Greetings,

Senate Bill 129 (D-Fred Strahorn) will allow over 13,000 part-time faculty, also known as adjuncts and graduate assistants, at public institutions of higher education across Ohio to have the same collective bargaining rights as full-time faculty.  Currently, part-time higher education faculty are exempted from "public employee" status under Ohio's collective bargaining law.

Providing part-time faculty collective bargaining rights would allow them to choose to join an "employee organization" that would represent them in negotiations with employers on issues such as wages, hours, terms and conditions of employment, grievances, and other labor disputes.

The role of part-time faculty continues to grow nationwide, with part-time faculty now teaching more than 40% of undergraduate courses.  Yet, most part-time faculty are paid substantially less than full-time faculty and often teach for two or three different institutions to make a living.

Please contact your State Senator and ask them to support Senate Bill 129.

Subject: Please Support SB 129

Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],

As an educator, I urge you to support Senate Bill 129, which will allow over 13,000 part-time faculty, also known as adjuncts and graduate assistants, at public institutions of higher education across Ohio to have the same collective bargaining rights as full-time faculty.

Providing part-time faculty collective bargaining rights would allow them to choose to join an "employee organization" that would represent them in negotiations with employers on issues such as wages, hours, terms and conditions of employment, grievances, and other labor disputes. The role of part-time faculty continues to grow nationwide, with part-time faculty now teaching more than 40% of undergraduate courses. Yet, most part-time faculty are paid substantially less than full-time faculty and often teach for two or three different institutions to make a living.

Providing part-time faculty at Ohio's public colleges and universities with the same collective bargaining rights as full-time faculty will allow them to negotiate fair wages and benefits that reflect their increasingly significant role in delivering high quality education services. It will also help Ohio compete for the best part-time faculty by putting the state on par with other states in the region that already provide these educators collective bargaining rights, such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Wisconsin. By supporting Senate Bill 129, you will also support students by helping to ensure that part-time faculty members receive the financial and professional support they need to do their best work.

Thank you for your consideration in supporting Senate Bill 129.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]