The United Academics of Ohio University held a rally Wednesday afternoon on College Green, calling on the university to recognize the results of their March union election.
Faculty, students and supporters gathered to protest what they say is an ongoing effort by the university to delay certification of the faculty union.
In the March election, 70.5% of participating faculty voted in favor of unionizing.
According to a previous report by The Post, the university objected to the faculty union vote due to concerns raised that some eligible voters did not receive ballots. The university said it felt obliged to request a review by the State Employment Relations Board to ensure the process was fair and accurate.
Matthew deTar, an associate professor in communication studies, said the university has tried to delay the election since UAOU’s unionization efforts began.
“It’s the same strategy now—delay, delay, delay,” deTar said.
deTar said the university has objected to various aspects of the process, including the significance of the union’s margin of victory.
“Perhaps the most frustrating thing to me that (the university has) said is that it doesn’t matter the size of the victory,” deTar said. “Personally, it matters a lot that 70% of the people who voted in this election voted for a union.”
Julie White, a political science professor, also spoke, recalling unionization efforts at OU have been ongoing for over five years.
White mentioned a budget forum in November 2019, where over 100 faculty gathered to question university financial decisions. At the time, Professor James Mosher disputed the administration’s claims about its financial situation.
“Three years later, the administration conceded that, in fact, the budget situation had not been as they described it, but we had lost 52 of our most devoted teachers along the way,” White said. “We want administrative accountability, and we’ve clearly demonstrated that the vast majority of our colleagues think that a union is a way to get that.”
Students also showed their support for UAOU. Zach Basselman, a graduate student studying political science, spoke on behalf of students backing UAOU’s efforts.
“On behalf of the students of Ohio University, I say that you have our full support and solidarity in this struggle for union recognition,” Basselman said.
Basselman said he attended the Faculty Senate meeting Monday, April 7, in which not only was unionization discussed but also the recently passed Senate Bill 1.
“(President Lori Stewart Gonzalez) discussed the concerns about the recently passed SB 1, talking about complying but not over-complying with the onerous restrictions that law imposes on academia,” Basselman said.
Basselman said he asked a question for which no answer was given.
“I asked what I thought was a very simple question—is this objection not over compliance with the attack on education,” Basselman said.
Basselman said the attacks on federal workers and labor are interlinked and are not only an attack on education but an attack on democracy.
Kyle Butler, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, also addressed the crowd, connecting OU’s situation to a wider national context, mentioning diversity, equity and inclusion centers being shut down, international students being deported and colleagues losing their jobs.
“Our academic freedom is under threat,” Butler said. “We are living through an era of fear and uncertainty, and under these circumstances, university leadership, on the advice of their outside counsel, have chosen to file an objection to our union election.”
Butler emphasized the scale of UAOU’s victory and insisted faculty would win again if another vote were held.
At the Faculty Senate meeting Monday, Glenn Matlack, professor of environmental and plant biology, said 642 out of 796 eligible bargaining units’ votes were received. If the 154 members whose ballots were never received voted against the unionization, their votes would still not overturn the outcome.
“We will win because the faculty are united,” Butler said. “We won and we will win because we have worked our asses off for years for this.
Butler said every day of delay is a day lost to their right of collective bargaining.
“Let’s find agreement in common ground. That’s what this is all about,” Butler said. “Let’s get on with it so we can get back to the reason that we are all here—to serve our students, contribute to our disciplines and build a more just and equitable world.”
