After several months of hearings, the hearings prompted by Chatham University’s faculty union effort continue, with no soon end in sight.
The unionization efforts began after Chatham faculty signed union cards last winter showing their intent to unionize. Following the University’s decision to not recognize the union, hearings commenced at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
The NLRB hearings are held to determine the eligibility of faculty to unionize. These hearings began in March and continued through the summer.
Key takeaways so far
While the administration contends that all faculty are engaged in the shared governance of the University, the faculty testimony is trying to reveal contrasting narratives of faculty involvement in the decision-making at Chatham. The administration also claims that faculty are managers and, therefore, not eligible to be in a union.
At the hearings, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Dr. Lisa Lambert testified about the structure of the University and the role that faculty play in shared governance.
Dr. Lambert and the administration’s subsequent witnesses, the deans of the three schools of Chatham in the 2023-2024 academic year, explained the responsibilities that specific department chairs and program directors have in overseeing faculty and staff, hiring, performance evaluation, course assignments and more.
However, the union witnesses described many situations in which faculty are limited by the need for approval or unilateral decisions of the administration, painting a different picture of faculty involvement with the decision-making processes at Chatham.
When the hearings are finished – which is not expected to be this term – the NLRB regional director will review all the testimony and evidence and then decide whether the Chatham faculty can unionize.
If the regional director decides that the faculty are eligible to unionize, a representation election will take place for the faculty to vote on whether they want to join a collective bargaining unit. This decision doesn’t guarantee all faculty members would be eligible for the union due to some faculty members’ roles as “managerial employees.”
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