ADJUNCT SURVIVAL TACTICS
By Steven Levi

Where We Are Now 

Whether you have been teaching as an adjunct for two hours or 20 years, it probably didn’t take you long to figure out that being an adjunct was different than being a regular teacher. Your schedule is decided by the University, your office is your car and if you’re lucky, you can use the photocopy and FAX machines in your department office.  But then again, don’t get your hopes up. 

Crudely stated, adjuncts are the cannon fodder for the big guns at the University. We ‘fill in’ because we are cheap, plentiful and don’t complain very loudly.   Even though we are responsible for teaching about half of all student hours – and substantially higher percentages on the smaller campuses and military bases – we are still paid substantially lower than other adjuncts in other states in the union.  We receive no health benefits, no retirement, no tenure, no first-right-of-refusal for classes we may have taught for decades, no first-right-of-refusal for full time employment, and quite often, no respect from the full time instructors and professors at the University. 

Though our numbers vary from semester to semester, in any one pay period there are between 1,000 and 1,200 adjuncts working.  In addition to the regular classes that meet weekly, we also represent people who teach more than 10 hours of noncredit classes per week, retired professors who teach an occasional class, visiting instructors who have been ‘visiting’ for more than a year, people who have worked full time for the University and then returned as 49% employees, just low enough so that the University does not have pay them benefits. 

Even though adjuncts do not have a laundry list of rights, we do have some rather significant ones. This booklet is based on our 2002 to 2005 contract that you can find in its entirety on the web at under  “Local Chapters” and then under “United Academic Adjuncts.”  It is also on the University of Alaska web site.  But if you need a hard copy, call any APEA office and one will be sent by mail. 

This booklet is designed to give you an overview of your union, your rights, options open to you as an adjunct and, finally, a snapshot of the general provisions of your new contract. 

---

OUR UNION  

            APEA/AFT 

Our union, United Academic Adjuncts, was organized under the umbrella of a state federation of unions.  Called a “state fed,” this is a statewide organization of unions that have similar occupations.  In a larger state there would be a state federation of teachers.  But in Alaska, we have such a small population base that our state fed represents most public employees who are not state employees.  A public employee is someone who works for the , a city, municipality, borough, the state, University of Alaska or public-owned entity like a power plant or water utility. Police and fire personnel have their own union, PSEA (Public Safety Employees Association), and most State of Alaska employees are members of ASEA (Alaska State Employees Association) but there are eleven unions altogether representing employees with the State of Alaska.

Your state fed operates three offices – Juneau, Anchorage and Fairbanks – and staff is available during regular office hours to ‘service the contract.’  We also have a lobbyist in Juneau who monitors labor legislation as it appears in both the State House and State Senate.  Even though the primary Adjunct office is located in Anchorage, all three offices handle Adjunct matters.  

AFT 

Our state fed is represented nationally by the American Federation of Teachers, the AFT.  The President of AFT, Sandra Feldman, is one of the Vice Presidents of the AFL-CIO and is thus intimately involved with union, education and labor issues on a national level.  AFT monitors what is happening in Congress and the courts and runs nationwide campaigns to publicize the plight of its members.  AFT was a sponsor of the “Living Wage” campaign at Harvard which demanded that all Harvard employees – including the blue and white collar workers – made enough from full time work to live on the Massachusetts economy. AFT was also the originating sponsor – and the ongoing supporter – of the Campus Equity Week, a nationwide effort to raise the wages of adjuncts, TAs and other part time temporary campus employees.  The symbol for Campus Equity Week – and your union hopes that it will be the ongoing logo for the campaign – was the “No Peanuts for Adjuncts” logo developed by your negotiations committee in 2001. 

United Academic Adjuncts  

United Academic Adjuncts, known simply as “Adjuncts,” was formed in 1998 when a majority of adjuncts voted to form the union. Adjuncts have a board of directors that is elected by dues paying members.  (Agency Fee payers have no vote.)  The board meets several times a year and any member may participate.  Members of the board are elected, as are members of other special committees including the Negotiations Committee that is formed every three years to work out a new contract. You can find Adjunct bylaws and constitution on the APEA-AFT website. 

What Does Our Union Do For Us – Exactly? 

By law, whether you are a dues paying member or an agency fee payer, the union provides the same level of service.  Service means handling problems between you and the University.  ANY problem, from personality clashes, not being able to use a photocopy machine in your department office, being bumped from a class you have been teaching for ten years or a lippy student.  While the union can’t solve all problems, at the very least we want to hear them all. 

How do you know if your problem is ‘big enough’ to call the union?  The answer is simple.  When you wonder if you should call the union, you should. The best time for the union to solve a problem is when it is small.  The larger that problem grows, the more complicated it will become.  Typical problems handled by your union over the course of a year include adjuncts being threatened with physical violence, administrators changing grades against the will of the instructor, pay disputes, classes too large for the rooms assigned, coordination of trips out of the country as well as personality disputes and ‘problems with communication’ and personal communication skills. The reason you pay dues and agency fee is for your union to handle personnel problems that affect working conditions – your working conditions. If you have a problem, CALL. 

As an example of some of the small ‘problems’ your union has been solving: 

I cannot find an empty room for a confidential conversation with a student because everyone leaves at 5 pm and I start to teach at 7 pm. 

My department won’t let me use the photocopy machine. 

My department won’t let me make long distance calls to students on the University’s phone so I have to call from home and I am not compensated for those calls. 

My department requires me to submit paperwork to be copied four days in advance so the department secretary can copy them.  Then she puts them in my mailbox – sometimes. 

I do not have a mailbox. 

I cannot get supplies like chalk or erasers when I need them particularly after 5 pm. 

I need maps in my room. 

I need a larger room for the final for my dance class and the University won’t unlock a room that is empty and could be used just because it is after 5 pm. 

What Kind Of General Problems Has The Union Been Solving? 

Basically there are three ongoing problems your staff is handling daily:  

Adjuncts who want to teach more than the 15 credits per academic year because they teach lab classes (4 and 5 credits) or languages (4 credits.)  Adjuncts cannot teach more than 15 credits during any academic year because to do so they would have to become members of another bargaining unit, ACCFT.  This is not a problem the adjunct union can solve.  Adjuncts who want to teach more than 15 credits per academic year should contact ACCFT for more details. 

Adjuncts who have not been retained to teach a class they might have been teaching for years.  Usually this involves ‘someone with connections’ who gets the job. This happens most frequently over the summer when a ‘friend of a friend of a full time professor’ wants to come to Alaska for the summer and bumps out the adjunct who has been teaching the class for years. 

Adjuncts who have class startup problems.  Usually these means one of four things:  1) they aren’t getting their letter of appointment before the class starts, 2) they don’t know how to fill out the dues deduction form and don’t know where to turn it in, 3) their books or teaching materials are not arriving on time, particularly when they teach in a remote location, or 4) how do they get a refund for a class or a parking permit for which they have already paid.  Union staff handles these issues on a case-by-case basis. 

What Is The Difference Between Paying Dues And Being An Agency Fee Payer?

By State law, no one can be forced to join a union even if he or she is represented by a union.  When you filled out your dues deduction form, you had to mark one of two boxes: dues deduction or agency fee payer.  If you checked the dues deduction box you are a full member of United Academic Adjuncts and can vote on the contract. If you checked the Agency Fee box, that means you are paying for the service you receive only and cannot participate in any union business – including voting on the contract.  After you have filled out the Dues Deduction form, return it to the person who gave you your contract.  If you don’t know what that was, send it to your local payroll office.  

If you are not sure which box you checked, contact Kerin Wilson in Juneau (586-2334 or, outside of Juneau, 1-800-478-9991 or by email to Kerin at  kwilson@apea-aft.org to see what your status is.   ONLY DUES PAYING MEMBERS CAN VOTE ON THE CONTRACT. 

If you are an Agency Fee payer, you may request what is called a “Hudson Packet” which is the financial overview of the union. This is to assure you that the dues you are paying have a fiscal basis rather than just a number pulled out of thin air.  The Hudson Packet for APEA-AFT is currently available on the web at www.apea-aft.org or, if you need a hard copy, by requesting one from any APEA office. 

WHAT OTHER FORMS DO I HAVE TO FILL OUT? 

By State law, adjuncts fall under the Conflict of Interest statute.  What this means, as a minimum, is that you have fill out a Conflict of Interest form each year.  You should be given one by the department that hires you.  If you aren’t given one, ask for it.  Or you can find all the forms on the University web site under Human Relations.  As a last resort, you can contact your local Human Resource Department and have them FAX you a form.  

Keep in mind that the Conflict of Interest form must be signed by your supervisor.  You may also have to fill out other Conflict of Interest forms if you have a close relative who works for the University, a contract with the University, received a gift of more than $150 from the University or one of its employees or you are working on a grant through the University. All disclosures have to be made at least once a year and within 30 days of your first day of work. These forms are required by law.  If you have any questions, please call the Human Relations office in Anchorage, Fairbanks or Juneau. 

Many adjuncts feel that the Conflict of Interest law should not apply to adjuncts because we are not employees or subcontractors.  We are temporarily retained professionals, like a doctor, lawyer or veterinarian. If you feel that adjuncts should not be subject to the Conflict of Interest law, contact your legislator and ask that adjuncts be removed from the statute.  But until adjuncts are removed, you still have to fill out the paperwork. 

-Disclosure by University of Alaska Employee Relating to Employment of Immediate Family Members

-Grants/Contracts/Leases/Loans Notification

-Notification of Receipt of Gift

-Notification of Receipt of Gift from Another Government

 INSURANCE 

One of the biggest issues for many adjuncts is health insurance.  Unfortunately, while the current contract offers none, if you are a dues paying adjunct, you may be able to take advantage of AFT PLUS.  This is a program open to all dues paying members of AFT – which includes the adjuncts.  The spread of insurance programs include group term life, disability, short-term medical, critical illness, catastrophe major medical, hospital income, long-term care, and accident.  Stop by any APEA office for a copy of AFT PLUS BENEFITS. 

Our contract with the University also allows APEA to take, hold and pay out payroll deductions for political contributions, health insurance and supplementary health insurance such as AFLAC.  If this is of interest to you, contact any APEA office for details. 

Members are eligible to participate in the voluntary AFLAC insurance programs through payroll deduction.  These plans provide cash benefits directly to the member above and beyond any other coverage that they may have in force.  Programs available include the Accident Expense plan, the Personal Cancer Protector plan and the Hospital Intensive Care plan.  These policies are specific in scope and are designed to help offset out-of-pocket expenses such as co-payments, deductibles, travel and lodging, and time missed from work.  For specific information and to enroll please contact one of the following local representatives: 

Anchorage Area                                               

Fairbanks Area                    

 Johnny Shelley             748-4481                

Michael Ahiers              474-824

Shaunna Ferrenburg            333-2880

 

Juneau Area

 Sandy McMillan            790-4425 or 800-993-3522

 RETIREMENT BENEFITS? 

While there are no retirement benefits in our contract, there is a side door to tax-deferred savings. The University has a TDA Program that allows a payroll deduction into a tax-deferred account. The dollars are taken out of your paycheck before taxes are calculated so your tax liability is decreased. It is important to note that this is not a tax-free account in the sense you never have to pay taxes on it.  You are just deferring the taxes owed until you take the money out.  There is a ceiling of $11,000 per year and where you can invest is somewhat restricted – and the money can eventually be rolled over into a traditional IRA account.  Contact your local University payroll office for specific details. 

“NO PEANUTS” 

As part of the ongoing effort to keep the Board of Regents informed as to the deplorable state of the adjuncts and how little money we make, our union has been running a “No Peanuts” campaign.  The logo has been printed on T-shirts, newsletters and million dollar bills that have been and will continue to be passed out statewide.  Several hundred T-shirts have been passed out so don’t be surprised if you see them around campus.  They are free to adjuncts as long as supplies last.  If you want one, stop any of the APEA-AFT offices and show your Letter of Appointment.  And be sure to wear that T-shirt whenever you are on campus. 

Also as part of our ongoing “No Peanuts” campaign we have printed $1 million bills with the “No Peanuts” logo in place of the portrait.  If you want one, just send a self-addressed envelope to the Anchorage office.

 HIGHLIGHTS OF OUR CONTRACT 

Salary 

Salary is always a big issue.  Our current contract gives us a 10.33% raise over three years.  We will receive a 4% increase starting July 1, 2002 and then an additional 3% per year on July 1, 2003 and July 1, 2004.

 Class Size

 Perhaps THE hottest issue as we speak is class size.  As we all know, what the University calls a ‘full class’ and what an adjunct calls a ‘full class’ are different.  For about three years, the unspoken understanding was that the minimum size for a class was 12 students.  This was not set in concrete because in some areas – Valdez, Cordova, Dillingham, Nome among others – it was not possible get 12 students into a single class.  Classes in those areas had a tendency to be smaller. Then there was the question of how large classes could be.  In some subjects, like history, classes of 50 or 60 are not unusual. 

When the question of small classes came up originally, the University and the Union signed a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) that allowed for three options.  First, the University could cancel the class if it was too small.  Or the adjunct could option not to teach the class.  Or the University and the adjunct could ‘cut a deal.’  While the union is not interested in seeing anyone teach for less than full salary, the unfortunate fact of the matter is that if class size were set at 12, no classes at all would have been taught in Valdez, Cordova, Dillingham, Nome and other small communities. 

With our new contract, the minimum per student per credit has increased to “at least $60.”  This is a variable cost in the sense that you can ask for more and your union encourages you to demand more.  The union is encouraging all adjuncts who are teaching small classes to demand $70 per student per credit.  That’s roughly what you should be making if the class had 12 students, what the union believes is the standard class.  Taking less than $70 will encourage some administrators to pay adjuncts the per student rate rather than the class rate just to save a few bucks. 

The University also declined to come up with a definitive maximum class size.  So the union is encouraging all adjuncts to demand a 50% pay increase if they are asked to teach more than 35 students in large, lecture classes or more than 15 students in the intensive writing and physical education classes.  

Remember, the amounts listed in our contract are not maximums; they are minimums.  You can ask for more.  Keep in mind that about 1/3 of all credit hours taught by adjuncts are paid above these minimums.  The union urges you to negotiate for a higher wage; you’re worth it! 

Other Benefits

 Some of the other benefits our contract provides include 

1. an hourly rate for those ‘extra duties’ you are required to perform such as attending department meetings, public relations receptions or off campus activities.  The contract allows you to negotiate with the University for a per hourly rate.  If you don’t know what to charge, the union urges you to consider $70 per hour – and don’t forget to bill for travel time.
2. a banking of free class credits.  Adjuncts can now save up to 12 credits to be used anytime they are actively teaching or up to 12 months after they leave the employment of the University.  These credits cannot be used for self-support classes but they can be used by your spouse or children with certain restrictions. This banking option will not begin until January 1, 2003.
3. half-off parking fees at UAA, UAF and UAS.  Exclusive of the parking garage at UAA or Gold Parking Permits in Fairbanks, all others are ½ off – and you can buy an entire year now, even without having a Letter of Appointment for the next semester.