Will be very interesting to see how this plays out and if it is essentially viewed as a "test run" by other university systems. The next development will be the differing responses between heavy union and low to non-union states which could, in theory, see faculty "fleeing" to states with union "protections". In the meantime, it could be interesting to monitor university HR sites and job boards for "scab" postings. The careful wording and vocabulary used should be good for a chuckle.
They can flee to what ever state they want but that doesn't mean there will be a job there for them. Those well-protected jobs probably don't open up very often and when they do there is lots of competition. Interviewer: Tell me Professor, why did you leave your last position? Prof: Oh we all went on strike and I didn't like the settlement so I came here. Interviewer: Fascinating!
I agree with you for the most part, but let's back up and look at the fabricated department in question. Certain disciplines (I'm not going to name any names!) might be VERY interested in professors engaging in this type of "activism"!
Doesn't appear like there has been much movement from either side. I would be interested to hear how non-picketing faculty have been treated or welcomed when crossing the picket lines to their offices and classrooms each day!
settlement Faculty Strike Ends in Settlement at Pennsylvania’s State-Owned Colleges – The Ticker - Blogs - The Chronicle of Higher Education
It will be interesting to see what the exact terms of the agreement were. Seems like the faculty members had the leverage and could have held out a while longer, but hopefully the terms were actually to their liking. It's possible that we will never know the full set of terms or conditions. Can't have any precedents being set!
Screw unions and there strikes. Fire the lot of them. Id have no problem walking through the picket line of a strike. I don't care what profession your in. Unions are no longer needed.
I'm sure that many others wouldn't either and I am no fan of unions, myself. However, how many qualified people are there to walk through the picket line when it comes to higher education teaching? If a few university systems went on strike, I'm sure that the supply of "scabs" would deteriorate pretty quickly.
I am not a union member but I work in a union environment. My casual observation is that the biggest benefit of unions is the enforcement of jobsite safety rules. There is evidence to support the contention that companies, left to make these policy decisions on their own, would elect to save money by being less safety conscious.
In some very peculiar settings unions do have compensation negotiation benefits .. but... What I am confused about is that the union negotiated last time a lower set of requirements in experience and expertise to be hired and to move up on the ladder. What was expected and warned about happened. The system is now full of unqualified individuals who are simply riding the gravy train - making truly qualified ones unable to get promoted, or even hired in.
Once upon a time I was a member of the Steelworkers union and I largely felt that I was paying my dues for nothing. It's hard to say how my experience would have been different if there had been no union in place.
I'm sure that you have some interesting stories from this experience. That being said, maybe the presence of the union is akin to having nuclear weapons i.e. you have them so you (in theory) don't have to use them?