UNAC History
In 1973, the first faculty union in what’s now the University of Alaska system was formed by professors in Alaska’s former community college system. The union, Alaska Community College Federation of Teachers, ACCFT, ratified its first contract in 1976, after going on strike. ACCFT professors went on strike, or threatened to strike, several times after that, most recently in 2003.
In the 1990s, ACCFT changed its name to University of Alaska Federation of Teachers, UAFT, following the merger of Alaska’s public community college and university systems. Also in the 1990s, UA’s faculty members who were not part of UAFT noted that their compensation and working conditions were subpar compared to their unionized counterparts. They thus started a campaign to form their own union, which was to become United Academics.
In 1996, United Academics, local 4996, was certified to represent all UA faculty working over 51% FTE who were not already part of ACCFT/UAFT. UNAC ratified its first contract in 1998, after more than a year of intense negotiations. UNAC’s first CBA provided its members with their first across-the-board salary increases since 1993 while confirming the right to merit and performance adjustments and creating salary minimums.
Successive CBAs established promotion processes, protected workloads and disciplinary procedures, and, with the exception of UNAC’s fifth CBA, secured across-the-board salary increases. The fifth CBA created the option to cash-in Faculty Time Off and was twice extended (with no salary increases) due to UA’s declaration of financial exigency followed by the Dunleavy Compact that significantly cut UA’s budget.
From 1996-2018, UAFT and UNAC co-existed as two union locals for different types of faculty, but the distinction caused recurrent confusion and strife among colleagues. This led to frequent “unit clarification” cases, the last of which was headed to the Alaska Supreme Court when the two units formed an agreement for UAFT to join UNAC.
This transition reduced friction between colleagues working under different sets of rules and created more opportunity for solidarity among faculty. Since 2018, United Academics has represented all UA faculty working more than 51% FTE at every UA work site, approximately 1,100 members. The end result is a stronger union.
In 2021, UNAC bargained the sixth CBA, and the first representing all UA faculty and post docs. The process took over fourteen months. UNAC’s negotiators fought off proposals for faculty furloughs, un-endorsing the AAUP Statement on Tenure and Academic Freedom, deplorable raises, and more, to land in federal mediation. The final CBA did not include furloughs, maintained endorsement of AAUP statements, and provided across-the-board salary increases (though they did not make up for the years with no raises).This round of negotiations introduced UA’s ongoing practice of hiring external lead negotiators.
During negotiations for the seventh, current CBA, which expires December 31, 2027, UNAC protected academic freedom and fought hard for salary increases to catch up with inflation. The raises are among the highest ever won in any UNAC CBA, yet they still did not achieve the goal of catching up with inflation, let alone exceeding it. Future UNAC negotiators will continue to fight for salary equity and competitiveness in any way possible. They will build upon what our last negotiators started.
It’s up to each person in the United Academics bargaining unit to help our future negotiators win the strongest possible CBA. Your visible support for UNAC strengthens their position at the negotiation table. There are many important ways to show you support for UNAC, starting today:
- Wear your red UNAC t-shirt or other red clothing to work EVERY MONDAY, all year long. This shows management your solidarity with one another. Simple actions like this lead to big actions later.
- Contribute to our bargaining priorities surveys, town halls, office visits, etc. These are your opportunities to make your thoughts and opinions known. Watch your email for announcements and take part in as many opportunities as possible.
- Show up for UNAC social events near you. This one is another easy action-talking with your colleagues – that can lead to big actions later. Get to know your colleagues!
- Hang a UNAC flyer on your office door. Choose from our selection.
- Use our Zoom profile pictures and background images for your UA Zoom account. Choose from our selection.
- Contribute to our Strike Fund. It was set up to help with potential future strike-related expenses.
- Start paying UNAC dues if you’re not already
If bargaining unit members do these things now and into the future, UNAC will show a credible threat to strike. If we show a credible threat to strike, our next negotiation team will have a stronger chance of winning large improvements in the next CBA. Our predecessors from ACCFT went on strike twice and threatened it more than once in 40 years, and succeeded in earning their demands (ACCFT history forthcoming).
United Academics is a separate Local from United Academics-Adjuncts, our sibling union representing University of Alaska adjunct faculty teaching 50% or less FTE. While we are separate Locals, we support fair treatment and equitable pay for our adjunct colleagues.
UNAC is supported entirely by our dues paying membership.
