Full-time professors and instructional staff at Anne Arundel Community College submitted paperwork Tuesday to the Maryland Public Employee Relations Board to form a union.

After legislation in 2022 granted community college professors the right to collectively bargain, roughly a dozen professors and instructional staff formed an organizing committee, holding their first meeting at a bayside crabhouse.

“By coming together and having our union recognized, we are ensuring that the educators most committed to the long-term success and excellence of the college have a strong voice,” said Matt Patton, a professor in the psychology department.

“This show of solidarity will give the faculty an opportunity to become active and meaningful participants in the way this institution is governed,” said Frank Alduino, a professor in the history department.

The group is affiliated with the Maryland State Education Association and the National Education Association. Full-time faculty at Howard and Fredrick’s community colleges unionized in 2023.

As of this week, more than 63% of AACC’s qualifying teachers have signed membership cards, according to a news release. Following verification from the Maryland Public Employee Relations Board, the union will be official.

“If [a union] is approved by the state, the administration will work with and develop a relationship with union representatives through good faith negotiations and continue the collaborative relationship with our full-time faculty as we have with our unionized part-time faculty,” Dan Baum, the college’s executive director for strategic communication, said in a statement.

The new union is conducting a survey of members to determine priorities for contract negotiations, but initial ideas focus on stable employment, compensation and opportunities for faculty, according to Brackins.

Have a news tip? Contact Bridget Byrne at bbyrne@baltsun.com or 443-690-7205.