Adjuncts rally for union at Bell Tower

The Adjunct Organizing Committee is pushing for unionization with the support of TAUP.

The Adjunct Organizing Committee, a group that aims to unionize Temple’s part-time faculty, declared the week of Nov. 16 Adjunct Awareness Week. Members of the committee stood at the Bell Tower around noon every day through Nov. 20.

The AOC has worked for several years to unionize adjuncts. Its goals are to gain some predictability in adjuncts’ courses, a clear path for promotion based on performance in teaching and research and equal pay and benefits for equal work.

This is the first year the committee organized Adjunct Awareness Week.

Adjunct American studies professor Regina Bannan said they chose to do so this year, “because the university is doing the Middle States Study for accreditation, and the Middle States standard is that all faculty should be treated as faculty. We decided to do this to raise awareness that Temple is not treating its adjuncts equally.”

Adjunct professors make up 46.5 percent of Temple’s faculty but do not receive the same pay and benefits awarded to full-time professors. Although the AOC has the support of the Temple Association of University Professionals and the American Federation of Teachers, its members still face great opposition in their quest for unionization.

“Most undergraduates do not know what ‘adjunct’ means,” Bannan said.

Adjunct professors are the part-time faculty who teach a maximum of two courses per semester, which range from highly specialized subject matter to high-volume and entry-level courses. According to a report by the AOC, although adjuncts account for approximately half the university’s faculty, they earn half as much as the lowest-paid, non-tenure-track full-time professor for teaching the same courses.

“Non-celebrity” adjuncts earn $14,000 for 12 credit hours and $19,000 for 16 credit hours. There are a few celebrity adjuncts, film and media arts adjunct Dan Friedlaender and English adjunct Frank Fucile said, who earn double that amount.

This is not the only way in which adjuncts are treated unfairly, they said.

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education, one of six regional accrediting organizations, published the 90-page document “Characteristics of Excellence in Higher Education,” which outlines the eligibility requirements institutions must meet in order to be accredited.

The 13th eligibility requirement stated in “Characteristics of Excellence in Higher Education” is: “The institution’s faculty is sufficient in number, background and experience to support the programs offered and includes a core of faculty with sufficient responsibility to the institution to assure the continuity and coherence of the institution’s programs.”

Temple, however, does not meet this requirement.

“There’s not even a renewal of contract,” Bannan said. “Contracts are renewed every semester, so you do not know if you’ll be teaching next semester.”

A university cannot guarantee continuity and coherence of its programs if there is no guarantee of continuity among faculty, she added.

No. 14 of the eligibility requirements listed in “Characteristics of Excellence in Higher Education” reads: “The institution maintains physical facilities for administration, faculty, students and programs and services that are appropriate for the institution’s mission and educational programs offered.”

Based on research conducted by the AOC, Temple also fails to meet this requirement by not providing adjuncts with offices. Adjuncts teach half of all undergraduate classes but are half as likely to have private offices where they’re able to meet with students.

In a survey conducted by the AOC, nearly 40 percent of adjuncts polled said they used their cars as offices. Some adjuncts, for instance, have trunks filled with paperwork or use their cars to transport musical instruments between home and work.

Adjuncts who do have access to offices usually have to share. In one extreme case, an estimated 30 adjuncts share one office.

“Most of us share offices, which is not as nice as having private offices,” Bannan said. “Most of the time, when students are meeting with their professors, it is to express grievances, and that is not the kind of meeting you want to have with an audience.”

Temple’s Middle-States Accreditation self-study states: “The university has published and implemented standards and procedures for all faculty and other professionals for promotion, tenure, grievance, discipline and dismissal.”

A document written by the AOC reports that “no such standards and procedures for adjuncts are available.”

But according to the university self-study, there exists “university-wide policy on adjunct appointments, as well as individual school and college appointment guidelines.”

The committee, however, wrote that it knew of “no such university-wide policy, nor of the guidelines for individual schools and colleges.”

The AOC also wrote in its response to Temple’s self-study for Middle States Accreditation that – despite the lack of communication of information that would allow adjuncts to determine their position in relation to other university professionals – the university “expresses sensitivity to the plight of adjuncts, many of whom are young, dependent on more than one adjunct position and vulnerable to exploitation.”

“The full-time faculty union is supporting our efforts,” Bannan said.

TAUP President Art Hochner was present on Berks Mall to help spread the word with members of the AOC during Adjunct Awareness Week.

Friedlaender said university administrators appear apathetic to the adjunct cause.

He said he’s heard numerous times from the administration things like, “No one’s holding a gun to your head. If you don’t like it here, you can leave.”

“It’s the Ayn Rand way of thinking,” Friedlaender said. “They’ve got you at a certain position, and because they’ve already got you, they don’t have to give you anything more.”

Temple’s administration has held up the progress of the AOC by failing to provide it with information necessary for unionization, members said.

“The problem is we have to figure out who are adjuncts because the university does not give us a list of all adjuncts,” Bannan said.

Members of the AOC said they are hopeful more adjuncts will join their organization because ultimately, Friedlaender and Bannan said, the adjuncts are here for the benefit of the students and the goals of the committee would benefit the students at Temple.

“We’re good teachers,” Fucile said, “and we want to teach here.”

Rosella E. LaFevre can be reached at rosella.lafevre@temple.edu.

One battling union finds compromise

Of Temple’s two employee unions that spent last year without contract, one is nearing an accord.

Students have returned for the fall semester with one Temple union under a tentative new contract and another potentially on its way.

Both the Temple Association of University Professionals and Temple’s American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1723 union entered the summer battling the university in contract negotiations. TAUP has been without a contract since Oct. 15, 2008, and AFSCME has been without one since Oct. 31, 2007.

TAUP and the university bargaining teams reached a tentative agreement Tuesday, August 25, which will potentially continue through Oct. 15, 2012. The contract must now be ratified by TAUP members then approved by the university’s Board of Trustees.

“The members of the Temple University bargaining team have worked long and hard to achieve this important goal, and I am proud of the work they have done to create an agreement that is both fiscally responsible for Temple and fair and equitable to our faculty,” President Ann Weaver Hart said. “I believe this contract is a good outcome after the 14-month negotiating process, and I am very grateful that we will start the new academic year with the negotiations behind us.”

In accordance with the contract, no raise will be given forthe past year, but there is a guaranteed 2 percent salary increase across the board each year for the next three years. There is also the possibility of a 1 percent merit increase each year, though the union and the university will continue to meet and discuss the details of that system.

The university also promised a 0.75 percent bonus each year to every bargaining unit member, provided the university receives a minimum of $175 million in state appropriation and stimulus funds for the respective year. The 0.75 percent bonus will not be added to the base pay.

“It’s really good that we got this done now before the new semester starts, so that everyone can focus on the things we’re here to do such as teach, do research and help students get the best education they can,” University Counsel George Moore said.

There has also been an increase in salary minimums, teaching pay and overload pay.
“It’s good for everyone,” Moore said. “Given the economic climate of the United States, it’s very fair and reasonable and financially prudent.”

The union will use an electronic voting procedure via a secured Web site and secret ballot, which they have used to vote before, said Art Hochner, TAUP president.

The deadline to vote is set for Sept. 14. Prior to the deadline, TAUP will hold meetings at Main Campus, Ambler Campus and the Health Sciences Center for members who want to discuss the contract before voting, he said.

Hochner said he has no doubt it will pass.

“There was a very concerted effort to reach an agreement,” Hochner said. “It was difficult, but this isn’t the time to talk about that. It’s excellent given the times we live in and the difficulties of coming to an agreement. We got a very good contract.”

Hochner added that they achieved other goals outside of the financial realm like securing the right for tenure and tenure-track faculty members to have a semester without teaching responsibilities when a child under the age of five enters their care. This includes both male and female birth parents, as well as adoptive parents. Non-tenure track faculty and other professionals may request an adjustment in their schedules under these circumstances.

“I’m looking forward to us having a good, calm semester,” Hochner said.

AFSCME, on the other hand, has met with the university three times this summer – once each month in May, June and July – union president Paul Dannenfelser said.

He said AFSCME gave the university a revised proposal at the meeting in June, which university officials then “only partially responded to” in July.

“We’ve been in touch with the mediator and are in the process of setting up a meeting with Temple,” Dannenfelser said. “We’re expecting to meet with them [this week or next week].”

Both Dannenfelser and Director of University Relations Ray Betzner declined to provide details of the proposal or negotiation process.

“We’re looking for a fair, across-the-board raise for our members, as well as solving other issues,” said Dannenfelser, declining further comment.

Both sides, however, said they hope to follow in the footsteps of the TAUP negotiations and reach an agreement soon.

“This was a very long negotiation, and I think both sides addressed all of the issues professionally and in an appropriate way,” Moore said. “Sometimes, there were extraneous things that happened, but we hope all of that is behind us and we can focus on what we’re here to do.”

Kathryn A. López can be reached at kathryn.lopez@temple.edu.

After firings, union members take to Hart’s front yard for protest

Approximately 80 Temple affiliates flooded Rittenhouse Square in Center City Wednesday afternoon to protest outside President Ann Weaver Hart’s Temple-provided home.

The anger erupted after 19 employees and members of Temple’s American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees were fired at the end of May.

The firings occurred due to a 5 percent budget cut on individual departments, said university spokesman Ray Betzner.

“To meet the reductions in the operation budget for the coming year, each college and department at Temple has taken specific steps, and in some areas that has included restructuring and layoffs,” Betzner said. “It’s also important to note that those individuals who were laid off and were not hired back for the restructured positions will receive first priority for any Temple positions that come open for which they’re qualified.”

Nine of the employees have been rehired for other positions and the other ten permanently fired, said Temple Association of University Professionals President Art Hochner.

Another source of controversy is AFSCME’s accusation of the violation of the contract agreement that major changes will be discussed with the union in advance as well as the way the former employees were treated upon their dismissals.

“Long-term employees were escorted out of their building by security guards, and locks to their offices were changed,” TAUP’s board members posted on the TAUP Web site. “This is a heartless way, especially in the midst of a recession, to treat dedicated workers.”

AFSCME is now in the process of filing a grievance against the university.

“Layoffs are never easy, and care was taken to be as humane as possible,” Betzner said. “All layoffs were done in compliance with union rules, including those rules on notice and severance packages.”

Hochner estimated nearly 100 other firings throughout the university occurred of employees who are either not affiliated with a union or are members of unions other than TAUP and AFSCME.

Union members said they are also concerned with what will happen to the work that was being done by the terminated employees, Hochner said.

He added, “This is a cruel and inhumane way to treat employees.”

Kathryn A. López can be reached at kathryn.lopez@temple.edu.

Letter: TAUP ad neglects to tell the whole story

Dear Editor:

Last week, the Temple Association of University Professionals published an advertisement claiming that Temple has a “gender gap problem” with female faculty earning less than male faculty.  This is simply not true.

Last year, Temple performed a detailed analysis of faculty salaries. In addition, the university performed a separate analysis using a model advanced by the American Association of University Professionals.  The results from both analyses were highly consistent and showed no systemic gender gap in salaries in any of Temple’s schools or colleges.

The university learned through these analyses that there are both male and female faculty members who are earning less than the predicted salary and more than the predicted salary in their particular disciplines. The percentages of both women and men who are below the predicted salary are consistent with the overall distribution of gender in the respective school or college. Temple believes their salaries should be increased.  That is why – as part of its contract proposal with TAUP – the university has proposed more than $850,000 to help bring these faculty salaries in line.

TAUP’s claim of a gender gap in faculty salary is not supported by the facts.
 
Deborah Hartnett
Vice President, Human Resources

Childish Action

In what has almost become a common occurrence on campus, Temple presented another contract offer to the Temple Association of University Professionals, and the union planned a rally as its response to the offer.

The negotiations have been going on for months since TAUP’s contract expired in the fall. Many students are unaware of the details of the situation, and those who try to educate themselves get lost in the back-and-forth between the university and TAUP. The language of the university’s most recent offer attempts to address the union’s concerns. It reads like the university is tired of the fight and wants to resolve the issue quickly.

Quick isn’t what TAUP does best, as it continues to reject offers and accuse President Ann Weaver Hart of being anti-union. The contract dispute will most likely continue into the next semester as a new batch of students arrive on campus, wondering why some of their professors are carrying giant pink elephants that have the words “Labor Relations” written on them.

The lack of knowledge is a big weakness for TAUP when it tries to get students on board for its fight. Even those who try to stay abreast with the issue are undecided in their allegiance to TAUP or Temple. The Temple News has tried its best to keep our readers informed, but it is often hard to determine if Temple is trying to make things difficult for the union as some TAUP leaders have said or if the union is asking for unreasonable demands.

The April 8 offer to TAUP addresses concerns that if a contract is negotiated for the next five years during these tough times, and the economy improves, Temple would be willing to reopen negotiations if both parties agree to negotiate in good faith.

Negotiating in good faith has not been part of the process up until now, so it is hard to imagine that this time will be forgotten when it is time to head to the negotiating table again.

TAUP is usually very eager to take to the press to get its message out, while Temple has been more restrained in its comments, usually only responding to a TAUP event or posting the offers to the union on the Temple Web site.

Both parties need to do a better job talking to each other and listening instead of yelling their sides with their fingers jammed in their ears.

Contract negotiation struggles continue

The Temple Association of University Professionals continues to battle with the university in negotiations over its contract, which expired Oct. 15, 2008. But instead of communication improving, it has seemingly worsened.

Temple made three proposals to TAUP this semester. The first proposal, put on the table Jan. 16, was made due to the changing economic climate. It was a five-year proposal, including the current year, with a 3 percent increase for this year, a salary freeze for the next, and a 2 percent increase each of the following three years. The proposal also included funds for merit-based pay, among other things.

The second proposal, pitched Feb. 9, stated that the gross domestic product would be used as an indicator for whether or not additional increases in the fourth and fifth years should be made.

According to the university negotiating team, the most recent proposal was made March 11 and formalized in writing April 8.

Neither side could agree on what indicator should be used in determining increases, said George Moore, member of the university negotiating team. The university proposed that a reopener on salary increases would be granted for the fourth and fifth years if the economy recovers. University officials thought this would allow for more flexibility, Moore said.

Moore said that the university gave TAUP the formalized March 11 offer and publicized it on April 8 because TAUP referenced the GDP as recently as April 6 as the university’s proposed economic indicator.

“When TAUP misrepresented negotiations, it was necessary to put the proposal in writing,” Moore said.

TAUP President Art Hochner said the two sides agreed to an informal process and off-the-record meetings in which attendees are free to speak their minds without committing themselves to a proposal. He said Temple published a modified proposal which was part of the informal process and, therefore, null and void.

“When you have those discussions there is an agreement of informality,” said Sharon Boyle of the university negotiating team. “But to act as if they haven’t happened is really disingenuous.”

Hochner said he received an e-mail the morning of April 8 from the mediator stating that a meeting time had been agreed upon between Hochner and the chief negotiator for the following week. He said they then sent the proposal to him that night and released it to the public a few hours later.

“They’re not operating the way they should despite an explicit understanding at the table,” Hochner said. “They made an informal proposal in March and TAUP made one back two days later. They didn’t respond until the e-mail on April 8. They’re not engaging in negotiations in good faith. They really are undermining the process by doing things this way. You can’t negotiate in public. It just doesn’t work.”

Temple did, however, respond to TAUP’s March 13 proposal in writing through their mediator, said Boyle.

Hochner chose not to give details of TAUP’s March 13 proposal because he said it was part of the informal negotiations.

Temple is not supposed to send proposals to members that have not been discussed with the negotiating team and that they are allowed to communicate with members only after they have had this discussion, Hochner said.

“We’re not saying they can’t communicate,” Hochner said. “They just can’t break the rules of how communication takes place. Normal protocol is to talk with each other and it’s not that we weren’t available.”

Hochner said both teams should have met before the public release of the proposal to clarify the terms so that he can relay them to the bargaining unit himself.

“We gave them the proposal March 11,” Moore said. “They could ask any questions they wanted to. They’ve had it for four weeks. It was given as a proposal, not as loose talk.”

TAUP and management are currently in the midst of an administrative hearing for “unfair labor practices,” a complaint which was filed by TAUP in November. Hochner said it was filed because Temple was communicating with TAUP members and misrepresenting the union’s positions in the process.

“TAUP wants to monopolize the viewpoints being expressed,” Moore said. “They’re arguing about the accuracy of statements made and claiming that various things we have communicated are untrue. We can say the same thing about what they say. We believe we have been as accurate as humanly possible.”

The hearing began on April 2. The next session will be on April 27.

“We would like to get an agreement [on the contract] as soon as possible,” Moore said. “But we need to have more dialogue about trying to get it solved rather than charges of process.”

In regards to the terms of the most recent proposal, Moore said TAUP only needs to accept the basic framework and they can then go back and make adjustments and improvements.

Hochner said TAUP does not agree with the five-year framework because the economic future is unknown.

“It’s a meaningless proposal to say we’ll reopen,” Hochner said. “I don’t know that we’ll come to an agreement and if you’re stuck with a five year contract with a reopener there is no guarantee that you’ll come to an agreement. We’re not now.”

“We are obliged to negotiate additional increases with them,” Moore said. “The current negotiations are languishing because of TAUP, not Temple.”

Hochner said he also does not understand the salary freeze for next year being that Temple is scheduled to receive stimulus money then and tuition enrollment and the budget are healthy.

“It sounded good in the fall but now there’s a better picture,” Hochner said. “What’s the reason for this freeze? We don’t think it’s necessary. They haven’t shown us why they can’t get a pay increase.”

“The U.S. Department of Education says institutions need to be extremely careful with how they use the stimulus funds,” Moore said. “They are one-time funds being made available and they’re not continuing. You shouldn’t use them for commitments that go longer. You have to be conservative in how you guarantee future payments.”

“We’re trying to be as thoughtful as we can about how we spend our money for the sake of our students,” said Ray Betzner, university spokesman. “We want to make sure that Temple remains as good of a value as it possibly can as an education.”

Kathryn A. López can be reached at mailto:kathryn.lopez@temple.edu.

Student groups join to rally behind unions

As the conflict between Temple management and union employees continues, members of the Student Labor Action Project are demanding to know about and have a say in the affairs of their school.

A petition circulated last week by members of SLAP demanded that Temple President Ann Weaver Hart hold a public forum on the current state of labor relations at the school.

“We just want transparency,” said Wes Weaver, a junior photography and urban studies major and SLAP leader. “The concern is that the way labor relations are going now is not healthy. They’re overlooking the students.”

A major source of the conflict is that two of the unions working in the school have not been able to work out a contract with the school’s management. One union, the Temple Association of University Professionals, has accused Temple of violating state labor laws through the use of anti-union tactics in negotiations.

“I’m discomforted to know that students don’t know what’s going on on-campus,” said Temple College Democrats President Elizabeth Hanson through a megaphone from the top of the Bell Tower’s steps. “We need this information to be the engaged, active students that we’d hope they’d want us to be.”

Another issue of concern to the students involves AlliedBarton security guards’ paid sick days. Weaver, who has campaigned with SLAP on behalf of the security company since 2007, said it is a common policy for security guards to receive only one paid sick day per year when upon hire they were led to believe they would receive more.

The students’ petition, along with letters written by members of the Temple College Democrats, the Pennsylvania Students Education Association and SLAP, were brought to the office of President Hart Wednesday afternoon after a rally at the Bell Tower.

The rally was predominantly attended by students from the coalition of organizations in support of the unions. Approximately 40 people rallied. Many were carrying signs, some of which depicted a pink elephant, symbolic of the problem of poor labor relations at the school, the students said.

But it was the lack of transparency in the school’s actions that inspired many of the speakers the most.

Temple Student Government Senate President Jeff Dempsey gave a brief speech to the crowd at the rally reiterating the call for more student involvement in the schools affairs.

“Communication is not a luxury, it’s a necessity,” he said.

Corey Gochenaur, a junior secondary education major and member of PSEA, said he was concerned that without stable labor relations within this school or others his future livelihood, and that of other aspiring teachers, is threatened.

After the speeches at the Bell Tower the students and other supporters marched to the front of Sullivan Hall, where the petition and letters were given to University Counsel and Senior Vice President George E. Moore, who assured that they would be delivered to Hart, Weaver said.

“We just want to have an open forum,” said Weaver, long after the day’s events ended.

Tim McCullough can be reached at tim.mccullough@temple.edu.

TAUP: Funding article gets it wrong

Dear Editor:

Your article, “Hart heads to capital for added state aid” [“Hart heads to capital for state aid,” Cait Berry, March 17, 2009], misstates crucial facts about the money coming to Temple from the economic stimulus bill passed in February by the U.S. Congress.

The article states that the “funding will last only one year,” that it “is a one-time stop-gap measure,” that the money “will not act to ease the $11.4 million that was withdrawn,” and that there are doubts about “how much … Temple will receive.”

These statements are not true. First, the federal stimulus package will restore funds for at least two fiscal years. Second, the money will indeed ease the funding gap. That is its entire purpose, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Third, there is no doubt about Temple’s share.

Temple and the three other state-related universities had $42 million cut from our appropriations last fall by Gov. Edward Rendell. Temple’s portion was $10.5 million. This month, the governor said he would restore the $42 million to the four state-related universities for next year. Temple’s share will restore what was cut.

Indeed, each of the universities should receive restoration of the funds at least for FY 2010 and FY 2011. We may even get money back this year before June, though the U.S. Department of Education has not yet ruled on this.

The Temple Association of University Professionals, the union representing 1,300 full-time librarians, academic professionals and faculty, has checked with state government officials. These sources confirm that Gov. Rendell will use the federal dollars from the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund to restore funding in both FY 2010 and FY 2011.

TAUP believes that correct information about the stimulus funds is crucial for understanding Temple’s true financial picture because the funding promises to stabilize Temple’s revenues. TAUP has been negotiating with Temple management since last June and has been working without a contract since Oct. 15. Achieving settlement requires a clear and factual understanding of Temple’s finances.

Arthur Hochner
President, Temple Association of University Professionals

Contract Closure

Temple’s American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1723 union has been without a contract since Oct. 31, 2007.

The Temple News reported this in our last issue and has received some comments from others – both directly and indirectly – regarding bias in the article.

The Editorial Board believes the article, “Union dissent” written by union beat reporter Kathryn A. López, objectively discusses the differences of opinion between both the union and the university and the union and its members.

We feel the facts presented in the article do not misrepresent the union’s or the university’s stances in the contract dispute. This week, we have published a letter on Page 6 signed by 65 members of the AFSCME union that clears some of the confusion they feel the article created.

Despite allegations posted to our Web site, temple-news.com, TTN is neither pro-union nor pro-university. Through publishing the article, we wanted to bring light to an issue that affects so many on Temple’s campus.

We were further criticized for using two anonymous sources in the article, but the Editorial Board justified this. Both are members of the union, and both understandably fear criticism from their peers regarding their stances on the issue.

The situation at hand between AFSCME and Temple has reached unacceptable levels. Both groups need to be more willing to compromise effectively and resolve the dispute.

Some AFSCME members would like to know more facts and figures about salary negotiations from union leadership, but union leadership won’t disclose numbers because “they should be at the negotiating table,” President Paul Dannenfelser said. How can union members stand behind something if they are unaware of the specifics?

On the university’s side, the listserv created is monitored by Temple administrators, who allegedly filter some of the postings. Additionally, we understand that the university is fighting budgetary issues. But it should also make strides in restructuring its budget to accommodate some of the negotiations made by AFSCME.

The AFSCME-Temple negotiations have unnecessarily become much more complicated and turbulent than they need to be. With both sides seemingly in a stalemate, little progress will inevitably be made.

Both parties need to work actively to resolve the situation. And both should realize sacrifices will need to be made to reach common ground.

Union demands contract

Every graduation ceremony is different but remains exciting for graduates and their parents, nonetheless.

This year, winter graduations were punctuated by members in the Temple Association of University Professionals picketing outside facilities where ceremonies were held.

“We’re not here to ruin anyone’s nice day,” said Andrew Dixon, an adjunct professor, “but when an opportunity like this comes up, it’s an opportunity for people who’ve paid a lot of money to see how things really work, how Temple treats its workers.”

Dixon led the group of picketers outside the College of Science and Technology commencement in chanting, “We want graduations, not stalled negotiations.”

There were numerous non-tenure track professors on hand, but many said they were afraid to speak on the record.

The union has been without a contract since October 2008, and negotiations have been stalled since.
In a letter to TAUP, the university expressed its disappointment in the union’s decision to picket.

“The university, including its negotiating team, believes your decision to impose upon students during graduation is antagonistic and disrespectful to them and their families and belies your request that Temple take a collaborative approach in its dealings with TAUP,” the letter said.

Edmund Hunt, a representative of the American Federation of Teachers, the parent affiliate of TAUP, said the union chooses to picket at public places to draw attention because the administration wants to keep things quiet.

“The administration has all of the power and all of the money,” he said. “And the only thing the staff has is solidarity.”

TAUP had the support of some AFSCME members, the largest public employee and health care workers union. AFSCME has been without a contract since October 2007. There were also some students on hand to support the faculty.

“I’m supporting the professors because they’ve been working without a contract,” said Kevin Paris, a senior political science major. “They’re not disturbing anyone. It’s important people know what’s going on.”

Paris joined TAUP and AFSCME members in circling the entrance to the CST graduation ceremony. The picketers held signs that asked if President Ann Weaver Hart was anti-union and compared Hart’s 6 percent salary raise to an offer of 2 percent that was presented to the union.

Ray Betzner, vice president of news communications, said Hart’s 6 percent raise was based on a review of her performance.

“For FY 2007-08, the total pool available for raises for all faculty was 3.85 percent, 2.75 percent was across the board to all faculty, and an additional 1 percent was put into a merit pool to be divided up by those who were awarded merit following faculty and deans’ reviews,” Betzner said.

He added that during the 2007-2008 fiscal year, all faculty members who were promoted received a 7 percent raise.

As for whether Hart is anti-union, Betzner said she is definitely not and wants to see the contract negotiations resolved soon.

Most parents and graduates entering the ceremony ignored the picketers who were handing out fliers. One parent seemed annoyed by TAUP’s presence and said the picketers were ruining his child’s day.

Dixon said TAUP was not trying to mess up the day for graduates and their families.

“I don’t think anyone’s gonna say my graduation day was ruined,” he said. “They’re gonna say I had a great time at Temple, and it was because of the faculty.”

LeAnne Matlach can be reached at leannematlach@temple.edu.

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