University of Kansas faculty votes to unionize for better pay, more voice
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Faculty at the University of Kansas have voted in favor of affiliating with two unions to bargain over workplace issues.
More than 1,550 full and part-time tenure-track, nontenure-track, clinical, teaching, and online professors, lecturers, curators, librarians, grant-funded research scientists, and other academic staff members are represented by United Academics of the University of Kansas (UAKU).
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Those 1,550 workers joined AFT and AAUP to “win a voice at work and better pay.”
After a month of mail-in voting, ballots were counted on Thursday. The result was 850 to 132.
According to a news release, the vote was influenced by several faculty concerns, including competitive pay, job security, aging-related safety and health risks, and poorly maintained classrooms and buildings.
“Faculty and academic staff are coming together to fight for a better KU; and today, we voted resoundingly to have our voices heard on the critical issues facing our university,” said Kate DeJarnette, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Speech-Language-Hearing.
“We’re eager to get to work making KU a better place to study, teach and perform world-class research.”
After winning, the union will now negotiate a first contract with the KU administration in an effort to raise wages, fortify job security, and protect academic freedom amid turbulent times for the campus and higher education generally.
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“This is a really exciting day for us. By voting overwhelmingly to unionize, we now have a seat at the table to advocate for the needs of our university and the students we serve,” Lisa-Marie Wright, associate teaching professor in the Department of Sociology, said.
“Our students deserve excellent, well-supported faculty, and that’s what we’ll fight for.”
KU rans near the bottom of average salaries among public university that belong to the American Association of Universities or AAU.
