Miami University’s union vote goes live

On April 18, the vote for Miami University’s collective bargaining unit to be recognized by the State Employment Relations Board (SERB) began.

Tenure, tenure-track and teaching, clinical professors and lecturers are eligible to vote on the proposed union, as determined in a decision by SERB in March. Eligible voters will be sent a mail-in ballot to their home address.

After the ballot is complete, it must be mailed to SERB using the return ballot, postmarked no later than May 2.

In an email to The Miami Student, Alecia Lipton, associate director of media relations at Miami, wrote that the university is encouraging all who can to vote to find a decision that reflects the majority.

“Though the Miami administration favors an independent faculty and does not support unionization, it recognizes that faculty have a right to organize and that this decision rests solely in their hands,” Lipton wrote. “We encourage all Tenure/Tenure-Track and TCPL Faculty, regardless of their position on unionization, to participate in the election from April 18 – May 2, and vote for what they believe is best for themselves and our students.”

The Faculty Alliance of Miami (FAM), the driving force behind the proposed union, has published information on what the union plans to provide, including “A seat at the decision-making table” and “Better salaries and benefits.”

“Our educational mission is in danger due to attacks on academic freedom; racist suppression of DEI efforts; shrinking public funding; corporatization; and more,” FAM wrote on their website. “Unions can organize faculty in great numbers within and across institutions to fight these trends — at Miami, in Ohio, and across the country.”

After votes have been counted, SERB will make a decision on whether or not the proposed union will proceed at Miami.

@lukejmacy

macylj@miamioh.edu