Post last updated at 2:51 p.m. Thursday, April 25:
The University of Kansas faculty union has won its election.
“Just minutes ago, the final vote was counted at the Labor Department in Topeka — and we’re thrilled to report that with 86% voting ‘YES,’ United Academics of KU has won an overwhelming victory!” according to a tweet from the union just before noon Thursday.
Members of UAKU — United Academics of the University of Kansas — have said a union will allow them a more equitable voice in university governance.
The union will represent full-time and part-time tenured and non-tenured faculty — as well as teaching, research, clinical and online professors, lecturers, curators, librarians, scientists who conduct grant-funded research and other categories of faculty and academic staff. It will be affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers and the American Association of University Professors.
“The Provost looks forward to working with the new union — and with all faculty, staff and students — on initiatives to advance KU’s mission of education, service and research,” Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, a spokesperson for KU, said via email Thursday. “We are grateful to the many Lawrence campus faculty who share our goal to make KU the best place it can be.”
Prospective union members filed union authorization cards with the labor board asking for an election back in September. Members held a rally in February to push for the chancellor’s office to set an election date.
Members earlier this week were already planning a victory party on Saturday.
“This is a really exciting day for us. By voting overwhelmingly to unionize, we now have a seat at the table to advocate for the needs of our university and the students we serve,” Lisa-Marie Wright, associate teaching professor in the Department of Sociology, said in a news release from AFT. “Our students deserve excellent, well-supported faculty, and that’s what we’ll fight for.”
The vote to unionize was 850 to 132, and UAKU will represent more than 1,550 KU employees, according to the release.
“KU’s salaries currently rank 34th out of 38 public institutions that belong to the Association of American Universities, and ninth out of 11 smaller peer institutions,” according to the release.
“Faculty and academic staff are coming together to fight for a better KU; and today, we voted resoundingly to have our voices heard on the critical issues facing our university,” Kate DeJarnette, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing, said in the release. “We’re eager to get to work making KU a better place to study, teach and perform world-class research.”
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