SFCC Advocacy

Labor advocate loses election, but new leader says faculty unionization is still a topic

New blood is leading Santa Fe Community College's chapter of the American Association of University Professors, which advocates for faculty rights and academic freedom.

Marci Eannarino, a full-time English professor, won the recent election to become the chapter president. She replaces Miranda Merklein, who teaches as an adjunct at both SFCC and Northern New Mexico College. Eannarino says one of her top focuses as president will be to "build unity among faculty."

She says there's been "perceived disunity" between full-time and adjunct faulty at the college that might not be as widespread as some may think. She maintains that full-timers are "sympathetic and supportive" of adjuncts, who outnumber them at the college by a more than 3-to-1 ratio.

Eannarino, herself a former adjunct, adds that adjunct working conditions are a big topic she's hearing about from the chapter's dues-paying members, which currently total 53.

"Adjunct rights remain an important piece with everybody, so we will be looking at that," she says.

Merklein, a vocal supporter of adjunct rights and outspoken critic of SFCC's administration, says she's still pursuing the goal of faculty unionization.

"I've been an activist in higher ed for about a year or more and am continuing to pursue the goals I was before," Merklein says.

She lost the AAUP chapter election to retain her post as president by 14 votes out of 38 total voters.

Talk of unionization will likely continue at the campus. Eannarino says there's still interest from faculty to hear the pros and cons of potential unionization. Eannarino says she wants to have a discussion "just like in an academic setting," weighing all sides of the issue.

"I think people are flirting with the idea," she says.

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