University Faculty Association records, 1919-2017

A teachers union for the University of Montana was originally established in 1919, when faculty from Montana State University (now called the University of Montana) gathered to create the Federation of Teachers. This organization was in operation until 1922. Another iteration of the union arose in 1937, when faculty members met and agreed to rename the organization the University Teachers Union (UTU). The UTU, which was renamed the University Faculty Association (UFA) in 2000, remains active and works to ensure academic freedom at the University of Montana. The members of the UFA are the faculty members of the University. An important part of the UFA’s function includes negotiating collective bargaining agreements on behalf of its members. The UFA is Local 119 of the MEA-MFT, Montana’s largest labor union.