The answer to this question is complex and can be found in Vol. 1: A deep dive into the history and circumstances leading to our disaffiliation discussions of the “Our Kent State Faculty Union and AAUP” series. In short, it is tied to ensuring our ability to remain a strong, independent faculty union and maintaining our ability to provide the contract negotiation and contract enforcement work that KSUFA currently provides.
No. AAUP provides no assistance to us in bargaining our contracts and we receive no legal assistance from AAUP. The negotiating teams for our two bargaining units have been able to secure favorable contracts in the past, because we are well-trained, data driven, and passionate about securing the best contracts we possibly can for the faculty we represent. If we were to disaffiliate, we would be able to continue the in-house training we’ve always provided to first-time members of our bargaining teams. We would continue to have the institutional memory of what data is relevant to the issues we are bargaining and how to obtain it from the University. We would continue to be passionate about securing the best contracts we possibly can, because these are our contracts. No assistance we might receive from AAUP in the future could possibly replace (or even much enhance) the expertise our KSUFA leaders bring to the table.
No. KSUFA is an independent union that voluntarily affiliates with AAUP rather than a dependent, local unit that owes its very status as a union to AAUP. Importantly, and unlike more ordinary chapters of AAUP, we would be able to disaffiliate without decertifying our union. Our collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) would continue in full force and effect and our union would remain the exclusive bargaining agent for Kent State's faculty. The question concerning disaffiliation from AAUP is not the question of whether or not to dissolve our union. It is a question about whether continuing the formal relationship between our union and AAUP is in the best interest of our union.
Disaffiliation from AAUP would mean that KSUFA is no longer a Chapter of AAUP and no longer obligated to pay affiliation dues to AAUP national and Ohio Conference AAUP (OCAAUP). Kent State faculty would no longer have automatic membership in AAUP and OCAAUP, but would be free to become individual members. KSUFA would continue to be the exclusive collective bargaining agent (union) for Kent State’s faculty.
Per our Constitution, disaffiliation from AAUP would require a majority vote of our active (i.e. dues paying) members.
