Union Representation Frequently Asked Questions
What is a union?
A union is an organization that serves as a third-party agent representing a specific group of employees. When a union represents employees, the union is the exclusive representative for those employees with respect to their pay and working conditions. This means that a faculty member represented by a union would not be able to make individualized arrangements with a Dean or Director about his or her work if those arrangements were inconsistent with a collective bargaining agreement – even if those arrangements worked better for the faculty member and the department than what the collective bargaining agreement provided. While faculty members should have input into positions their union takes on their behalf or decisions the union makes for the faculty members the union represents, as with any representative relationship, there is no guarantee that every represented faculty member’s views will always be aligned with the positions the union takes as their exclusive representative.
Does union representation cost money?
Yes. To support themselves, unions charge their members dues. In Massachusetts, it is legal for a new collective bargaining agreement to require an employee to pay dues and fees to a union to remain employed. Under Massachusetts law, a union can grant greater rights to dues-paying members than to non-members. For example, the union could decide that only dues-paying members can vote on whether to ratify a collective bargaining agreement or whether to go out on strike. Remember, if there is a union election at BAC and the union becomes your representative, it will be the exclusive representative of all faculty members eligible to vote regardless of whether those faculty members pay dues. This means all those faculty members would be bound by the union contract even if they did not pay dues and did not have the right to vote on that contract.
How much would I pay if UAW becomes the union representative at BAC?
The Harvard Graduate Students Union (affiliated with the United Auto Workers Union), which is one of the unions that pro-union supporters at BAC have contacted about representing BAC adjunct faculty, charges their members both initiation fees and dues of 1.44% of each member’s total annual wages.
If I join a union would there be rules I would have to follow?
Yes. UAW members must adhere to UAW’s constitution and bylaws. The UAW local may also have its own constitution and bylaws that you would have to follow. You can review the UAW constitution and bylaws at https://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Updated-2022-Constitution-8.30.23.pdf and the Harvard GSU bylaws at: https://harvardgradunion.org/our-bylaws/.
If I am interested in union representation, is there any deadline for organizing?
No. You can choose to continue your current direct relationship with the college as long as you like. If you later determine that you would benefit from representation by a third party like UAW or some other union, you would be free to seek union representation at some later time. Many employees who are eligible to organize decide to first attempt to work out any issues directly with their employer, rather than paying a union to raise those same issues. This is because once a union is elected, it is difficult to remove them, even if the union is not delivering the results the employees wanted.