A merger between part-time faculty and the Temple Association of University Professionals has been established after a secret ballot was cast earlier this month.

According to an email memo sent by Provost Hai-Lung Dai to university adjuncts earlier today, the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board reported the merger between adjuncts and TAUP was successful, which adds about 1,400 professors to the university’s full-time faculty union. The final count was 609 votes for a merger, more than double the 266 votes “of remaining unrepresented,” according to the email.

“Now that the vote is completed, it is time to move forward,” Dai said in the email memo. “Soon, we will begin working with TAUP to produce a collective bargaining agreement that includes adjunct faculty.”

The Temple News previously reported that since of the start of discussion for possible adjunct unionization, some organizers and adjuncts have protested and held rallies on Main Campus. Organizers have also waited for adjuncts outside of classrooms and visiting their homes, upsetting adjuncts who said they were not interested in unionization.

Art Hochner, president of TAUP, previously told The Temple News anyone who has had a problem with a union recruiter should contact him.

“We’ll find out if they did anything wrong,” he said. “We want to make sure we’re not antagonizing anybody, but we want to get the word out too.”

Steve Bohnel can be reached at steve.bohnel@temple.edu and on Twitter @Steve_Bohnel.