NEW ORLEANS — Faculty at Tulane University voted to form the school’s first union on Tuesday.
Employees say they decided to unionize over pay, claiming some faculty members were earning “poverty wages."
Some of the academics said they struggled with housing and food insecurity.
"I was relieved, and I also know this is the first step of a lot of hard work," said Patrick Butler, a Tulane worker’s union organizing committee member. "The union is worthy of celebration as this is a historic moment not only for Louisiana but for our community within Tulane."
An email sent to Tulane Faculty said, " As we have throughout, we remain committed to supporting a fair, transparent, and informed process."
About a month ago, Tulane Workers United filed federal labor charges against one of the school's deans.
But Tulane said on Tuesday... No one in the administration has engaged in anti-union activity.
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