Faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music have voted to join a union.

They voted 56 to 25 to become members of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 4, according to President Leonard DiCosimo, who also heads the North Shore AFL-CIO Federation of Labor. The union released the results Thursday evening.

He said he welcomes these distinguished musicians to the union’s membership.

“We’re handstands and pogo sticks about representing these world-class artists,” DiCosimo said. “So many CIM faculty are also Cleveland Orchestra members, who are already part of our union. This will only heighten the connection between the union and the CIM rank and file.” 

DiCosimo has said that faculty organized for a few reasons, including improving how the administration communicates with faculty about issues affecting them and giving faculty more input in financial decisions. Of the 132 eligible full- and part-time faculty, 81 cast votes, he said.

A CIM statement on the vote, emailed to Signal Cleveland, said that the academic institution was ready to accept the union.

“The CIM faculty union election votes have been tabulated, and that the referendum to join Cleveland Federation of Musicians Local 4 has passed,” it states.

 “By federal law, certain steps now must be followed in a certain order and manner,”  the statement continues. “CIM will fully abide by these requirements, including negotiating in good faith with the faculty’s union representatives.”

DiCosimo said that CIM challenged 25 ballots cast, saying that the faculty members weren’t eligible to be included in the bargaining unit. The National Labor Relations Board, which is in charge of union elections, will rule on those  challenges. CIM didn’t respond to Signal Cleveland’s question about whether the institution is pursuing challenging the ballots.

To find out more about what prompted faculty and staff to unionize, see Cleveland Institute of Music faculty push for union