Illinois Adjuncts Vote to Join Union

Adjunct faculty at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Ill. are the latest educators to slow their treadmill lives, consider what the union could do for them and vote for representation by the Lincoln Land Community College Faculty Association/AFT. The vote, counted on Feb. 22, was 66 to join the pre-existing full-time faculty Illinois Federation of Teachers local, 43 for the Illinois Education Association and 14 for no representation.

Bob Fletcher is an adjunct in the film, humanities and composition sequence who holds a doctorate in British literature and has been teaching at LLCC for 24 years. He describes the uncertainty that punctuates adjuncts’ lives: "Every semester is a brand new experience for discovering whether or not you will receive a class. You have no standing or seniority; class assignments are made arbitrarily. You’re not assured from semester to semester how much you’ll teach, where or whether you’ll have a more, or less, desirable class."

What’s more, the adjuncts lack the usual "amenities"—office space, phones and teaching support. Their pay ranges from $500 to $540 per credit hour. During the campaign, they learned that the college was paying a different rate to full-time faculty teaching overload and full-time, non-faculty college employees--$700 per hour. "You think, ‘Holy Cats!’" says Fletcher. "And in many cases the adjunct has a superior academic degree and better [professional] experience!"

The campaign crystallized some important values in the minds of both full-time and adjunct faculty. When Fletcher first reached out to explore union options, the IEA was quick to respond. This prompted Ron Seney, then-president of the LLCCFA full-time unit of over 100 faculty, to push his executive board to examine their views of how the full-timers relate to their adjunct colleagues. They recognized, says current president Dick Rogers, "that one unified group strengthens our mission of providing quality education to students." Thus, the theme for the campaign became "One Vision, One Voice."

"Lincoln Land is an outstanding community college," says Shelton. "We have a united vision of delivering terrific educational services to the community."

Because the estimated 260 adjuncts teach at the main campus and eight satellite locations spread out over a 3,600 square-mile area, says Fletcher, logistical, face-to-face organizing assistance by the full-time faculty was essential to the win. He adds that the Illinois Federation of Teachers did an "outstanding job organizing," which impressed the adjuncts as well.

The LLCCFA full-time contract does not expire for a year, so Rogers expects the expanded union to begin work on an adjunct memorandum of agreement this fall. The union will give the adjuncts a say in the college and improve their working conditions. "I’m anticipating a changed environment," says Fletcher.