Q. I’ve been teaching at NEIU for a while and someone told me I could join the union.

A. Instructors become eligible to join UPI in the semester AFTER they have taught 15 credit hours. Depending on how many courses you have been teaching, that could be a couple of semesters or it could be a couple of years. Check the contract for the section on eligibility or contact the treasurer for more details.

Q. I am an Academic Support Professional and I don’t know if I am in UPI or not. How do I know?

A. Many Academic Support Professionals are members of the bargaining unit from the time they are hired. However, some ASPs, have a delay before they are eligible for membership. Check the contract for details, and contact the treasurer.

Q. What’s the difference between being a union member and being in the bargaining unit?

A. Being a union member is the source of our collective power – to get strong contracts and to protect members when the administration violates the contract or treats people unfairly. Dues-paying members participate in the life of the union, vote in union elections and polls, approve official agreements and contracts, and are a force to be reckoned with on our campus and more broadly in the state. A person who doesn’t join the union is in the bargaining unit if
they meet the criteria in the CBA. They are covered by the protections of the contract, but they contribute to the “free rider” problem – if people opt for the benefits of membership without contributing, eventually the collective body loses power.

last updated 22 June 2021