As many University students and faculty know, faculty unionization passed in Columbus Oct. 20 at the State Employment Relations Board and negotiations are soon to follow. It’s been all over news outlets, from The BG News to The Blade.
If you would have told me two years ago while I was making my college decisions I would travel to the state’s capital during my sophomore year to cover such a significant event in our University’s history, I would have likely called you crazy.
Nonetheless, I’m so happy that’s where my career training has taken me thus far. It was certainly an adventure.
As my friend and co-worker Max Filby and I wandered downtown, searching for the State Employment Relations Board headquarters to witness the vote tally, we agreed we couldn’t help but feel excited — we were a part of such a big, breaking-news story and felt like “real journalists.”
During the event coverage, we learned two things. First, always charge your camera batteries prior to driving two hours away. And second, we were having way too much fun for our journalistic experience to be called “work.”
The feeling was surreal.
I’ve always been a strong advocate for fulfillment in a career that makes you happy, rather than a career that makes you rich. Following my coverage of our University’s pre-union phase, I’ve never felt more confident that I’ve made the right college and career selection.
I’m not going to say being the faculty reporter has been all fun and games. It hasn’t.
I’ve dealt with pressure from both sides of the issue. I’ve dealt with criticism and feedback. When I mess up (and I will admit I have), someone is quick to tell me. But hey, that’s journalism.
Instead of dwelling on the down sides, I treat each union-related encounter as a learning experience — and I’ve learned a lot. While the emergence of a faculty union means hope and excitement for some and resentment and disappointment for other, for me it means neither. It is just an additional chance to better myself as an aspiring reporter.
As a journalism major, I’ve been trained to remain objective. I’ve done research and evaluated both sides, which both have their pros and cons. I’ve gotten to the point where I could recite the unionization issues in my sleep.
A faculty union means University faculty members can negotiate salaries, workload and benefits as a collective unit. There’s no gray area — a faculty member is either a union member or an administration member — and for the next few years, faculty members are going to devote some time to organizing their union and beginning negotiations with said administration.
In its simplest form, that’s what unionization, or “collective bargaining,” is. You can delve further and formulate your own opinion on whether those are good or bad things. I’m not here to debate or take sides; I’m here to inform.
As the Faculty Association transition from an advocacy group to a full-fledged union, it’s likely I’ll have plenty left to tell as I cover this news-rich best in the spring semester. Although the union has passed, the coverage is hardly over.
Being the faculty beat reporter may not be the most glamorous job, but it’s my job, and one that I’ve become passionate about since I began my research late this summer. I’ll continue to learn throughout this experience and undoubtedly hone my skills that will help me throughout the rest of my journalistic career.
Most importantly, I’ll continue to affirm my perfect career choice every day.
For those who question who could possibly find enjoyment in telling the story of something that raises so much debate and fuels so much passion: Only me, the aspiring journalist.
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