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Important LegislationHJR 19: IBHE Study: The 91st General Assembly passed HJR 19 requiring the Board of Higher Education to report to General Assembly by December 15, 2001 regarding the use and compensation of part-time and nontenure-track faculty at public universities and community colleges in Illinois. The resolution directs the Board to consider policies designed to discourage overreliance on part-time and nontenure-track faculty and to make recommendations concerning minimum salary and fringe benefits provisions indexed to tenure-track faculty compensation to ensure fair employment and consistent emphasis on quality instruction. SB 314: Community College Health Insurance: Introduced by Sen. Cronin and Rep. Saviano, SB 314 permits part-time community college employees to participate in the Community College Retired Health Insurance Program. HB 975: Fix Full-Time/ Part-Time Ratio: Also this spring, Rep. Jay Hoffman introduced HB 975, establishing a 75% to 25% ratio of full-time to part-time faculty at public colleges and universities. This ratio requirement would be phased-in beginning in 2002 and universities and community colleges would be required to use one-third of their additional state funding each year to increase the number of full-time teaching positions until the ratio is achieved. This bill passed the House Higher Education Committee, but the sponsor agreed to hold the bill until the IBHE submits its report on part-time faculty issues in December, 2001. HB 981: Supply Funds for Teaching: This spring, Rep. Crotty introduced HB 981, which would have appropriated $10 million to the Illinois Community College Board to award grants to community colleges districts in order to increase the amount of credit hours taught by full-time faculty. The bill was never called for a vote in the Appropriations Committee. It currently sits in the House Rules Committee. HB 1720: Short Term Faculty: Introduced by Rep. Ryder and Sen. Dillard, this bill amends the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act expanding coverage to part-time faculty. Under the current law, employees must have a "reasonable assurance" of continued employment thereby excluding most part-time faculty from coverage under the Act. HB 1720 would require only a "reasonable expectation" of continued employment for collective bargaining protection. This bill would make it easier for part-time faculty at public institutions to organize a union. HB 3066: Establish Bargaining Rights for all Part-Time Faculty: Introduced by Rep. Bob Ryan, HB 3066 eliminates language in the Educational Labor Relations Act that denies part-time community college faculty the right to organize. Under current law, part-time community college faculty that teach fewer than 6 credit hours of instruction per academic semester are excluded from coverage under the Act - thereby denying them the right to organize and bargain collectively over wages, hours and working conditions. Eliminating this exclusion will give all part-time academic employees at community colleges the right to vote on whether or not they want a union to represent them and negotiate with the employer on their behalf. HB 3066 does not mandate collective for part-time faculty. Members of the faculty would have to file a petition with the board, hold an election and a majority of the faculty members would have to vote for representation. But without a change in the law, many part-time faculty are denied the right to even hold an election. |
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