Jim Rosica
The faculty of Florida Polytechnic University, founded by conservative former state Sen. JD Alexander, is petitioning the state to unionize, according to a Wednesday press release.
The United Faculty of Florida said it will deliver signed cards from more than 60 percent of faculty members to the Florida Public Employees Relations Commission (PERC). Under state law, the commission must OK “certification of a faculty collective bargaining unit at the university.”
Florida Poly was established as Florida’s 12th university in 2012. Alexander “played a pivotal role in passing the bill,” the school’s website says.
The Lake Wales Republican, for whom the university’s campus is named, was in the Senate 2002-12 and in the House 1998-2002. The school’s Lakeland campus is known for its spaceship-looking main building designed by architect Santiago Calatrava.
“As our most recent addition to the State University System, Florida Polytechnic has hired a faculty dedicated to instructing its students in all curricula leading to a STEM related education,” said Jennifer Proffitt, president of the United Faculty of Florida. (STEM refers to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education.)
“This faculty has been instrumental in the development of this unique institution and has decided that a collective voice will enhance the university’s mission and growth,” she said.
“We look forward to welcoming these faculty members as United Faculty of Florida-Florida Polytechnic University (UFF-FPU) and to their contributions to our overall mission of improving higher education across the state.”
University President Randy K. Avent spoke against the move in a prepared statement released late Wednesday:
Florida Polytechnic University employs some of the most brilliant educators in the State of Florida. They are engaged in our University and our processes and figure prominently in our plans. Our Faculty Members are capable, they are articulate and they are heard. I believe that when they consider all of the issues and learn all of the facts, they will decide that they do not need a union to speak on their behalf.
Chris Coughlin, associate professor of nanotechnology and multifunctional materials, disagreed.
“I believe that the union can help to provide the faculty with a sense of stability and confidence in their situation,” he said. “… We need to be certain that the voice of the faculty is heard as an equal among the many stakeholders that have an interest here.”
The faculty will have to vote to unionize under PERC supervision, to be “scheduled soon,” the news release said.
