United Steel Workers Union withdraws bid to unionize Chatham adjuncts professors.

United Steelworkers has withdrawn its petition with the National Labor Relations Board to unionize Chatham University's adjunct faculty, according to a statement Friday from the university.

"There was a not insignificant number of people who requested more time to discuss and research the issues," said Robin Sowards, organizer and researcher with the United Steelworkers and adjunct lecturer at Chatham.

The USW filed its petition at the end of May, giving adjuncts several weeks to vote on the call for unionization. Chatham employs 232 adjunct faculty members, said Bill Campbell, vice president of marketing and communications.

A letter to the Chatham faculty, posted on Academic Workers Association website, stated: "In the course of our recent outreach efforts, many of our colleagues have expressed a desire for more time to discuss and learn more about unionization before voting. We want to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to sort through the facts and make an informed decision."

"Accordingly, we have decided to postpone the election for the time being so that more of us can have our questions answered. We will continue the process as soon as there has been ample opportunity for everyone to have their concerns addressed," says the letter.

One reason that the petition was withdrawn may have been the arrival of Chatham's new president, David Finegold, in July, said Campbell. Faculty may have wanted to give Finegold a chance to address their concerns, he said.

Sowards dismissed that idea. "The new university president is doing the same job as the old university president," he said.

The call to unionize plays against a greater debate in academia about the treatment of adjunct faculty. Adjuncts tend to earn less than their full-time counterparts and operate under worrying uncertainty when it comes to job security, say critics.

Adjuncts at Chatham teaching five classes earn up to $20,000 per year, at $4,000 per class, said Sowards.

After the petition withdrawal, United Steelworkers must wait another six months to file another petition. Said Sowards: "We decided the thing to do was to delay for now, and we’ll petition later, once everyone’s had a chance to have their questions answered."

Source: Pittsburgh Business Journal