Unionization In The Classroom: GW's Response To Organizing
Part-Time Faculty
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UPDATE
ON STATUS OF UNION ELECTION (printer-friendly
version)
December 22, 2004
TO: Part-Time Faculty Members
FROM: Donald R. Lehman, Executive Vice President for Academic
Affairs
RE: Update on Status of Election
As
2004 draws to a close, I want to update you on the status of the
election that took place in October to determine whether the part-time
faculty want to be represented by Local 500 of the Service Employees
International Union (Service Employees). You may have received a
recent communication from the Service Employees union accusing the
University of delaying the conclusion of the election. This is untrue.
The
ballots were counted on October 22, with the exception of approximately
50 ballots that were challenged for a variety of reasons by the
Service Employees or by the National Labor Relations Board (the
Board). No ballots were challenged by the University at that time.
The Board subsequently asked the Service Employees and the University
to state their position with respect to each of the uncounted challenged
ballots. The University did so, after carefully considering its
positions and concluding that it cannot at this time set aside its
concerns. The Service Employees also has concerns regarding the
eligibility of some of those part time faculty who cast a ballot
that it is unwilling to set aside.
Let
me emphasize that there never was an agreement between the Service
Employees and the Board regarding the challenged ballots that would
have permitted a count to proceed had the University agreed. To
the contrary, the Board concluded, after reviewing the Service Employees
and the Universitys positions on all of the challenged ballots,
that the most efficient way to resolve the issues is through an
administrative hearing before a Board Hearing Officer. The Board
has scheduled the hearing to begin on January 10, 2005. I understand
that hearings are very typical in elections such as this one, when
the vote is extremely close and the challenged ballots will have
a determinative effect on the outcome.
The
University agrees with the Service Employees stated position
that the ballots of employees truly eligible to vote [should
be] counted. The University believes that, as a part time
faculty member who has much at stake on the ultimate issue of unionization,
you deserve to have the question of who is truly eligible
to vote in this election decided through the process the Board
has established to decide just these kinds of issues.
I
wish you a happy and relaxing holiday season and all the best in
the new year.
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