Grinnell Wants to Break Up Student Bargaining Unit --Inside Higher Ed Article

berberina
Wed, 12 Dec 2018 14:27:28 +0000

I’m a GC parent as well, and think there’s a difference between unionizing temp dining hall workers who are working as part of a student financial aid package, as opposed to graduate level TA’s or Asst. and Adjunct professors. I’m pro-union, but unions bring with them a lot of rigid regulations and can add a layer of headaches for management who just need to get a job done. I think the college did a good job explaining it BUT I think they should have met in person with the students to use it as an educational opportunity to understand the realities of having a union. Being in a union involves paying dues, officials getting paid for official time, many meetings to resolve personnel issues, using seniority instead of more relevant criteria for choosing staff for assignments, etc. I could say more but I think Grinnell could have met with students. OTOH, perhaps there are legal reasons why they can’t do that. It’s hard to judge without knowing all the real reasons for the college’s decision.