AFT vice president William Scheuerman outlined the union's efforts to organize and win collective bargaining rights for faculty and professionals at the annual conference of the American Council of Learned Societies held Nov. 7-9 in Charlotte, N.C. ACLS represents 67 national scholarly organizations, including the Modern Language Association, American Sociological Association and the Association of American Law Schools.

Scheuerman, president of the United University Professions/State University of New York and chair of AFT Higher Education's program and policy council, was invited to speak at the ACLS session on "Who Stole Tenure?" He specifically talked about the massive growth in higher education of contingent workers, including part-time/adjunct, full-time non-tenured track faculty and graduate employees. "AFT Higher Education sees the overuse and exploitation of these professionals as our first organizing priority," said Scheuerman. "This means organizing everyone from graduate employees to full- time tenure track faculty. AFT is making sure that everyone has a voice and a seat at the table. One group should not be sacrificed for the other."

Scheuerman also highlighted the AFT's efforts to get out information and to mobilize the academic workforce to slow down or even reverse the growing attack on tenure. [Lindsay Albert]

[November 18, 2003]