The priority for the Coalition for BGSU Reform will be achieving unionization for faculty.
The coalition decided to be the forefront student organization supporting a union after the Undergraduate Student Government decided to remain neutral after a vote Monday.
The coalition will aggressively pursue an all-out educational effort in the coming months to inform all campus entities — students, faculty, staff and the administration — on the benefits a union can provide to campus, said Steve Currie, a senior and spokesman for the organization.
The coalition hosted a meeting Thursday night to discuss ways to advance this process.
“What [a union] gives is that teachers are going to be more secure,” said senior Jacob Moore. “A university is dependent on its education, and therefore its teachers. It’s essential those qualities will be maintained and a union will do that.”
The coalition cites faculty wages as unfair.
Compared to the 12 other publicly funded Ohio universities, full-time University faculty members receive the lowest nine-month compensation ($80,356) and second lowest nine-month salaries ($63,137), according to the Ohio Universities Faculty Salary Survey (http://bgsu-fa.org/files.html).
The coalition would wants an increase in shared governance between faculty and the administration.
Rupert said having a union will only enhance the creativities and liberties the faculty can provide to the University.
“I think that a union will provide a legally binding obligation for the administration to listen to the faculty,” said sophomore Jordan Rupert.
A vote for unions is possible because of a petition spearheaded by Faculty Association President David Jackson. Approximately 58 percent of faculty members signed cards in favor of a vote for a union earlier this month, exceeding the 30 percent required.
Senior Zach Tarvin said the amount of faculty signing the petition proves a union is wanted. He added not having a union would be detrimental to the University.
“The quality of education is always determined by the faculty you have, and a faculty member who has to look for better prospects probably means there is something in the administration that doesn’t bode well for students, or faculty for that matter,” Tarvin said.
