ACT-UAW–Part-Time Faculty Successor Contract Negotiations Update: Session 26
The Union’s Lack of Preparation
On Friday, November 11, The New School and representatives of ACT-UAW Local 7902 met for another day of bargaining. While the union owed the university approximately twelve responses on items that the union said it was open to negotiate, the union came to the table only prepared to discuss four new counter proposals on wages, medical and dental benefits, pay day, and faculty appointments respectively. Considering that the union used over 10 hours of the parties’ negotiating time on November 10th to prepare its proposals, and canceled that session at 6pm after it realized it needed even more time to prepare, the university was disappointed to see the union’s continued lack of preparation on Friday. The university was further disappointed to learn late Friday that the union was canceling the parties’ Saturday, November 11 session because the union needed more time to prepare. A screenshot of the email from the union’s president is here, and the university’s response is here.
The University’s Continued Movement Toward Agreement
The university made movement on Thursday, including agreeing to the union’s bundle proposal on Article II Bargaining Unit Information, Article III Union Security and Article IV V-CAP Checkoff, and agreeing to the union’s desire to continue to allow employees to accrue their sick and safe leave rather than receiving it at the beginning of the year. On Friday, the union made slight movement, but their revised economic demands still contemplate part-time faculty receiving a nearly 100% increase in year one of the contract alone.
The university has reviewed these counter proposals, assessed the projected financial implications of each, and determined what is achievable given The New School’s finances. We await the union’s readiness to come back to the table so the university can provide its responses to the union’s most recent demands.
With the contract expiring on Sunday evening, time is of the essence. The university has offered to meet with the union on Saturday in the event the union is able to complete its work and come to the table prepared. Should the union not be able to meet at all on Saturday, the university will reconvene with the union at 9:00 am on Sunday with great hopes that the parties progress on reaching a contract that delivers for our part-time faculty members and the entire New School community.