Date: Tue, 1 Aug 1995 20:19:33 -0400 (EDT)
From: glevy-AT-acnet.pratt.edu
Subject: College Professors and the Working Class



To Louis: I wasn't trying to be picky but you unintentionally hit a nerve 
that evoked a strong response.  Let me explain:

As a trade union member (and former trade union representative) at a 
college (actually three), I am continually frustrated by *false 
consciousness* on the part of many faculty who view themselves as 
"professionals" and "middle class", rather than workers and trade 
unionists.  This makes it very difficult for unions at colleges to bargain 
effectively with management or to develop effective trade union strategies.
It also makes it difficult for faculty unions to express solidarity with 
non-faculty trade unionists at colleges (such as secretaries, support 
staff, etc.).  In fact, faculty often regard themselves as the 
"professionals" and other wage earners at colleges as mere workers worthy 
only of contempt and disdain.  It is enough to make any class conscious 
worker (of which I consider myself one) sick.  The elitist and patronizing 
way in which faculty relate to other workers, of course, also frequently
extends to students as well.

The perception that college professors are "middle class" by other 
workers is also a problem.  Firstly, we are workers in the classical 
Marxist sense -- we are wage earners [*some* of whom are productive (of 
surplus value) laborers (more later)], rather than capitalists or members 
of the petty-bourgeoisie.  Secondly, the idea that we are part of the 
middle class (a very confusing and non-Marxist designation, in my view) 
is based on a false perception regarding our salaries, benefits and 
working conditions.  Most faculty today in US colleges are part-time 
employees rather than full-time employees (this has been an on-going 
trend, at least, since the late 70's) who generally receive very low 
wages, few (if any) benefits, and usually have no job security. Also, most 
full-time faculty are non-tenured rather than tenured and management 
frequently subjects the former group to all kinds of pressures and 
stresses. [The disparities in wages, benefits and relative power among 
these classifications also gives rise to additional tensions among these 
trade unionists which further complicates trade union organizing].To give 
you an idea, I am currently teaching at three colleges 
(Pratt Institute; LaGuardia Community College -- a part of CUNY; and 
Empire State College- HVA School of Labor Studies -- a part of SUNY).  My 
*combined income* at these schools is significantly less that the nominal 
income I was earning as a factory worker over 15 years ago! I have no job 
security and only receive health benefits if I meet rather stringent 
requirements concerning workload. Moreover, my total workload is 
generally about 50% greater than is the case typically for full-time 
faculty (e.g. I taught 6 classes -- 19 credits -- since January).  I am 
super-exploited!

Connecting this thread to a previous thread on productive and 
unproductive labor, I would say that my labor at Pratt Institute (a 
private school) is productive labor and my labor at LCC and ESC (public 
colleges) is  unproductive labor (with a qualification that I will get to 
shortly).  The content of my labor at each of these schools remains the 
same but I produce surplus value for Pratt but receive a wage that is 
drawn from state revenues at LCC and ESC.

Now, actually the formula given above isn't quite complete since teachers 
at public schools can be partially productive if their labor results in 
increased skills (and productivity) for students who are productive 
laborers.  For instance, if I taught robotics  programming at a public 
college to students who  are (or go on to become) robotics 
technicians employed as wage laborers  for private capital, then my labor 
might be seen as being partially productive labor.  However, since I am a 
radical economist, my students generally learn how to become *problem 
workers*  (from the standpoint of capitalists and/or the state) and this 
could hardly be seen as making their labor more value-producing.

Jerry

PS: The list must have gone down again this afternoon after 4 PM EST.  I 
am re-sending this post with minor changes.  If you receive another post 
that looks like this one, please ignore it.


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