FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (printer-friendly version)

1. How will the voting be conducted?

The election will be conducted entirely by mail ballot by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), an agency of the federal government. On October 4, 2004, the NLRB will send ballots out to the list of eligible voters submitted by the University. Ballots will be mailed, through the U.S. Postal Service, to home addresses on file at the University. Eligible voters will have from October 4 to 19, 2004, to complete and return their mail ballots. The ballot will arrive with a postage-paid return envelope addressed to the NLRB, along with another “inner” envelope into which voters should place the ballot. The ballot will ask if you wish to be represented by Local 500 of the Service Employees union. All you have to do is check the “No” or “Yes” box, place the ballot in the inner envelope, sign the outside of the return envelope, and mail it so that it is postmarked no later than October 19, 2004. The ballots are secret - do not sign the ballot. The NLRB requires eligible voters to sign only the outside of the return envelope for the sole purpose of checking each name against the eligibility list so that the NLRB can confirm that you are an eligible voter.

Once your eligibility is confirmed, the outside envelope is set aside and your ballot remains in the inner envelope and is mixed in with all of the other ballots until all ballots have been received. This ensures the confidentiality of your vote. All ballots must be postmarked by October 19, 2004, or they will not be counted.

2. SEIU employees have visited my home unannounced to solicit my vote for the union. How did the union get my name and home address?

The University is required by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to provide it with the names and addresses of all part-time faculty who are eligible to vote in the upcoming election. The practice of the NLRB is to turn that list over to the union.

The union is permitted to talk with you, but you are under no obligation to invite union representatives into your home or to speak with them at any time.

The University respects your privacy and you can be assured that University representatives will not be knocking on your door!

3. Does Local 500 of the Service Employees represent faculty at another college or university?

Local 500 of the Service Employees union represents food service workers, building & maintenance workers, “paraeducators,” bus operators, and Head Start workers. It does not represent faculty in a college or university setting and is, therefore, not familiar with labor relations in higher education.

4. How much can I expect to pay in dues to the union?

We cannot make a definite statement on this issue because it is a union determination. However, we can tell you that, according to the union's financial reports filed with the U.S. Department of Labor this year, SEIU Local 500 regularly charges its members $468 in dues.

5. What would be the impact of unionization on the part-time faculty?

The University’s part-time faculty is made up of a wide spectrum of individuals, with different academic goals and needs, as well as different experience and scheduling concerns. Unionization by its very nature will standardize the treatment of the part-time faculty at the University. At this time, the varying issues among part-time faculty are primarily addressed by department chairs. Unionization may remove the ability of those chairs to address those issues and replace it with a standardized approach.

Specific repercussions on the part-time faculty could include:
• Imposing working conditions that would make the assignment and scheduling of classes difficult for part-time faculty;
• Creating inflexible rules that could lead to problems in class scheduling for part-time faculty;
• Reducing opportunities for the creation and revision of courses;
• Impeding GW’s ability to recruit prestigious outside professionals;
• Polarizing relations with the full-time faculty on matters from scheduling to evaluations to compensation.

6. What will happen if the union prevails in the October election and then some part-time faculty conclude that they do not want to be represented by a union?

This election cannot be "undone" easily if those in the unit change their minds. In some situations, employees can file what is called a "decertification petition." If the petition is signed by 30 percent of those eligible to be included in the unit, the NLRB will order an election over whether the employees in the unit still want to be represented by the union. A majority of those voting must choose to no longer be represented by the union for the decertification to prevail.

Because the decertification of a union is a complicated process that occurs only rarely, it is important that eligible voters consider the issues now and vote so that their voices are heard during this representation election. The University urges part-time faculty to learn about Local 500, which is seeking to represent them and about whether union representation is in their best interests.

7. Will Local 500 of the Service Employees require that I join the union and adhere to its regulations?

The University cannot speculate about what might be the outcome of the collective bargaining process, but we do know that almost all Service Employees union contracts, of which Local 500 is a part, have a union security clause which requires union membership as a condition of continued employment. A union security clause would most likely preclude you from teaching if you are not a member of the union. To enforce the clause, the Service Employees union could seek to compel members of a bargaining unit to pay initiation fees and dues. As noted above, union dues could amount to more than $400 per year. The Service Employees union could also compel all of its members to follow the bylaws of its affiliated entities. In any labor organization, the bylaws generally provide the rules that govern membership. These rules often include fines and sanctions for non-payment of union assessments or for refusal to engage in picketing, strikes, or other job actions.

8. What is GW's position regarding unionization?

The University prefers to work with its community without a third party, such as a union, involved. There are some unionized employees on campus, however, and the University strives for good relations with these unions. GW began to bargain with them:
• after the University concluded that the bargaining unit was appropriately constituted;
• after they received the majority of votes in an election managed by the NLRB; and
• after the University concluded that there were no additional legal issues.

9. I believe that I am eligible to vote but have not yet received a ballot from the National Labor Relations Board. What do I do?

If you believe you are eligible to vote but have not received a ballot by Monday, October 11, 2004, you should communicate immediately with the National Labor Relations Board by calling the Region Five office collect at (410) 962-2931.