With the vote, Montgomery College’s adjuncts become the first public part-time faculty in Maryland with a union

Montgomery College’s part-time teachers want a collective bargaining agreement in place next school year, after a state agency allowed the employees to unionize under the Service Employees International Union.

The labor and industry division of the state’s Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation verified the ballots on June 3. The teachers voted 365-105 in favor of SEIU representation, according to DLLR. Of the 1,075 part-time faculty members eligible to vote, 482 — or 45 percent — voted. J. Ronald DeJuliis, commissioner of DLLR’s labor and industry division, is expected to certify the election results today. Montgomery College’s part-timers would be the first adjunct faculty at a state college with a union.

‘‘We are like the underpaid, underappreciated people in higher education,” said Victoria A. Baldassano, a member of the union organizing committee and an adjunct professor for three years. ‘‘At least now we have a say, whereas before we didn’t.”

Typically, college classes are three credit hours; adjunct professors teach at least half the courses at Montgomery College, Baldassano said.

‘‘I think this could be a part of a larger movement,” she added. ‘‘We’re seeking equal pay. We’re seeking some benefits.”

Adjunct professors, Baldassano said, can earn as much as $880 per credit hour while full-time professors earn as much as $3,038 per credit hour.

The fight for equal pay and benefits began in February, as the college’s adjunct professors filled out ballots to show support for electing SEIU Local 500 as their representative.

Then Montgomery College officials circulated a memo about unionization. In the memo, officials said adjunct faculty got an 8 percent pay raise and sick leave.

‘‘Unionization would almost necessarily standardize the treatment of the College’s part time faculty,” the memo said. ‘‘This could result in difficulties with the assignment and scheduling of classes, and potentially the relationships with full time faculty.”

The letter was produced to inform the part-time faculty about the effects of unionizing, said Steve Simon, a Montgomery College spokesman.

Montgomery College also questioned whether the part-timers were considered public employees under Maryland law. According to the law, a public employee at the college is one who is appointed by the Board of Trustees but does not determine policy.

And for the purpose the collective bargaining, the teachers could not be considered professional employees because they do not teach at least 12 credit hours, college officials said.

‘‘We have worked with unions for more than two decades,” Simon said. ‘‘We’re looking forward to working with SEIU. We’re really trying to focus on the process ahead.”

More than 100 part-time teachers voted against unionization. ‘‘There are some people who think if they take a stand, their chances of getting a full-time job would be reduced,” Baldassano said. ‘‘Some folks just don’t want to rock the boat.”

The part-time faculty at The George Washington University reached an agreement in January after fighting six years for union representation. The vote was taken in October 2004, but the university refused to recognize the union and filed a series of appeals to stop the process from taking place.

In December 2005, the National Labor Relations Board ruled that GW engaged in unfair labor practices in its refusal to recognize the union. The university then filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, but the court upheld the labor board’s decision.

‘‘You had employment there, but you were never sure you would get the classes,” said Anne McLeer, a part-time professor at GW until 2005. ‘‘There was a lot of insecurity trying to put together an income.”

McLeer, who is now research director for the SEIU Local 500, earned $3,200 one year for teaching a women’s studies class. Under the deal, which ends June 30, 2010, part-time professors with a doctorate can now earn at least $3,800 for teaching the same class, McLeer said.

‘‘It was a jump from ‘these rates are unacceptable’ to ‘these rates are okay, and we’re going to come back,’” she said.

The SEIU Local 500 represents more than 1,200 adjunct professors at GW, according to a press release.

Chronicle of Higher Education 

Part-time faculty members at Montgomery College, in Maryland, have voted overwhelmingly in favor of union representation by the Service Employees International Union Local 500.

The 365-to-105 vote was a first for part-time instructors in the state, the union said in a news release. About 1,000 adjuncts teach about half of all courses offered at Montgomery College, the union said.

“The opportunities we now have to win improvements for ourselves and our students are endless,” said Terilee Edwards-Hewitt, a part-timer quoted in the news release.

The union chapter also represents more than 1,200 adjunct professors at nearby George Washington University. —Audrey Williams June

The decision ends a months-long battle with college officials over their right to unionize

Montgomery College's part-time faculty has voted 365-105 to unionize under the Service Employees International Union Local 500, bringing an end to a months-long battle between college officials and the part-timers.

The vote is a first for part-time instructors in Maryland. In 2004, part-time faculty at the George Washington University in the District voted to unionize.

‘‘This is a win for the entire county,” said part-time faculty member Alan Stover in a statement. ‘‘The part-time faculty members at Montgomery College want a stronger voice for quality education for our students. We're going to work to protect and improve the valuable resources we provide to our community.”

Part-time faculty members said they teach about half of all courses offered at the college. Faculty members filed a request in March for a vote on union representation.

‘‘The opportunities we now have to win improvements for ourselves and our students are endless,” said part-time faculty member Terilee Edwards-Hewitt in a statement.

The American Association of University Professors represent full-time faculty members.

By Marcus Moore 

The state has not set a timetable for its decision on whether to allow Montgomery College’s part-time faculty to hold an election for union representation.

The decision would be made in a ‘‘timely manner,” J. Ronald DeJuliis, commissioner of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulations’ labor and industry division, said through a spokeswoman.

Part-time teachers have rallied to be paid at the same rate as full-time faculty. Also in question is whether the part-timers pare considered public employees under Maryland law. According to the law, a public employee at the college is one who is appointed by the Board of Trustees but does not determine policy. Student assistants are also not considered public employees under state law.

Part-time teachers cannot be considered professional employees under state law because they do not teach at 12 credit hours, Montgomery College officials said.

Last month, the college determined that the part-time faculty members are not public employees, for the purpose of collective bargaining.

In February, roughly half the college’s 900 adjunct faculty members filled out ballots to show support for electing the SEIU Local 500 as their representative.

If DeJuliis verifies the ballots, the adjunct faculty will hold a formal election. DLLR would determine how the vote would be conducted and when it would be.

Adjunct faculty members are paid up to $880 per credit hour while full-time teachers are paid up to $3,038 per credit hour, said Victoria A. Baldassano, an adjunct professor and a member of the college’s union organizing committee. College classes are typically three credit hours.

In a letter to part-time faculty, college administrators said unionization would not be best for faculty and students. Part-time faculty got an 8 percent salary increase this school year, the letter said.

‘‘Unionization would almost necessarily standardize the treatment of this [adjunct] population, which could result in difficulties with the assignment and scheduling of classes, not to mention possible difficulties involving full-time faculty relationships,” the letter said.

Montgomery County, MD – Several dozen part-time faculty members from Montgomery College rallied outside the Montgomery County Council meeting tonight to advocate for high quality educational services at the college. The professors called on the County Council to protect funding for the college and stop the college administration from using taxpayer dollars to block adjuncts' right to vote on union representation.

“In a time when money is tight and you are looking for ways to fund everything that needs to be funded, you should insist of the administration that every single dollar going to the college be spent on quality education rather than anti-union tactics ,” said part-time faculty member Emily Ackerman in her testimony before the council.

The council previously passed a resolution banning the use of county funds for anti-union activities.

The part-time faculty, who teach about half of all college courses, are paid two to three times less than their full-time counterparts per class, and receive virtually no benefits. Recent surges in enrollment coupled with strains on available funding have forced adjuncts to do more with less to meet the increased community demand.

To address their growing concerns, the part-time faculty filed a request for a vote on representation with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 500 in early March. In response, the Montgomery College administration hired a high-priced management law firm and spent thousands of taxpayers’ dollars to block adjuncts’ request for an election.

“Our main focus is on the quality of education at Montgomery College,” said part-time faculty member Victoria Baldassano . “The administration needs to let us conduct a fair, democratic election as quickly as possible so we can all get back to figuring out how best to meet the needs of the community during these tough budget times.”

Service Employees International Union Local 500 represents almost 17,000 women and men working in education, public services, community services and child care in Maryland and Washington, D.C. Local 500 members serve the public at the Montgomery County Public Schools, Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children, The George Washington University, Head Start organizations (Anne Arundel County, Howard County, Rosemount), Maryland Child Care Providers, National Children’s Center, Oxfam International, Public Citizen, and the United States Student Association.