Just in time for Labor Day, faculty at two of the state’s community colleges – Frederick County and Howard County – had their unions automatically recognized last week with over 50% of the faculty supporting unionization. Faculty at both colleges overwhelmingly stated their wish to be unionized with the AFT and AAUP (American Association of University Professors).
The colleges’ faculty unions are among the first to successfully be recognized under the state’s new “card check” law, which requires the majority of workers to show support for unionization.
The faculty at these colleges join a wave of academic workers nationwide endeavoring to form labor unions to have a voice on the job and to defend against attacks against higher education. With politicians attacking public higher education workers in numerous states, including neighboring West Virginia, more academic workers see the need to form unions.
2023-09-07