Enhanced Contract Offer: An Average Increase in Total Compensation of 20% Upon Contract Ratification and Much More
To The New School’s Part-Time Faculty,
On behalf of the university’s bargaining committee, we want to provide you with an update on the current status of negotiations regarding the part-time faculty contract. Today, after five months and almost 30 sessions of bargaining, the parties still remain significantly apart on a number of key economic and non-economic terms. During these negotiations, the university has presented numerous proposals and made significant efforts to be responsive and make concessions, and has repeatedly offered mediation. As such, earlier today, The New School presented a significant, new and final offer at the bargaining table, which we encourage your union leadership to present to you for review and ratification.
Throughout these negotiations, we have been listening closely to ensure that we understand and are responsive to the issues that your union leadership has articulated are most important to you. Earlier this evening, the university went all in with a comprehensive final offer for a full contract. This offer provides meaningful increases and other gains that reflect each of the priorities identified by the union while also offering improvements for probationary and post-probationary part-time faculty members. It sets a new, more significant total package for the union to consider and respond to as part of the collective bargaining process. It does not represent the university walking away from negotiations.
Below is a summary of the package the university offered to the union today:
- A 20% AVERAGE INCREASE IN TOTAL COMPENSATION UPON RATIFICATION OF THE CONTRACT
- Upon ratification, a 7% wage increase for all part-time faculty and a $2,100 pandemic bonus for any part-time faculty member who taught at least one semester from Spring 2020 through Spring 2022. Combined, this amounts to an average increase in total compensation of 20% in year one.
- In addition, it includes 2.5% wage increases in the second through fifth years.
- Total compensation increases over the life of the contract amount to an 18.1% increase in wages alone.
- EXPANDED MEDICAL PLAN CHOICE, FOR WHICH MORE PART-TIME FACULTY ARE ELIGIBLE
- An additional health plan offering to choose from
- Participation in EPO without any coinsurance
- Expanded eligibility – meaning more part-time faculty than ever can access affordable medical insurance
- A SIGNIFICANT RETIREMENT BENEFIT
- The university will continue to contribute 10% of all wages to the retirement plan for eligible part time faculty – with no contribution required from part-time faculty
- MORE JOB SECURITY
- 15% course cancellation remedy for probationary faculty
- 6-year appointment terms for multi-year faculty
- Up to three new full-time faculty positions each year that are available exclusively to part-time faculty applicants
- Ability for Mannes Prep faculty to decline assignments for up to two years and remain at the top of the rolling seniority list for their discipline.
- MEANINGFUL INPUT INTO SHARED GOVERNANCE
- Paid attendance for four programs or department meetings per year for every part-time faculty member
- Eight standing Labor Management meetings per academic year (increased from two) which consider and make recommendations on matters of general importance to part-time faculty
- Two part-time faculty to serve on the university-wide Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice committee
This is in addition to $150,000 per academic year in professional development funds, a $300 advance payment each semester prior to the first payroll, expanded tuition waiver benefits, funding for supplies, and more.
Because time is of the essence, the university asked the union to respond to this offer by 12:00 pm on Tuesday, November 22.
We invite you – our part-time faculty – to look closely at the written offer itself. We believe our offer is strong and responds to the concerns raised by the union given the university’s charge to be fiscally responsible. Please know that the university has deployed extensive resources in order to present an offer that reflects our commitment to you. Importantly, we believe this offer will also allow the university to meet its obligations to the entire community while providing the educational experience for which it is known.