College’s part-time teachers win right to form a union

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

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.