
difference. "I've been rehired for 30 years on one-year contracts.
Do I expect to be hired the following year? Sure. Do I have an
assurance? Well, before I get a contract they are already asking me
what courses I want to teach, and my name is on the schedule. Is
that an expectation or an assurance?"
The second issue is whether eligibility should be determined
using 2001-02 or 2002-03 staffing. ISU says 2001-02;
MacDonald's group supports 2002-2003.
MacDonald said the judge ruled on the only precedent available, but
it is from a junior college with quarters rather than semesters.
Therefore, she said, the ruling is vague. The issue will be settled
at the hearings, but MacDonald doesn't expect it to have a huge
effect.
Other, more specific issues, will have to wait for the hearings.
ISU officials last November sought to exclude faculty who teach less
than 75 percent of a full load and haven't had full loads for three
semesters in a row. MacDonald's group argues every faculty with a
non-tenure-track contract should be in the unit unless the law
excludes them.
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