Making Progress on a Contract for Part-Time Faculty
A message from Sonya Williams, Vice President for Human Resources
As many of you may know, The New School is currently working on a renewal contract with our part-time faculty. We are approaching an important juncture in these negotiations and want to provide an update on both process and progress.
We’re making progress on a contract that provides compensation and benefits that are even more competitive.
Since June, The New School has been meeting regularly with the core bargaining team for ACT-UAW Local 7902, the union that represents part-time faculty, on a fair and equitable renewal agreement that works for everyone. These discussions remain focused on reaching a contract that continues to provide competitive compensation, strong benefits, and an even more effective environment in which to plan, teach, research, and create.
After extensive back and forth over the summer, the university has now received a nearly complete set of Local 7902’s proposals for the non-economic aspects of a contract as well as several covering economic issues. The university has reviewed and is working on responses for each as quickly as possible. Our next bargaining session – the eighth so far – is scheduled for later this week.
We’re confident we will reach an agreement that works for everyone.
Reaching any renewal contract is a complex effort that requires patience, rigorous analysis, and dedication from both the university and the union to find an effective, financially responsible balance. While there is much more to do, together, we are finding common ground and making progress.
Local 7902’s bargaining committee has presented a number of proposals, and the university’s labor relations team is reviewing and assessing these latest proposals carefully.
We’re making changes to move things forward with even greater efficiency.
To be even more responsive and effective in negotiations, we have added additional New School leaders to our bargaining committee, including members of the Provost’s Office and Faculty Affairs who bring further, in-depth knowledge and expertise regarding the issues and concerns of our part-time faculty. We believe this increased diversity of views and insights will help accelerate progress on an agreement.
We remain committed to transparency.
Today, we have made a new page available on The New School website that features regular bargaining updates, answers to questions, and information about the collective bargaining process. We hope this page will be a helpful resource for you.