There have been some important developments in the last couple weeks with UAOU's petition for holding an election for a faculty union, and we want to keep you updated.
First, OU tried to exclude large portions of the faculty.
In OU's response to UAOU's petition for an election, they excluded many faculty, including most of CHSP, HCOM, and most recently "directors" and those holding "multiple appointments." OU would not clarify these exclusions (for example, distinguishing directors who have supervisory roles over other faculty from those who do not).
On Monday July 8, the AFT/AAUP lawyer sent a letter to SERB, responding to OU's attempts to exclude faculty from the union. Here is a brief summary in non-legal language of the arguments made in that letter:
The university’s effort to exclude 20% of faculty on the basis of 35 clinical positions is like taking a sledgehammer to an issue that requires a scalpel.
Exclusion of CHSP with the exception of social work will lead to over fragmentation - there is legal precedence to have larger, simpler bargaining units (BUs).
The university’s history with AFSCME 1699 and 3200: their BU’s include diverse job categories that share a community of interest.
Other departments and colleges have practical curriculums that collaborate with other institutions and require state accreditations.
The university is being needlessly vague on the question of directors and multiple appointments -- the BU should include all those faculty that do not supervise other employees.
Hearings are unnecessary: SERB should rule in favor of UAOU’s unit definition.
The next step will be the SERB agent reaching out to OU and UAOU legal counsel to schedule a conference call in the next 1-2 weeks to discuss outstanding issues.
UAOU legal counsel will continue to push for the bargaining unit we defined as the most appropriate for faculty at OU.
Now, we have a rough idea of the timeline to an election, which will likely be delayed by OU's attempts to exclude faculty from the BU.
It is likely we will have to go to hearings in order to resolve the disputes about the BU.
The first hearing could happen in late Oct. or Nov.
The earliest an election would happen is spring semester 2025, although there are many variables that could alter this estimate including the likelihood that OU will ask for extensions whenever possible to slow the process down even further. (Or, if we are being very optimistic, SERB could rule in our favor more immediately, and we could proceed to an election in fall 2024).
We recognize the legal process that is now unfolding can be confusing and discouraging. We remain committed to an inclusive union for faculty at Ohio University across all colleges and campuses. If you have questions or want to talk with someone directly about this process, please reach out to a union organizer in your department or college, or you can contact us at unitedacademicsofou@gmail.com.