We read President Mroz's "personal" opinion of faculty unions with interest. Those of us who serve on the AAUP executive committee and negotiating team are also long-term faculty members at Michigan Tech. We agree that it is the faculty who do the outstanding work that distinguishes the university. We agree that the University Senate should be the body that creates policies and procedures for the university. Many of us have been and currently are senators, and we very much appreciate the hard work done in Senate committees to achieve well-reasoned and fair policies and procedures.
We strongly disagree, however, with President Mroz's characterization of the AAUP as "a committee of union officials or state labor mediators." We are Michigan Tech faculty who believe that it is only by working together through our association with the AAUP that we will be successful in moving Michigan Tech toward its goals. Decisions about what to negotiate for in a contract are made here on campus, with no interference or direction from the national AAUP. We have always sought input from all the faculty about the direction we should take, and we always will.
Most importantly, we strongly believe that when the administration agrees to follow Senate policies and procedures, those policies should be enforceable under a faculty contract. Agreed upon policies and procedures have not always been honored here at Michigan Tech, either by the present administration or previous ones. Whether Michigan Tech faculty will have clear, enforceable policies and procedures for tenure, promotion, and unit governance is one of the most important issues that will be decided in the re-certification election this week.
President Mroz clearly benefited from mentors who guided him and supported him. Not every faculty member at Michigan Tech has been so lucky. Not many faculty are in a position to "control" their wages, hours, and working conditions through their own individual efforts. Hoping for the good will of chairs and senior administrators is a risky way to build a career.
We believe in faculty working together through the Senate and through the AAUP to secure the compensation, benefits, and secure working environment that enables us to do cutting edge research and provide a quality education for our students. Building a culture of faculty leadership at Michigan Tech will give us all, as a group, real control over our careers.
Monday’s email makes it abundantly clear that we do not have President Mroz’s support. Frankly, we do not seek his support, we seek yours. A vote for the re-certification of the AAUP is a vote for a better Tech for each and every one of us, and for our students as well.