May 10, 2013
Contact: Michael Burke, mdburke@maine.edu
AUGUSTA – The union that represents nearly 1,900 part-time faculty members in the University of Maine System is marking its 25th anniversary this May.
The Part-time Faculty Association (PATFA) was founded on May 1, 1988. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, wrote in a congratulatory letter to the association that “Your strength and perseverance over the past 25 years are a source of great pride and inspiration to all of us.”
Efforts by part-time faculty to achieve recognition as a bargaining unit by the University of Maine System began 30 years ago. By late 1986, part-time faculty members at Maine’s seven universities had voted to affiliate with the American Federation of Teachers, and by January 1988 UMS and what became PATFA had agreed on their first two-year contract.
About half of all college courses nationwide are taught by part-time faculty members, often referred to as “adjuncts.” In Maine, they can range from a dentist with a full-time practice who teaches a one-time course to scholars who teach three courses a semester each fall and spring over many years.
The first PATFA contract covered about 250 part-time faculty members. In May 2012, the University of Maine System had 1,892 part-time faculty members.
PATFA will celebrate this milestone at its Annual Meeting on Tuesday, May 14, at the University of Maine at Augusta.
PATFA: http://patfa.me.aft.org/ UMS: http://www.maine.edu