NMHU is in turbulent times. The distrust between NMHU employees (faculty and staff) and the NMHU administration is at an all-time high. The number of legal issues we are experiencing with our administration is at an all-time high. The administration, under our President and Board of Regents, is attacking the rights of tenure and academic freedom, governance, and due process of its faculty and staff. And, if that isn’t bad enough, they are now using the” Trumpian” ploy of attacking our basic rights of free speech. With respect to ancient Greek mythology and Hercules, it feels like we are now batting the Hydra of Lerna. If you remember, while battling the monster, every time that Hercules cut off one of its heads, two more grew back in its place. What a perfect metaphor for NMHU and our current administration. Every time we work hard to solve serious issues and violations of our due process and CBA, new anti-union issues, sentiment, and attacks by the administration and Regents occur. We all were present when President Minner attacked us for being unionized during his State of the University address in August. It did not go unnoticed. The administration is now telling faculty that they will be reprimanded if we talk about union issues during our office hours or help colleagues in distress. Solving issues, apparently, is union work, not professionalism, decency, and caring. We are working on this free speech issue with our NEA and AFT unions and attorneys. We will not let it stand.
The faculty and staff at NMHU are not asking for much, but we are asking for the rights that are basic to citizens in the US, faculty across the country, and negotiated in our CBA. We are asking for respect to do our jobs with dignity. We are asking to be valued. We are asking for the Power of Respect.