By a margin of 46 to 26, Saint Michael’s College adjunct faculty on December 1 voted to unionize through the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). In November, adjunct professors at Burlington and Champlain colleges voted to join the SEIU.
All 101 adjuncts teaching this fall semester at Saint Michael’s were eligible to vote, meaning about three-fourths of those eligible actually voted.
Dean of the College Jeffrey Ayres said that throughout the process to unionize the College promoted a neutral stance and provided information to adjuncts to be sure they had all the details needed for the vote. "The College has encouraged participation in the vote by all eligible adjuncts,” Ayres said. “Adjuncts are an important part of the College in providing an excellent educational experience."
About 20 percent of Saint Michael’s College courses are taught by adjuncts. All College adjuncts now will be exclusively represented by the SEIU on matters of wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment.
SEIUis one of the largest unions in the US, founded 90 years ago and representing roughly 1.9 million members from more than 100 different occupations in the U.S. SEIU had filed a petition for an election with the National Labor Relations Board on Oct. 10, 2014, and the results of Monday’s vote were determined by the relations board’s regional office in Boston.
Saint Michael’s College delivers a compelling, world-class education in a beautiful Vermont setting. Our connected community allows students to form close relationships with each other and accomplished faculty members, providing an ideal learning environment where they have the space and support to challenge themselves and their peers. As a fully residential college located minutes from Burlington, one of the country’s top-rated college towns, Saint Michael’s offers an unparalleled mix of academic, spiritual, cultural, service and wilderness experiences. To learn more, visit smcvt.edu.
Source: Saint Michael's College.