February 2, 2012

Faculty Union Calls on U. at Buffalo to Cut Ties to Chambers of Commerce

Faculty Union Calls on U. at Buffalo to Cut Ties to Chambers of Commerce 1

Jim Cavanaugh

The faculty union at the U. at Buffalo (its downtown campus is in the foreground, above) approved a resolution criticizing university involvement in state and regional chambers of commerce because of their political activities. But administrators, and some union members, say the benefits of membership flow both ways.

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close Faculty Union Calls on U. at Buffalo to Cut Ties to Chambers of Commerce 1

Jim Cavanaugh

The faculty union at the U. at Buffalo (its downtown campus is in the foreground, above) approved a resolution criticizing university involvement in state and regional chambers of commerce because of their political activities. But administrators, and some union members, say the benefits of membership flow both ways.

By Peter Schmidt

Opening a new front in the conflict between college labor unions and conservative advocacy groups, the University at Buffalo's faculty union has resolved to pressure the institution to sever its ties with state and local chambers of commerce.

Members of the union local, the campus chapter of the United University Professions, voted 191 to 172 last month in favor of a referendum calling on the university to "immediately break its membership and financial support" for the Business

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