Archive: Opinions

On May 1, the Lansing Start published (as news) a statement from Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton's office concerning adjunct faculty unionization, favoring it.  Lifton even quoted personal family experience as a basis.  Hardly impartial.

Perhaps Lifton should consider that labor law and labor policy provide the government be neutral in labor relations and union selection elections.  Indeed the government runs secret ballot union selection elections and should not try to tip the scales.  There is an equal right to refrain from union organization and across America employees reject unions quite frequently both in colleges and businesses like VW in Tennessee.

For example, in the private sector (where Ithaca College is), union penetration is down to about 6% (it was once about one-third), higher in the public sector in blue states like New York. Colleges and universities have adjunct faculty because they are less costly.  Imagine if they did not what would happen to already high tuition rates and to already crushing student debt!

But, Lifton seldom considers the cost implications of her positions.  She lives in another economic world in which government encourages new costs.

Henry Kramer
Dryden, NY

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