We are excited for our rapidly approaching vote on faculty unionization at SVA! Given the importance of this election, and with the administration intensifying its effort to encourage us to vote no, we will provide ongoing and responsive information as we want to ensure all faculty can make an informed decision. For more information on why we’re voting yes to establish a stronger faculty voice at SVA, click here. 

We also wanted to provide some analysis of the administration’s most recent email against unionization. You can also read more information on our FAQ page here. 

What SVA says: If the Union wins, all that it gets is the right to negotiate with SVA. Nothing else happens automatically. SVA has to agree to each and every term of the contract in order for a deal to be made.	What We Know: Yes! Winning the right to negotiate as equals has been the central goal of organizing our union from the beginning. While we have not promised any specific result, we are confident that we can do better when we join together in a union. We believe the evidence of success from thousands of our unionized colleagues.
What SVA says: If SVA negotiates a contract with the Union, every term and condition of employment is on the table for negotiation. In negotiations, things can go up and things can go down. No one can guarantee the results.	What We Know: If a majority votes in favor of unionization, we would not only have the right to bargain, but we would elect a faculty bargaining committee, democratically determine priorities and ultimately vote on whether to approve any agreements our committee reaches with SVA. Currently, without a union, the SVA administration decides our pay, benefits, and working conditions unilaterally. Click here to read some of the reasons faculty across SVA are planning to vote yes. Moreover, once our union is certified, SVA cannot lawfully alter our current terms and conditions of employment without our agreement.
What SVA says: Negotiations can drag on for years, like the ongoing negotiations between SVA and IATSE Local 306, which has continued for over 16 months. Do you want the terms and conditions of employment up in the air for years?	What We Know: Without a union, we have no ability to predict how long it will take for working conditions to improve because SVA can decide unilaterally whether to make changes, what they will be, and whether to notify us beforehand. After we vote yes for our union, they will be legally obligated to bargain these decisions. The length of time necessary to negotiate a strong first contract  depends on the strength of the campaign and the willingness of the employer to bargain in good faith. Some contracts can take over a year, but others have been negotiated in a matter of a few months. SVA could certainly help ensure a timely process by agreeing on a fair and efficient timeframe with regularly scheduled bargaining sessions and a strong commitment to reaching a fair agreement.

We will be communicating additional information as we approach our vote, but we hope you take the opportunity to keep informed in other ways as well so you get ready to participate in this historic election. Our numerous faculty union town halls have fielded wide ranging questions from faculty and provided energetic discussion on reasons we are forming a union. We will keep you posted on additional upcoming events, and also invite you to read the FAQ on our website. 

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at svafacultyunited.uaw@gmail.com. You can also follow our Instagram, Twitter, and Bluesky (@svafac_uaw) for more information. 

Best,

Jason Little, BFA Comics
on behalf of SVA/FAC-UAW Organizing Committee