In a landslide vote, part-time adjunct faculty members in the
Maine Community College System have formed a union with the
Maine State Employees Association, Local 1989 of the Service
Employees International Union.
"The success of any university lies on the backs of the adjunct
faculty. If you don’t have ownership of what you do, you can’t
take ownership of its success. You need adjunct faculty to be
a part of the team," said Pauli Caruncho, adjunct professor
at Washington County Community College.
Their vote by a margin of 264-96 to form a union comes as student
enrollment in the Maine Community College System has reached
record levels. So many Mainers, both fresh out of high school
and more experienced Mainers seeking to further their education
and strengthen their jobs skills, have applied for enrollment
that some were denied admission this academic year.
Part-time adjunct faculty members teach 60 percent of the classes
in the Maine Community College System, making them the largest
workforce in the system. But turnover among adjuncts remains
high because of low pay, inadequate benefits and no path to
career advancement. Adjuncts said they formed a union because
they want to be involved in the discussion of how to best ensure
a quality education for all students and continue to attract
and retain quality educators.
“We simply want what is in the best interest of our students,”
said Mark Dion, adjunct professor at Southern Maine Community
College. “We need to be treated as equals with the same support
and resources full-time faculty enjoy.”
Over 800 adjunct faculty will now join other Maine Community
College System workers who are represented by MSEA-SEIU Local
1989. The union represents both the Supervisory and Support
Staff workers in the community college system who have already
won significant improvements as members of MSEA-SEIU. These
benefits include affordable healthcare, sick time and a career
ladder for part-time staff seeking full-time employment.
