The AFT filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board on March 21 on behalf of the Federated Adjuncts of New York University, who are seeking an election for collective bargaining. The Federated Adjuncts would represent a unit of nearly 4,000 adjuncts and nontenure-track faculty at the private university, where the AFT already represents classifieds in the Local 3882, the United Staff Association of NYU.

On the day the cards were filed, AFT president Sandra Feldman was at NYU, speaking at a women's leadership conference sponsored by Local 3882. She noted the hard-won gains for part-timers in the recent agreement negotiated by the Professional Staff Congress at the City University of New York and in the current contract of the United University Professions of the State University of New York. "Improving the wages and working conditions for part-time and nontenure-track faculty is one of the AFT's top priorities," she said.

The AFT represents more than 10,000 adjuncts working at New York City institutions, and 45,000 nationwide. An election before the end of the semester is likely, says AFT national representative Trip McCrossin. [Barbara McKenna, Trip McCrossin]

April 1, 2002