EOU faculty vote to keep union
By Dick
Mason
The La
Grande Observer
Published: July 8, 2004
La Grande -- The faculty union at Eastern Oregon University has survived, in decisive
fashion, the biggest test in its 16-month history.
Union members have voted overwhelmingly against de-certifying their union.
The faculty voted 75-36 against decertification in a mail-in vote that ended Tuesday. Ballots were counted Wednesday.
A vote for decertification would have ended the union. Eastern's faculty union, Associated Academic Professionals, has been in place since Feb. 24, 2003, when it was certified by the state Employment Relations Board.
"We are very happy with the overwhelming support for AAP. The victory today gives us a clear mandate to move forward in bargaining our first contract, representing our members on issues of concern to them, and building a strong and positive relationship with administrators," said AAP President Rosemary Powers, a sociology professor at Eastern.
Powers hopes to boost salaries at EOU through contract negotiations. Powers said that Eastern's faculty salaries are the lowest, at all levels, among the schools in the Oregon University System.
Eighty-four percent of those eligible to vote took part in the election.
Eastern faculty who supported ending the union included biology professor Burr Betts. The biology professor believes the union is hurting relations relations between the faculty and the administration. In an article that appeared in the June 28 Observer, Betts said the union makes it difficult to address issues involving the two groups.
Eastern's union has more than 130 members. It is comprised of teaching faculty and librarians. Faculty who teach only distance education classes are not part of the union.
Tim Seydel, Eastern'¹s assistant vice president for university advancement, said EOU is looking forward to developing a contract with its faculty.
"With the results from the election now in we are looking forward to continuing to work with our faculty union representatives to complete our first contract," Seydel said. "The university understands and respects all the voices regarding the faculty union at EOU."
Eastern's union is part of the national American Federation of Teachers, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO.
EOU has 10 days to file any objections to the election procedures. If none are received, the state Employment Relations Board will then certify the election.
Seydel said this morning that EOU is not planning to file any objections to the decertification vote.
