Earlier this month, the NLRB ruled against Vanderbilt’s claim that full-time, non-tenure-track instructors are managers. This means that such instructors are entitled to union representation should they wish to pursue it. Harvard filed an appeal this month to contest an NLRB hearing officer’s recommendation that a new election be conducted in response to the one held in November 2016 wherein the university’s graduate students did not win union representation. Those who support a new election argue that Harvard had “not substantially complied with the voter list requirements.” Those who believe the results of the election should stand argue, “students were highly engaged, and after nearly two years of organizing on campus by the HGSU-UAW, thousands voted in the November 2016 election—a majority in opposition to unionization.” In April, SEIU Local 500 cancelled a vote at George Washington University on the eve of the election. We can only assume this is because the union expected to lose. Had they lost, they would have had to wait a year before holding another election. Come to find out, it was a former SEIU member leading the charge against unionization of resident advisors. Click here to read his thoughts on SEIU’s organizing effort.
