rtiilcnnewsneWQrx.jiim
Wednesday, December 5, 2018
Volume 44, Edition 21
Elon, North Carolina
H fjtiiibaiik.iiai”, af
aai", aiaiinewsriarA'iirk
Anton L Delgado
Managing Editor | @antonldelgado
U NIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS
ARE PUSHING back hard against a
movement to create the institutions
first non-tenure-track faculty union,
by the end of the year. /
Elon Faculty Forward says its goals are
to provide both fair wages and job security
to all non-tenure-track faculty members,
as well as push Elon University’s adminis
tration to be more transparent in regard to
salary and promotion decisions.
But in a strongly
worded video response
on Dec. 4, President
Connie Book denounced
the union’s attempts as
counter to Elon’s values.
“Our goal, as always,
is to continue building
a better, stronger Elon
for everyone. I simply do
not believe a labor union
will effectively support
this goal,” Book said in
the video. “We have had tremendous suc
cess working together to create our own
destiny.”
Catherine Bush, assistant professor of
biology, has been helping lead the charge
to unionize as a member of the Organiz
ing Comrnittee of Elon Faculty Forward.
On Nov. 29, the movement filed its repre
sentation petition to the National Labor
Relations Board. If approved, this would
lead to a vote including all non-tenure-
track faculty members to decide on the
union’s formation.
Since joining Elon’s faculty in 2012,
Bush said she has constantly found herself
limited by the lack of resources provided
ii
WHAT IS A
UNION?
A labor
union is an
organized
association
of workers
tasked to
protect their
rights and
interests.
WE ARE PROFESSIONALS. WE
SHOULD NOT LIVE IN FEAR
THAT WE CAN BE REPLACED.
AND IREJECTTHE NOTION
THAT WE CAN BE REPLACED.
CATHERINE BUSH
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY, ELON
FA0ULT7 FORWARD ORGANIZATIONAL
COMMITTEE MEMBER
to non-tenure-track faculty members such
as herself.
The Professional Development and
University Awards section of the Faculty
Handbook excludes Bush and other in
structors and adjuncts from being able to
take part in experiences such as sabbatical
leaves, conducting research, participat
ing in professional development and the
teaching of multidisciplinary classes.
These restrictions have kept Bush from
feeling like she is fulfilling a part of Elon’s
mission statement to provide a “rich intel
lectual community characterized by active
student engagement with a faculty dedi
cated to excellent teaching and scholarly
accomplishment.”
ABBY GIBBS I PHOTO EDITOR
Supporters of Elon
Faculty Forward
hold up signs and
march toward
Powell Building
during the
movements first
public event on
Thursday, Nov. 29.
ABBY GIBBS I PHOTO EDITOR
Elon Faculty Forward supporters march toward Powell Building, home to the president’s office, in favor of
higher wages and resources for non-tenure-track faculty members on Thursday, Nov. 29.
NEWS • PAGE 8
Remembering
George H.W. Bush’s
visit to campus
UFESTVLE*PA6E10
The story behind
Elon’s hip-hop dance
team
SPORTS‘PAGE 11
How an injury could
affect the basketball
season