Strike Announced by ACT-UAW Local 7902, Negotiations to Continue
A message from Tokumbo Shobowale, Executive Vice President for Business and Operations; and Sonya Williams, Vice President for Human Resources
Today the university met with ACT-UAW Local 7902 and bargained for more than 10 hours. Although we continued to make progress on contract terms, reached a number of tentative agreements, and the university brought an improved compensation proposal to the table, we are disappointed that ACT-UAW Local 7902 decided to declare a strike tonight. Regardless, we are encouraged that the union has agreed to continue bargaining on Thursday and Friday this week and indicated a willingness to agree to mediation to break any impasses and help get an agreement in place. We believe strongly that a mediator’s support can help resolve these negotiations quickly.
While we respect the right of the union to strike, we remain committed to ensuring that our community can continue to work, learn and create. Details of how learning will continue and how we will support students during the strike can be found here. Students are encouraged to reach out to their college dean’s office for assistance or support.
The New School’s bargaining team is continuing to work incredibly hard to reach an agreement that prioritizes the mission of the university and preserves our students’ exceptional academic experience, while reflecting the sincere respect we have for our part-time faculty. This includes increased wages, participation in academic affairs, and professional development support. The proposal can be read here. We remain confident we will successfully reach a new agreement together, as we have with all of our union-represented employees for more than 50 years.
For additional information, please visit the university’s labor relations website.