TAUP Files Unfair Labor Practice

31 OCTOBER 2005 – Today TAUP filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge against the Temple University administration. This action grows out of a mailing the university sent to a select group of TAUP members during the last week in September. It contained a letter informing members of their right to resign during the annual resignation window (October 1 to October 15) and a form to use in order to resign.

TAUP has conducted a very successful membership drive this fall, signing up more than 90 new members, a record for so short a time. Just days before Temple sent its letter inviting members to resign, TAUP delivered to payroll the names of more than 50 new members.

TAUP holds that Temple abused its management rights when it mailed the resignation form to a selected group of TAUP members.

• Although the letter claimed to “inform” employees of their new “contractual rights,” its design was such that it could be misread or misunderstood.

  • It was on Temple letterhead, but nothing else identified the missive as coming from the university.

  • It was signed by “Deborah Hartnett,” with no Title or Department added. Ms. Hartnett is the Associate Vice-President of Human Resources and the direct supervisor of Sharon Boyle, Director of Labor Relations. Normally when there is significant information for a bargaining unit at Temple, it is the Director of Labor Relations who communicates with the union, by notifying the leadership.

  • The salutation read “Dear Bargaining Unit Member,” although, as noted, the letters only went to selected dues-paying members.

  • The letters were mailed to dues-paying members’ home addresses. Temple very rarely mails information home. Even letters of appointment for many faculty members were sent to department offices this summer.

• In the history of TAUP, Temple administration has never taken it upon itself to send out a “resignation from the union” form or invited dues-payers to end their TAUP affiliation.

• Management did not send a membership application to non-members or advise them of their right to join TAUP. However, it has given TAUP access to new faculty at university sponsored orientations.

TAUP never withholds information regarding rights or any other part of the contract from its bargaining unit members. The union promptly processes the resignation of any member who wishes to do so, although TAUP staff will try to determine why a member wants to resign.