Here is a headline we have been hoping to see for along-time:  "Faculty on two UW campuses take step to form unions"--so reports the LaCrosse Tribune and several other outlets picking up the AP story.  The first campuses to file authorization cards for a union election are UW-Eau Claire and UW-Superior.  According to the AP story:

Organizers on both campuses said they collected cards from 70 percent or more of faculty members saying they wanted to form unions affiliated with AFT-Wisconsin. They have asked the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission to verify that the response meets the 30 percent threshold required and to set a date for elections, which could occur as early as May.

AFT-Wisconsin worked tirelessly to get legislation passed that would grant UW faculty and staff the right to collectively bargain just like all other public employees in Wisconsin. They succeeded last year and immediately began organizing. Approximately 20,000 academic workers could ultimately gain representation.The law stipulates that full-time faculty be included in one unit and contingent faculty and professional staff be in another. Full-time faculty will vote in these first elections.

"For the first time ever, this will give us a seat at the table just like the other state employees," said Gloria Toivola, a UW-Superior political science professor.

UW System spokesman David Giroux told the Associated Press that  the administration would maintain its stance of neutrality and neither support nor oppose union representation for faculty.

"We're going to do our best to stay out of the way altogether," he said.

Barbara McKenna contributed to this article.