All adjuncts who teach in the University of Maine System are invited to the Annual Meeting of the Maine Part-time Faculty Association (PATFA) on Saturday, May 21 – at two locations, Orono and Portland.
For the first time, PATFA will conduct the meeting via live teleconference between a site on the University of Maine campus and a site at the University of Southern Maine campus in Portland.
The reason: geography. “Our teaching adjuncts live in Fort Kent, Machias, York County and in all sorts of places in between,” said PATFA President Michele Chueng. “This is a way to allow part-time faculty to participate in live PATFA discussions from two parts of the state.”
The Orono meeting will be in Room 126 of Barrows Hall on the UM campus. In Portland, PATFA has reserved Room 211 in Wishcamper Center on the USM Portland campus. Lunch will be provided at both sites, and people at either site will be able to see, hear, speak, and vote with each other in real time.
The meeting will start at 10:30 a.m. and wrap up no later than 3 p.m. Parking is free at both locations.
PATFA is Local 4593 of the American Federation of Teachers. It represents 2,180 people who teach part-time in the University of Maine System’s seven universities. About 500 to 600 teach in any single semester. PATFA is the bargaining agent for all UMS adjunct faculty. Its contract governs course assignments, workloads, grievances, limited benefits, and academic freedom issues.
Under the PATFA constitution, members must vote by secret ballot within a month of the Annual Meeting for the four officers on PATFA’s Executive Council. The positions – president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer – are for two-year terms. Nominations may be made in writing to the current Executive Council 30 days before the Annual Meeting or from the floor of the Annual Meeting. Email the PATFA secretary if you have questions. The email is tom.mccord@maine.edu.
Likewise, PATFA is allocated two delegates to the July biennial convention in Minneapolis of the American Federation of Teachers. Members who want to be considered for the delegation should indicate their interest via email to the secretary at least three days before the Annual Meeting. Members who attend the Annual Meeting will vote on any delegates by secret ballot.
PATFA will email directions, maps and details for both May 21 locations.