Nontenure-Track Faculty at Ithaca College Forms a Union

Nontenure-track faculty members at Ithaca College will form a union affiliated with Service Employees International Union, The Ithaca Journal reported on Tuesday. The New York college said it would not support their efforts.

The contingent faculty members filed for a union election, without the Ithaca administration’s support, through the National Labor Relations Board. The group said its members want better job security and a stronger voice at the college.

Nontenure-track faculty members will negotiate a contract with Ithaca College’s administration after the labor board certifies the unionization vote.

In a statement, Ithaca maintained its position that full-time contingent faculty members should not be in the same bargaining unit as part-time and adjunct faculty members, but the college will work with the group through its system of shared governance.