Unionization of Higher Education in the U.S.

Abstract

Unionization is a leading trend impacting higher education setting the stage for the struggle between faculty and the administration over the future direction of higher education. Higher education in the U.S. is under pressure to make some profound changes to increase its productivity, to lower costs, and to globalize. Recent trends show movement towards centralized management, revenue-based education models, focus on short-term input/output student outcomes, revised curricula driven by digital media, modified learning environments, and MOOCs – massive open online courses. Trends also show that faculty is losing its ability to influence curricula as colleges change their fundamental operating model to increase efficiency. In the U.S., faculty responded to this trend through unionization with 38% of U.S. faculty unionized by 2013, and faculty unionization is increasing while private-sector unions are in decline. In 1986, Louis L. Jones made the claim that “unions are a permanent fixture in higher education.” Few, if any, faculty or administrators would deny that claim today. However, the question remains: “Is the unionization trend good for higher education in the U.S.?”A second and closely related question is: “Will unionization enable faculty to influence the future of higher education?” The answer to these two questions must begin with an understanding of the forces that push-and-pull faculty to seek unionization.