(Editor’s Note: Because states apply public sector bargaining laws to university faculty in different ways, we have replaced the previous map with one by Union One that reflects broader right-to-work laws.)
The controversy over public sector unions in Wisconsin and now Ohio has fueled debate about the purpose, effectiveness, and fairness of union contracts.
The following “infographic” shows the average salaries of full-time professors at public universities in right-to-work and non right-to-work states. (Scroll down to see the map and take our poll.)
One facet of that debate is especially relevant to higher education—faculty unions. Earlier this week on the Pope Center’s website, AAUP president Cary Nelson and economist Charles Baird debated the merits of faculty unions. And in an earlier article for the Pope Center, Baird wrote that collective bargaining breeds conflict and lowers academic standards. George Leef has also discussed faculty unions here and here. And Jay Schalin describes how unions distort the market in his review of How the University Works: Higher Education and the Low-Wage Nation.
Of course, this map is a simplification. Some states have specific provisions outlining the bargaining rights of public university faculty. In Maine, for example, faculty members’ rights to join or refrain from joining unions are explicitly protected. The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) lays out state-by-state public sector bargaining laws here.
Now it’s your turn to examine the facts and voice your opinion.
