Need for Unified Voice

I have been a dues-paying member of the union for most of the years that I have taught at FCCJ. This has had less to do with questions of collegiality at the college and more to do with my concern for the voice of educators at FCCJ and throughout the nation.

First, I believe that teachers need a unified voice. The union provides that voice. By joining the union, I am supporting the concerns of educators at all levels.

Second, I recognize that at the college level, the faculty senate's only power is granted by the administration. The faculty at FCCJ, or any college, needs something stronger than this. Union arbitrators, even in a right to work state, have the strength of a collective voice behind them.

Third, it does not make sense to me for individual, isolated teachers whose time and energies are devoted to work in the classroom to be put in the position of bargaining for contract matters such as salary and benefits. In such a situation, faculty always operates from the weaker side.

The administration keeps mentioning collegiality as something we have and should want to maintain. Collegiality is an attitude. It is up to the parties involved whether a relationship is collegial or not. I should hope that if the union wins the election, the administration will continue to seek the benefits of a collegial relationship with faculty.

I point to the article in today's paper (March 28) as an example of collegiality between the local school board and the union. Together they have developed a plan for recruiting and retaining excellent teachers in low-achieving schools.

--Jean Shepard, Humanities, SC