Mary Brown

Marymount Manhattan College New York, New York New York State United Teachers/American Federation of Teachers

Mary Brown

Mary Brown has been an archivist and bibliographer at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City for the past six years and used to be an adjunct professor of history at the college. Mary had been a union member before coming to Marymount Manhattan College and she knows the benefits and protections of a union contract.

Mary and her coworkers were concerned about an arbitrary system of raises and promotions. They wanted a say in the decisions that effected their working conditions and the future of the college. But when the workers tried to address these issues at the college’s staff council, the administration responded by disbanding the council.

In order to gain a voice and have their concerns heard by the administration, Mary and her coworkers decided to form a union in June 2006 with the New York Stat United Teachers/AFT (NYSUT). The college responded by calling several meetings where the President told the workers why they should not join the union. He said the union would be expensive for the college and create a divisive atmosphere between the staff and the administration. The President told the workers that forming a union would be a terrible thing for the college. He also said the union dues would be expensive and that the workers might not get want they wanted at the bargaining table. “They talked to us like children. It was demeaning,” says Mary of the meetings.

Despite the administrations efforts, a majority of Mary’s coworkers signed authorization cards stating they wanted to form a union. In September, the workers filed for an election with the NLRB. But the administration was not willing to accept the workers’ decision and filed several challenges to the election petition. For the last four months, the election has been held up as the NLRB hears the administration’s complaints.

By dragging out the NLRB election process, the college is denying the workers their free choice to have a union and bargain a fair contract. In the meantime, despite having shown majority support for union representation, Mary and her coworkers continue to work without a contract under the same unfair working conditions.