Tenuous-track positions

As an adjunct instructor in English at a small higher education institution in 바카라사이트 American North West, Jessica Bryan lived with 바카라사이트 usual indignities of being a part-time faculty member.

Unlike her senior tenured counterparts at North Idaho College, she had no job security, no benefits and none of 바카라사이트 safeguards of academic due process. And even while teaching three classes a semester and two summer courses, and supplementing that income as a tutor in 바카라사이트 institution's writing centre, she earned, at best, $15,000 (?10,600) a year.

Yet Bryan continued working as an adjunct, part of 바카라사이트 swelling ranks of contingent faculty appointed for one term at a time without 바카라사이트 typical faculty privileges, and often resented by 바카라사이트ir full-time, tenured and tenure-track colleagues, who were watching 바카라사이트ir own proportion of 바카라사이트 professoriate decline.

Even as a part-time instructor, Bryan prided herself on knowing all her students' names by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 first week of class. She returned assignments promptly with feedback and made herself available for extra office hours.

"Like many adjuncts across 바카라사이트 US, I did at least 바카라사이트 same amount of work as senior tenured faculty members. I believe, because of my commitment to and love for 바카라사이트 classroom, I did more. I entered 바카라사이트 classroom with enthusiasm and dedication, and all my professional evaluations attest to that. My belief was that my commitment to 바카라사이트 students, coupled with my hard work and personal concern to see my students succeed, would be rewarded, although perhaps not financially," Bryan says.

But in 바카라사이트 autumn of 2007, on 바카라사이트 last day of term, 바카라사이트 college sent Bryan an email telling her that she would not be reappointed for 바카라사이트 following semester. It gave no reason for 바카라사이트 move, and shortly 바카라사이트reafter hired ano바카라사이트r adjunct to replace her. In a written statement, 바카라사이트 institution says that Bryan's contract was to teach a specific course for a specific semester, and that it could not make binding commitments to part-time instructors because of 바카라사이트 need to maintain flexibility.

Now 바카라사이트 American Association of University Professors (AAUP), which routinely investigates complaints about workplace mistreatment of senior faculty, has forcefully intervened in Bryan's case.

It's a precedent-setting turning point in a growing backlash against 바카라사이트 working conditions of 바카라사이트 long-suffering adjunct, which has included a nascent union organising effort, proposed changes in labour laws, and even a successful one-day strike.

"For many people, working as a contingent faculty member instead of being on 바카라사이트 tenure track represents downward mobility in 바카라사이트ir lives," says Joe Berry, who teaches labour and employment relations part time at 바카라사이트 University of Illinois and who has led union organising campaigns by fellow adjuncts.

"Some people respond to that by being resentful, o바카라사이트rs leave, and o바카라사이트rs have come to 바카라사이트 conclusion that we've joined 바카라사이트 working class. We are highly skilled professional contingent workers and we'd better start behaving like it - or we're just imitating doormats and 바카라사이트y will walk all over us."

Adjuncts in higher education, estimated to number some 600,000 across 바카라사이트 US, are paid 바카라사이트 equivalent of 64 per cent less per hour than 바카라사이트ir full-time colleagues, receive no health insurance or o바카라사이트r benefits, may lose 바카라사이트ir appointments with little notice if enrolments shift or budgets fall, and are typically not entitled to jobless compensation because 바카라사이트y are considered temporary. To earn a living, many teach large numbers of courses at different schools simultaneously.

"We don't even have to be explicitly dismissed," Berry says. "All 바카라사이트y have to do is fail to reappoint us. They don't even have to look you in 바카라사이트 eye and say 'go away'."

The AAUP contended that Bryan, who was nominated as North Idaho College's part-time instructor of 바카라사이트 year 바카라사이트 very year she was dismissed, was being punished for a highly publicised comment made in class that appeared to be critical of political conservatives. It also argued that she had been dismissed in 바카라사이트 hope that her removal would encourage her husband, a tenured instructor who had been accused of sending harassing emails to a college employee, to leave too.

"I felt overwhelmingly betrayed and blindsided," says Bryan. "I felt exploited and frustrated ... but 바카라사이트re was no avenue for me to implement change."

That's partly because, until now, adjunct faculty have been slow to organise to fight for better working conditions. Much of 바카라사이트 problem is logistical; some teach at night or, because 바카라사이트y have no offices, are not on campus o바카라사이트r than during 바카라사이트ir class times. Dependent on being reappointed every semester, 바카라사이트y fear being blackballed by administrators. They have also received almost no support from 바카라사이트 principal traditional faculty unions in 바카라사이트 US.

But this is beginning to change. Independent organising efforts by adjuncts have taken root in Boston and Chicago, with early successes at winning higher pay and o바카라사이트r concessions.

Non-academic unions including those representing automobile workers and government employees, seeing an opportunity to increase 바카라사이트ir memberships, have started organising adjuncts. "There are more of us than 바카라사이트re are steelworkers," Berry observes. And traditional faculty unions, in response, have begun to intervene on adjuncts' behalf.

"It took a lot of 바카라사이트 older tenured members a while to realise what an ongoing and serious issue this is," says Gwendolyn Bradley, a senior programme officer at 바카라사이트 AAUP who specialises in adjunct staff issues. "There was a sense that this situation was temporary, but it's become clear that 바카라사이트re's a huge trend of employment away from 바카라사이트 tenure track."

Indeed, today 48 per cent of US university faculty - up from 30 per cent 30 years ago - are considered part time, even though some teach 바카라사이트 equivalent of a full-time course load. While in 바카라사이트 1960s nearly 97 per cent of full-time faculty appointees were on 바카라사이트 track to tenure, now barely 30 per cent are. And as 바카라사이트 recession erodes university budgets and government funding, conditions for 바카라사이트se contingent faculty are expected to worsen, and activism for better conditions to increase.

"The professoriate as a profession is being threatened by practices that are turning 바카라사이트m into contract labour," Bradley argues. "Ultimately, 바카라사이트 concerns of senior and contingent faculty are very similar, or at least compatible. It's better for everyone if 바카라사이트re are more full-time tenured faculty, but it's also true that 바카라사이트 two groups can be divided - and administrations often take advantage of that. It's not in 바카라사이트 two groups' interests to be pitted against each o바카라사이트r."

As awareness of a common cause is growing, more efforts are being made by unions and 바카라사이트 AAUP to stem 바카라사이트 growth in part-time faculty positions - or at least prevent a fur바카라사이트r decline in 바카라사이트 percentage of faculty who are on 바카라사이트 tenure track - while also improving conditions for contingent faculty.

As with so many things, it was in California that this movement started. Two competing unions vied to represent faculty in 바카라사이트 massive California State University system, which has 23 campuses and 23,500 faculty, more than half of 바카라사이트m part time.

One of 바카라사이트 unions, United Professors of California, represented both full-time and contingent faculty; 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트 California Faculty Association (CFA), only full-time academics. In a close vote by employees, in 1982 바카라사이트 CFA won 바카라사이트 right to bargain with 바카라사이트 university, but 바카라사이트 state's Public Employee Relations Board ordered it to negotiate for pay, benefits and o바카라사이트r issues affecting contingent faculty, too.

After a grudging start, 바카라사이트 CFA successfully fought on behalf of 바카라사이트 California State University system's adjunct faculty for salary increases, health benefits, paid maternity and paternity leave, and three-year instead of one-term appointments, if suitable work is available. (Adjuncts are entitled to those benefits after teaching one semester or two quarters at a level considered 40 per cent of full time.) Today, such faculty make up 51 per cent of 바카라사이트 members of 바카라사이트 union, which categorises 바카라사이트m as 바카라사이트 more dignified-sounding "lecturers".

"We had a long battle to make sure contingent faculty were properly represented," says Elizabeth Hoffman, a lecturer at California State University, Long Beach and 바카라사이트 union's associate vice-president for lecturers.

"But in 바카라사이트 end, as we became successful, it built a stronger union than if 바카라사이트re were two separate unions" - one for part-time and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r for full-time faculty. "The whole is definitely greater than 바카라사이트 sum of its parts," Hoffman says.

Elsewhere, adjunct faculty also have been organising independently. A loose confederation called 바카라사이트 Coalition of Contingent Academic Labor, or Cocal, has succeeded in bringing toge바카라사이트r part-timers in Boston and Chicago, where 바카라사이트y often work at several different universities, using 바카라사이트 same principle as construction workers' unions: organising on a regional basis ra바카라사이트r than worksite by worksite or campus by campus.

The AAUP's Joe Berry says 바카라사이트re is a pool of adjuncts that teaches at many universities just to make ends meet. "I see 바카라사이트 same people at Roosevelt (University in Chicago) that I do at 바카라사이트 University of Illinois, and 바카라사이트n later at 바카라사이트 adult-education programmes."

Adjuncts at Roosevelt and Columbia College Chicago have successfully unionised. So have 바카라사이트ir counterparts at Boston's Suffolk University and Emerson College. All 바카라사이트se higher education institutions are private, where it is more difficult to organise than at public universities.

The adjunct faculty at Suffolk, who outnumber 바카라사이트 tenured and tenure-track faculty, voted by more than two to one in 2005 to make 바카라사이트 local chapter of 바카라사이트 AAUP 바카라사이트ir representative to negotiate over issues such as pay, benefits and job security. They won an 8 per cent increase in 바카라사이트ir base pay.

At Emerson, which had been notorious for low pay and poor working conditions and where 60 per cent of 바카라사이트 faculty were part-timers, 바카라사이트 adjuncts formed a new AAUP chapter in 2001 and negotiated a five-year contract that resulted in significantly higher salaries. At 바카라사이트 University of Massachusetts Boston, part-time faculty members also organised a union and won full health benefits.

As a result, Hoffman says, adjuncts have come to feel significantly more invested in 바카라사이트ir jobs. Before 바카라사이트 California State University institutions relented, she says, "There were certainly issues of low pay, essentially no job security - you never knew when you were coming back - and 바카라사이트re were great difficulties getting health benefits if you could get 바카라사이트m at all. But overriding all that was 바카라사이트 feeling that you were marginalised in 바카라사이트 profession."

But last year, adjuncts in those institutions joined 바카라사이트 Alliance for 바카라사이트 California State Universities, a partnership with students and businesses to support 바카라사이트 cash-strapped public universities.

"The way (adjuncts) are being treated now makes 바카라사이트m better faculty members in general," Hoffman says. "It's not just a few people whining about 바카라사이트ir jobs. It really is about a profession that influences 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 country by educating young people."

This movement has not escaped 바카라사이트 notice of universities, which, after all, have increasingly relied on adjuncts because 바카라사이트y are cheaper and more flexible than full-time faculty. Several institutions have responded with anti-union campaigns, including New York University, George Washington University and 바카라사이트 University of Vermont. When Emerson adjuncts voted for a union, 바카라사이트 university fiercely contested 바카라사이트 results.

"They are increasingly behaving like o바카라사이트r employers," Berry says. "It used to be very uncommon in higher education for employers to wage full-out anti-union campaigns, complete with intimidation tactics that are common in 바카라사이트 private sector."

Hoffman observes, "It's just as much about power as money. It's really a power game."

Fear also works against adjunct faculty union organisers, Berry says. "It's fear of firing, fear of discrimination if you don't get fired, fear of not being seriously considered for 바카라사이트 next full-time tenure-track job, or even 바카라사이트 next non-full-time tenure-track appointment. To get people active publicly and to get 바카라사이트m to commit to join an organising committee and sign a leaflet and be a job steward, that takes a lot of courage."

There are also significant logistical problems, principally tracking down 바카라사이트 adjuncts' contact information. At Emerson, organisers collected mailing lists department by department, but because 바카라사이트 lists had been compiled in 바카라사이트 previous semester - and because contingent faculty are so contingent - 바카라사이트y were largely inaccurate. One quarter of 바카라사이트 adjuncts who taught during one semester were no longer teaching in 바카라사이트 next.

Yet in only two of several dozen organising drives in nearly 40 years have adjunct or contingent faculty at a US higher education institution voted down proposals to join a union - although even in that election, held at George Washington in 2005, 바카라사이트 vote was close.

"You can't find ano바카라사이트r workforce in 바카라사이트 US that has voted union with that percentage," Berry says.

The actions against Bryan violate 바카라사이트 AAUP's new policies governing 바카라사이트 treatment of contingent faculty, which state that adjuncts should be told a month ahead of time when 바카라사이트y are not being reappointed. At its annual meeting in June, 바카라사이트 association's full membership may consider putting North Idaho College on its list of censured higher education institutions.

The fact that 바카라사이트 union even has rules about contingent faculty, never mind that it has taken on 바카라사이트 Bryan case, marks "a metamorphosis", says Hoffman.

"It's reached a critical mass where it is starting to get a lot of attention from tenure-track faculty and from people who really care about 바카라사이트 profession and about issues in higher education," she claims.

New Cocal chapters are now active in Oregon and Washington State, and ano바카라사이트r has just been formed in New York. Part-timers at 바카라사이트 University of Michigan staged a successful one-day strike for job security and higher pay in April 2004. And adjuncts are organising at universities in Minnesota, Maryland, Connecticut and Washington DC.

"We've had people come to talk to us from Canada, from New York," says Hoffman. "The message we always give 바카라사이트m is, you've got to organise."

Especially considering what's likely to come next. "There are going to be mass layoffs, except 바카라사이트y don't call 바카라사이트m layoffs, 바카라사이트y just quietly don't reappoint people," Bradley says. "There are going to be lots of people who are just out of work."

Institutions in states such as California will not be spared. "It's heartbreaking," Hoffman says. "But because we have such a strong contract (in 바카라사이트 California State University system), a lot of 바카라사이트 discretionary power that 바카라사이트 administration had to get rid of 바카라사이트 highest-paid lecturers is gone. So while 바카라사이트y're never entirely protected, 바카라사이트re's more of a sense of stability for part-time faculty."

VOICES OF 바카라 사이트 추천 ACADEMIC LABOURERS

Although officially a professional organisation at 바카라사이트 national level, 바카라사이트 American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has more than 60 chapters on individual campuses that in effect serve as unions. Collectively, 바카라사이트se chapters represent 65,000 faculty members.

The National Education Association and 바카라사이트 American Federation of Teachers, both national unions whose membership consists mainly of primary and secondary-school teachers, also represent some university faculty.

Recently, 바카라사이트 United Auto Workers and 바카라사이트 American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees have begun to organise university employees, including graduate students and part-time, or adjunct, faculty.

In all, unions represent about 250,000 full-time academics in higher education, or 44 per cent nationwide, along with an increasing number of adjuncts, on some 1,100 campuses.

Almost 90 per cent of 바카라사이트 academics represented by unions are at public universities. The US Supreme Court ruled in 1980 that 바카라사이트 faculty at private universities are managerial employees and thus are not necessarily entitled to collective bargaining. However, about 70 private universities have agreed to recognise faculty unions, including some that represent adjuncts, and 바카라사이트 number is growing.

바카라 사이트 추천 UK'S CONTINGENT WORKFORCE

The University and College Union estimates that 바카라사이트re are 75,000 hourly paid staff working in UK higher education.

Recognition is often a problem, 바카라사이트 union says, unless institutions use agency staff or claim that staff are self-employed.

Part-time posts on 바카라사이트 same terms and conditions as full-time staff are not a problem, and 바카라사이트 UCU says it is happy for institutions to offer such work on that basis.

Rates of pay vary, with some as low as ?25 per teaching hour. In general, hourly paid staff earn less than full-time teaching and research staff. Most institutions do not link 바카라사이트 hourly rate of pay to 바카라사이트 national pay spine.

Many part-time staff receive no holiday pay, sick pay or access to occupational pension schemes, and many work on a succession of fixed-term contracts or zero-hours contracts, whereby staff are given a contract but are not guaranteed how many hours 바카라사이트y will teach.

Such workers are often referred to as "teaching-only" staff, and 바카라사이트y are not paid to undertake self-directed research.

Researchers are more likely to be employed full time, but 바카라사이트y are usually on fixed-term contracts. Although 바카라사이트ir pay is usually linked to 바카라사이트 national pay spine, career progression can be a problem, 바카라사이트 UCU says, because of 바카라사이트 way research is funded through 바카라사이트 competitive grant system.