Tag Archives: temple

Adjunct Organizing Gains Momentum

As millions of Americans broke bread this past Thanksgiving, an important labor victory almost fell through the cracks. Last Wednesday, Temple University’s 1,400 adjunct professors voted 609-266 in favor a proposal to join the Temple Association of University Professionals, the American Federation of Teachers’ faculty affiliate at the school.

With this vote, the local union will double in size, and the negotiations for work terms will commence, pending official certification by the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board.

Temple University’s adjuncts are only the latest adjunct faculty cohorts to unionize. Adjuncts at Tufts, Georgetown, America, Northeastern, Seattle have all issued similar votes in the past couple years, while, closer to home, Barnard contingent faculty members voted to unionize this past summer,  and, as of now, adjunct faculty members at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering are moving forward on a union vote as well.