Welcome to your union. FAM represents all tenure-line faculty, TCPL faculty, and librarians at Miami University. Even if you haven’t been active or interested in FAM in the past, you will be covered by our contract. We want as many faculty and librarians as possible to be involved in the bargaining process and to vote on our foundational contract.
If you are a tenure-line or TCPL faculty member or librarian at Miami, you are automatically a member of the FAM bargaining unit. But you are not a member of the FAM union — and thus are not part of the collective leverage necessary for winning your priorities — unless you sign a membership card.
Why Join FAM?
Union membership is strength and leverage. A sizable membership demonstrates commitment to building and exerting power together, which helps win a stronger contract for everyone. Membership also means you can vote on the contract, FAM officer elections, dues, and other important FAM decisions. FAM is a member-driven, democratic union where your perspective matters.
To become a member, you’ll need to complete a printed FAM membership form. Get a PDF version you can print now by clicking the button below. Or, we will coordinate to get a form to you at a time and place of your convenience, or by mail.
FAM’s Vision
FAM’s vision includes a commitment to be democratic and inclusive, to have a nonhierarchical leadership structure, to keep diversity, equity and inclusion front and center as we do our work, and to cultivate solidarity with non-unionized employees as well as with unions at Miami and throughout Ohio and the nation. This vision has served our union incredibly well so far, leading to back-to-back election wins and nearly 850 unionized faculty and librarians.
How to Learn More and Get Involved
Stay in the loop and share your skills and talents with your union!
Please fill out our contact form so we can share updates with you! If you haven’t shared a non-Miami email address with us recently, or if you haven’t been receiving FAM emails on that address, make sure to share it (Miami administration can read emails sent or received using Miami addresses.)
We use the popular community messaging platform Slack to communicate with each other and to work asynchronously and securely. All are welcome to volunteer and to join the FAM Slack — just email info@famiami.org. Here is a quick guide to help you get started.
Your Department Liaison
You’ve likely heard from a FAM liaison during our organizing effort and election. Your liaison is a Miami colleague (often from your department) dedicated to hearing your ideas and concerns and keeping you in the loop. Find your liaison here and reach out anytime!
What about Dues?
No dues will be collected from members until the contract is agreed upon and ratified by the entire membership. Dues will be voted upon by FAM membership and negotiated with the university. At other unionized campuses in Ohio, they typically fall around 1%–1.5% of one’s base salary. Because of the “union wage premium,” you can expect that dues will be more than made up for by salary increases, given the bargaining power a union provides (see this US Treasury analysis). The majority of dues stay with the local chapter and are used at the discretion of the membership.
What’s Now/What’s Next
For the last several months, the Bargaining Council has been actively developing proposals based on the Bargaining Survey you completed. These proposals are voted on by active members and are brought to the negotiating table by our Negotiating Team who are now in talks with the University administration and their attorneys to hammer out our first contract.
Leading up to this first contract, the Bargaining Council and Organizing Committee will collectively make decisions for FAM. (You’re welcome to join Bargaining Council or Organizing Committee! Email info@famiami.org for more information.) FAM members vote on the bargaining platform and give feedback on FAM’s draft constitution and bylaws. After voting to approve the contract, members will also vote on FAM’s constitution and bylaws and elect officers to serve in the roles established by the constitution and the contract.
In the meantime, the Miami AAUP Chapter will continue to exist in partnership with FAM as an advocate for allied faculty (such as visiting faculty, hybrid faculty/staff, part-time faculty, and graduate assistants) who are not represented by FAM. Visiting faculty were excluded from FAM’s first unit after the administration objected to including them, but an organizing campaign is underway. Encourage visiting faculty in your department to get involved!
Keep In Touch!
If you have questions or concerns, contact your liaison or write info@famiami.org. Read our Frequently Asked Questions and Latest Updates and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Tiktok.