Academic Unions in Recessionary Times

THIS ARTICLE INVESTIGATES HOW UNIONIZATION AFFECTED THE WAY COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES HANDLED ISSUES RELATING TO FACULTY PAY AND LAYOFFS, DEGREE PROGRAM CANCELLATIONS AND TEACHING LOADS, AND STUDENT SERVICES DURING THE SEVERE RECESSION THAT HIT THE COUNTRY BETWEEN LATE 2007 AND EARLY 2010. THE DATA ARE FROM A NATIONAL SURVEY OF DEPARTMENT CHAIRS. THE RESULTS REVEAL THAT UNIONIZATION REDUCED THE LIKELIHOOD OF FACULTY PAY ACTIONS AND THAT CLASSES WOULD BE TAUGHT AT EXTENDED TIMES, BUT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH A GREATER CHANCE THAT CLASSES WOULD BE OFFERED AT OFF-CAMPUS LOCATIONS. UNIONIZATION HAD NO EFFECT ON BUDGET CUTS, WHETHER FACULTY WERE LAID-OFF OR HAD THEIR TEACHING LOADS INCREASED, AND WHETHER NEW PROGRAMS WERE SET UP TO MEET STATE AND/OR COMMUNITY NEEDS