Yea or Nay? Push to Unionize Visiting Faculty at Bay Area Art Schools

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The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) is attempting to unionize part-time college educators. Photo by the SEIU.

By Christian L. Frock, KQED News Fix/KQED Arts

Last week, San Francisco Art Institute President Charles Desmarais sent an email to part-time and temporary faculty about a forthcoming vote over joining the Service Employees International Union. The union is most widely known for organizing labor unions for healthcare workers, facilities workers and public services workers; but in recent months, the organization has also been working with visiting faculty at Bay Area art schools to create a union for part-time college educators.

According to Desmarais’ email, the union filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board seeking an election to determine if part-time and visiting faculty at the Institute want to be represented. (Disclosure: Having taught as visiting faculty at SFAI last semester, I am among those eligible to vote.) Ballots are scheduled to be mailed out on May 12.

Read the complete story at KQED News Fix. 

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