The plan would have reduced the number of classes (koma) taught by part-time teachers next year from 915 to 610. It provoked outrage not only from unions representing part-time teachers, but also tenured teachers who saw it as an attempt to gut the foreign language faculty which was originally part of the old Osaka University of Foreign Studies. This was seen to be a breach of the merger agreement between the two universities. Even diet members were involved in questioning the plan. While the plan has since been withdrawn, the administration succeeded in getting the number of koma reduced from 915 to 836 next year and plan to cut further in the next few years. Representatives of the Hijiokin Kumiai (Part-time Teachers’ Union) have told the General Union that they believe the University was never serious about the original plan, but were using it as a tactic to railroad the faculty into supporting substantial cuts in the part-time teachers’ budget. The General Union submitted demands for no reduction in the number of koma for its members in July. This year none of our members have faced a reduction. We plan to work together with other unions to oppose cuts in the future. Non-union teachers at Handai should seriously consider joining the General Union.