In back-to-back elections this spring, part-time/adjunct faculty teaching at two private colleges, the Manhattan School of Music and Cooper Union, have voted to unionize. The new unions are affiliated with the New York State United Teachers/AFT/NEA.

While salaries are always a worry to people who make their living in the arts, as most of MSM and CU teachers do, of greater concern is having job security and some say in how the work is determined. At both colleges, the faculty say administrators haven't played fair with them.

Head over the jump to read about each union's story.

Manhattan School of Music adjuncts seek transparency

At Manhattan School of Music, the new union comprises over 150 faculty who teach in the MSM Precollege Division.  This is a program offered to young people who take classes on Saturdays. The MSM College Division is an undergraduate and graduate degree-granting music school.

While the work of the precollege teachers is similar to that of the college teachers, after a probationary period, the college faculty may receive three-year contracts, while the pre-college faculty only get one-year contracts. The precollege faculty make on average half the hourly wage of the college faculty.  And in 2002, a policy change cut off the precollege faculty's access to health insurance that had been available to all MSM teachers who taught at least 10 hours.

"The precollege division has been treated as the low man on the totem poll," says Adam Kent, a pianist and precollege faculty member.

Another point of contention is how students are assigned, says Susan Deaver, a precollege flute teacher who also directs two pre-college ensembles. Teachers are expected to recruit and retain students, and, in the past taught the students they recruited. Since 2002, however, the administration has assigned incoming students and kept secret how the students happened to come in.  Since teachers who don't have students, don't have work, how student assignments are made can be very sensitive. "We have seen what appears to be a lot of faculty squeezed out," she says.

"We don't have anything in writing that says they can't assign students at their discretion," says Kent, speaking of the administration. "We want more transparency in the way work is distributed."

Last year, when the college suddenly required precollege faculty to fill out a job application, that was the last straw. The form included a fine-print clause allowing the school to release the faculty at any time. Many refused to complete it and organizing was the next step.

The precollege faculty voted 72-58 for a union in a mail ballot election sponsored by the National Labor Relations Board. The votes were counted May 21 and the unit size is 150.

With a union, "we're looking at a positive future," says Deaver. "We'll have job security, transparency, a fair grievance procedure, binding arbitration.  We'll still be working with administration, but on a level playing field." 

A collective voice at Cooper Union

Adjuncts at Cooper Union are seeking job security, help with health insurance and a voice that carries more weight at the private college. They have had two good models to follow as they considered the benefits of organizing: The Cooper Union Federation of Teachers is the 34-year-old union that represents 60 full-time faculty. Three years ago, 170 educational support staff, known as the Union @ Cooper Union, voted for representation as well.

On May 26, in an NLRB mail ballot election, the unit of 210 Cooper Union adjuncts voted 112-23 for the representation. All three unions are affiliated with  NYSUT/AFT.

Cooper Union-its full name is Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art--is an unusual private institution, offering degrees in Art, Architecture and Engineering. Its students all attend on full scholarship, making it one of the most selective institutions in the country. As with Manhattan School of Music, the Cooper Union faculty are all accomplished artists and working professionals who perform outside the college as well as teach.

While salaries are higher than adjunct average, there are many teaching that have not had a raise in 10 to 15 years, say organizers. What is more, the college does not provide firm assurance of whether adjuncts will be teaching until just a few weeks before the semester begins in some cases.

Adjuncts are looking for job security, access to health benefits and the power that comes from speaking with a collective voice, says Betsy Alwin, who is a sculptor, an adjunct, a technical assistant to the sculpture department, and, coincidentally, the newly elected president of the Union @ Cooper Union.

"Because the lion's share of teaching falls on adjuncts, they feel we should have a collective voice and speak together when we approach the administration," she says.