Cincinnati Faculty Votes to Affiliate with
American Federation of Teachers

 AAUP-UC Members Vote YES on Joint Affiliation with OFT/AFT
 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Faculty members at the University of Cincinnati cast their vote solidly, by a margin of 240-163, to jointly affiliate with the Ohio Federation of Teachers and its national affiliate the American Federation of Teachers.  Previously, UC faculty members were represented solely by the American Association of University Professors. 

“AFT’s strong labor and community support throughout Ohio and the nation, as well as the union’s expertise in collective bargaining will be a great asset to the UC faculty,” said John Brackett, president of AAUP-UC.

The UC chapter’s current contract expires in August of 2004.  According to Brackett, the top concern of faculty members continues to be fair salaries. “The university has construction projects going that leach money away from other important areas.  It's a matter of priorities—and the administration has chosen to support building projects over a sound investment in the faculty.  Our joint affiliation with AFT will help immensely in addressing this and other important concerns.”

Tom Mooney, president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers and an AFT Executive Council vice president, said he was delighted by the results of the vote on joint affiliation.  “We look forward to serving the UC chapter and to giving the needs of the higher education community a greater presence in Columbus—both in lobbying and in the election of more leaders and legislators who are supportive of higher education faculty concerns.”

Mooney added that AFT and OFT would lend their full support to the UC chapter’s contract negotiation and organizing efforts.

The vote on joint affiliation now moves to AAUP’s national council, which is scheduled to meet next week.  The UC chapter will present a petition on joint affiliation at that meeting, and will subsequently modify its bylaws to reflect joint affiliation.  The AFT Executive Council is expected to formalize the joint affiliation at its upcoming July meeting.   

AFT represents more than 125,000 higher education faculty and staff nationwide—more than any other union.  There are currently joint AFT/AUUP affiliates in Vermont, Alaska, Michigan, Illinois, and New York.

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The AFT represents more than 1.3 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers, paraprofessionals and other school support employees, higher education faculty, nurses and other healthcare workers, and state and local government employees.