I recently attended a conference for part-time faculty in the Chicago area. The folks at Columbia College won a bargaining election last year and decided to talk to their colleagues in other institutions around the city about unions. Forty part-time faculty from a number of institutions showed up on a beautiful Saturday.

For the part-timers, it wasn't the donuts they were hungry for. The conference was an unusual chance to talk to other part-timers who understand the isolation from peers, the poor working conditions, and the lack of respect that marks part-time work.

These part-timers listened eagerly to a benefits specialist tell them about health care and pensions offered through the Illinois Education Association and the proposed new Adjunct Faculty Cooperative.

They also gave undivided attention to their colleagues from Columbia who described how they won their union.

As the Columbia faculty talked about organizing, they modeled how they'd learned to work to each others strengths.

These faculty know what they want---justice for part-time faculty---and move toward it as a team. Through mutual gain bargaining and the strength of their convictions, it looks like they may get it.

Rachel Hendrickson coordinates NEA higher education activities.