Professors and instructors at Western Washington University have joined colleagues at two other universities in the state system in choosing the United Faculty of Washington State/AFT/NEA to represent them. The vote, announced Feb. 23, was 300 to 284 in this unit of 777 faculty.

The faculty at Western, Washington's third largest public university, began organizing two years ago, but an unsuccessful challenge by the university administration delayed the union vote for nearly a year. "Today is a great day for the faculty at Western and for our efforts to improve the lives and futures of the students of Washington state," says Steven Garfinkle, an associate history professor and UFWW organizing committee member. "We are committed to working with the administration to fulfill the mission of the university. We are eager to move forward."

Union supporters at Western say they are seeking a larger role in decision making and improved compensation and increased funding from the state.

UFWW is the third faculty union to form in the Washington State University system after a 2002 state law granted collective bargaining rights to faculty at public universities and four-year colleges. Two-year college faculty have had collective bargaining for many years. Faculty at Central Washington and at Eastern Washington voted to be represented by UFWS in 2004, and Central just ratified its first contract Feb. 16.

UFWS, which now represents 2,100 faculty, is affiliated nationally with both the AFT and the National Education Association. Another organizing campaign is under way at Evergreen State College. [WEA/UFWW press release]