We are excited that our vote on faculty unionization at SVA has started! Given the importance of this election, and with the administration’s intense effort to encourage us to vote no, we have been providing ongoing and responsive information as we want to ensure all faculty can make an informed decision.
Below is some analysis of the administration’s most recent emails and presentations against unionization. You can also read more information on our FAQ page here.
SVA Flyer # 8 - May 7, 2025
What SVA says | What we know |
SVA is the premiere art school in New York City and plans to hold that title for many years to come, but some things are out of our control. Across the country, unionized arts institutions have suffered after unionization and union actions. | We agree – SVA is a premiere art school in New York City, and a special place to teach. Thousands of faculty have formed unions at academic and arts institutions in New York City and beyond – including Parsons, RISD, Pratt, MICA, California Institute of the Arts, Cooper Union, and Art of Institute of Chicago. |
There are, of course, lots of factors that lead to financial trouble but it is important to know the following: Enrollment is declining from students abroad due to new immigration policies. Healthcare and other benefit costs continue to skyrocket. | Fluctuating enrollment and healthcare costs are things we are both familiar with as faculty at SVA. Many of us experienced the impact of fluctuating enrollment during the COVID - 19 pandemic. Additionally, more recently, a number of us experienced the impact of increasing costs of benefits when SVA unilaterally increased our healthcare premiums. With collective bargaining, we have a voice over how these things affect our working conditions. Regardless of these factors, many of us have also experienced SVA already making unilateral changes to our pay, benefits, and working conditions, like when they suspended our sabbatical benefit. In these challenging and unpredictable times for both higher education and the arts, it’s more important than ever we have an organized voice and seat at the table. |
The New School now faces huge deficits. Pressured to make concessions in CBA negotiations after a 25-day UAW strike, The New School ended up with a projected $52 million deficit for Fiscal Year 2024. Its Board of Trustees admitted that the massive deficit was driven by the “financial impact of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with ACT-UAW Local 7902. | Part-time faculty at The New School won important improvements in their last contract. The New School ended fiscal year 2024 with a $26 million deficit, not $52 million. The New School attributes their current budget challenges to a variety of factors, citing missed enrollment targets, the assumption of a dorm lease, rising costs, financial aid expenses, and ineffective use of space as causes for the deficit. |
San Francisco Art Institute closed in July 2022 due to financial instability. Its faculty voted to unionized in 2017. | Ultimately, the school can shut down regardless of whether or not we decide to form our union. Right now, if SVA were to close, we have little say over what happens. With a union, we are in a much better position, and have the right to bargain over any impact the closures would have on our terms of employment. As part of the bargaining process, we’ll have the opportunity to request information from the SVA administration to allow us to make informed proposals on pay and benefits. We all have a collective interest in seeing SVA thrive. |
University of the Arts closed in September 2024 due to financial instability. Its faculty voted to unionize in 2020. | In 2020, faculty unionized at University of Arts in Philadelphia. While faculty were in the process of negotiating their first contract, the school filed for bankruptcy due to serious mismanagement of its own finances, and closed. See above. |
SVA Flyer # 7 - May 5, 2025
What SVA says | What we know |
Everyone should vote in the election; this is a secret ballot election! No one - including SVA, the Union, other faculty members, or the NLRB needs to know how you voted. | We agree – all faculty should vote in our secret ballot election and make your voice heard. |
But did you know… The UNION is asking voters how they voted? By law, we could never do that. More importantly, we would never do that. Do you want to be part of an organization that does not respect your privacy and the importance of secret ballots? | Throughout our campaign, we have encouraged our colleagues to vote ‘yes’ in favor of collective bargaining. The SVA administration has chosen to encourage faculty to vote ‘no’, and has shared their opinion. We are confident in our colleagues ability to make the most informed decision about our own experience at SVA, which is why we openly share and encourage all faculty to review the administration perspective, as well as our analyses, and encourage all faculty to vote. Click here to read more on what fellow faculty have won at their own institutions across New York City. |
Make sure your voice is heard. Vote NO! | See above. We encourage all our colleagues to vote ‘yes’! |
SVA Flyer # 6 - April 29, 2025
What SVA says | What we know |
SVA is one of the rare schools that has offered sabbaticals to non-full-time faculty in recent years. Only about 15 to 20 faculty members apply for sabbaticals each year. | We appreciate that we had access to a sabbatical benefit. But we would prefer a more predictable and transparent system where SVA cannot pause or take away such benefits unilaterally and with no advance notice. With collective bargaining, we could negotiate to enshrine benefits like sabbaticals in a contract, and establish more transparency, so that all faculty have equal access and we can all focus more of our energy on quality teaching. |
Although our current financial circumstances have caused a pause on sabbaticals for the next academic year, we expect SVA’s sabbatical program to return when finances improve. | See above. |
The Union can propose change, and will bargain in good faith. But we will never be required to agree to any sabbatical proposal that: - Takes away the School’s discretion in approving sabbaticals; or - Would require us to approve a sabbatical that causes an economic or other hardship for the School. | None of the information is a reason to vote against faculty having more power and a voice through collective bargaining. We are confident we can successfully negotiate improvements just as tens of thousands of our colleagues have elsewhere. |
SVA Flyer #5 April 25, 2025
What SVA says | What we know |
Many of the “contract gains” that SVA Faculty United - UAW advertises are already part of the significant benefits package that SVA offers. | We have maintained one main point throughout our campaign; as a union, we would have the right to bargain as equals with SVA over our working conditions. Without a union, SVA can and does make changes to our conditions unilaterally, such as when they started denying sabbatical requests. We believe the choice between these two options is clear. We have shared examples from other universities, not to compare what unionized faculty have elsewhere with what we have now at SVA, but to show real-life examples of the before and after positive results of collective bargaining. Based on those successful examples, we believe we can negotiate improvements at SVA that could not only make our lives better, but also enable us to focus more on providing quality teaching. |
That package includes, but is not limited to, the following benefits (which may vary based on eligibility): - Access to Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance (after 90 days of employment) - Accrued Sick Leave (at 1 hour for each hour of class) - 401(l) Match (at 100% on first 3% contribution and 50% on next 2%) - Paid Parental Leave (12 weeks) - Significant Tuition Assistance | We're proud to teach here and appreciate many aspects of our current working conditions. But a majority of faculty who participated in our initial survey identified numerous areas for improvement. For example, 90% of surveyed faculty would like to negotiate a union contract that “protects and expands benefits like tuition remission, healthcare and retirement savings.” Read here for all the results of our initial survey. |
You already receive more than what the union advertises in many respects. Ask yourselves: What can the Union really improve with respect to benefits? | Again, we know that without a union, we have no organized voice. This election is about changing that. What we choose to negotiate with the SVA administration is ultimately up to us – however, we are encouraged by thousands of UAW faculty and other academic workers who have made improvements at their workplaces. |
Information from SVA Page on Faculty Unionization April 29, 2025
What SVA says | What we know |
SVA is the premiere art school in New York City and plans to hold that title for many years to come, but some things are out of our control. Across the country, unionized arts institutions have suffered after unionization and union actions. | We agree – SVA is a premiere art school in New York City, and a special place to teach. Thousands of faculty have formed unions at academic and arts institutions in New York City and beyond – including Parsons, RISD, Pratt, MICA, California Institute of the Arts, Cooper Union, and Art of Institute of Chicago. |
There are, of course, lots of factors that lead to financial trouble but it is important to know the following: Enrollment is declining from students abroad due to new immigration policies. Healthcare and other benefit costs continue to skyrocket. | Fluctuating enrollment and healthcare costs are things we are both familiar with as faculty at SVA. Many of us experienced the impact of fluctuating enrollment during the COVID - 19 pandemic. Additionally, more recently, a number of us experienced the impact of increasing costs of benefits when SVA unilaterally increased our healthcare premiums. With collective bargaining, we have a voice over how these things affect our working conditions. Regardless of these factors, many of us have also experienced SVA already making unilateral changes to our pay, benefits, and working conditions, like when they suspended our sabbatical benefit. In these challenging and unpredictable times for both higher education and the arts, it’s more important than ever we have an organized voice and seat at the table. |
The New School now faces huge deficits. Pressured to make concessions in CBA negotiations after a 25-day UAW strike, The New School ended up with a projected $52 million deficit for Fiscal Year 2024. Its Board of Trustees admitted that the massive deficit was driven by the “financial impact of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with ACT-UAW Local 7902. | Part-time faculty at The New School won important improvements in their last contract. The New School ended fiscal year 2024 with a $26 million deficit, not $52 million. The New School attributes their current budget challenges to a variety of factors, citing missed enrollment targets, the assumption of a dorm lease, rising costs, financial aid expenses, and ineffective use of space as causes for the deficit. |
San Francisco Art Institute closed in July 2022 due to financial instability. Its faculty voted to unionized in 2017. | Ultimately, the school can shut down regardless of whether or not we decide to form our union. Right now, if SVA were to close, we have little say over what happens. With a union, we are in a much better position, and have the right to bargain over any impact the closures would have on our terms of employment. As part of the bargaining process, we’ll have the opportunity to request information from the SVA administration to allow us to make informed proposals on pay and benefits. We all have a collective interest in seeing SVA thrive. |
University of the Arts closed in September 2024 due to financial instability. Its faculty voted to unionize in 2020. | In 2020, faculty unionized at University of Arts in Philadelphia. While faculty were in the process of negotiating their first contract, the school filed for bankruptcy due to serious mismanagement of its own finances, and closed. See above. |
Slides on Strikes from SVA Webinar April 17, 2025
What SVA says | What we know |
Unions can use strikes to try to force a deal during contract negotiations. | Our right to strike is one of our most powerful tools as workers. But we decide if and when to strike. Under the UAW Constitution, if 2/3 of participating workers vote yes in a democratic strike authorization vote, the Union may call a strike. |
If employees vote in favor of a strike, the Union can order everyone to go on strike at any point thereafter. | If faculty vote to authorize a strike and the bargaining committee calls a strike, mass faculty participation would make it the most effective. But participation is an individual choice. |
If the Union ordered a strike, that would mean NO WAGES and NO BENEFITS for faculty during the strike. | Faculty who participate in an authorized strike are eligible for $500 per week in strike pay from the UAW Strike and Defense Fund. If SVA chooses to cut medical insurance during a strike, the UAW fund would also cover medical and prescription benefits. |
Ask yourself how long they could go without working at SVA. | If SVA faculty get to the point of considering a strike, we would determine collectively how long we would be willing to strike. |
Other Locals of the Union have sent employees out on strike for months at a time. | Many contracts are negotiated without strikes. For example, NYU adjunct faculty won major gains in 2022 without a strike. In cases where workers vote to strike, the length varies depending on a variety of factors, including the employer’s commitment to good-faith bargaining. |
In 2022, one of the Union’s Locals ordered a 25-day strike at The New School for its part-time faculty. That possibility is what you would be voting for. | Part-time faculty at The New School won major gains after a 25-day strike in 2022. We are voting on whether to formally certify our union, which would create a legal obligation for SVA to bargain with us for the first time ever. And yes, we could subsequently vote democratically to authorize a strike. |
SVA Flyer # 3 April 14, 2025
What SVA Says | What we know |
All faculty should vote in the union election | We agree and encourage all faculty to inform themselves and vote in the election! |
1,193 faculty members are eligible to vote, all of whom should have a say in the result | We agree and encourage all faculty to inform themselves and vote in the election! |
Did you know that a small group could make a decision for everyone? - A simple majority of the votes cast will determine the election. - That means if only 100 faculty members submit ballots, 51 votes in favor of unionization will mean that all 1,193 faculty members will be in the union. | It is true that, like a US presidential election, the outcome will be determined by a majority of those who vote. However, we encourage strong participation. Larger turnout can help create a strong and participatory union at SVA. In similar recent elections, clear majorities of all eligible faculty and staff voted for unionization at New York Film Academy (68.7%%), New York Film Academy – LA (62.3%), and Cal Arts (64.9%). We encourage similar participation at SVA. |
Did you know that you can vote no even if you signed a union card? You are not bound by any prior support for the Union and are free to make your own informed decision. | True. You can also vote yes even if you never signed a card. All faculty are free to and should make an informed decision and vote. For a sense of why fellow faculty across SVA are planning to vote yes, read this open letter. |
The question is – Do you want someone else to make this important decision for you? | We agree this is an important decision. We can vote for a voice – the right to negotiate the terms and conditions under which we teach at SVA – or we can let SVA retain sole power to decide if, when and how to improve—or degrade—our working conditions. |
SVA Flyer #2 April 11, 2025
What SVA Says | What we know |
A vote for SVA Faculty United (UAW) is a vote for UNION DUES Did you know… | A vote for SVA Faculty United-UAW is a vote for a STRONGER FACULTY VOICE at SVA. Read what faculty across SVA have to say about voting Yes for a stronger voice. |
All Union members have to pay dues. If there is a union security clause—which is present in every collective bargaining agreement we are aware of negotiated by the Union—then you must pay dues or the equivalent of dues (even if you decline membership). | Membership dues are important because they provide the resources necessary for effective representation. In the UAW, we would not pay membership dues until we have gone through the bargaining process and voted democratically to approve our first union contract. |
UAW union dues range from 1.44% to 2% of your pay. You would have to get a pay increase of at least 1.44% more than SVA’s usual increase (assuming those are agreed to in the union contract) just to break even. If your gross monthly salary is $2,500, you would end up paying the Union at least $36 each month in dues, or over $350 for each academic year. | Membership dues in UAW Local 7902, which represents faculty at The New School and NYU, are 1.44% of gross pay. In their most recent contract negotiations, faculty won immediate increases ranging from 9% to 59% at The New School and from 8% to 34% at NYU. Faculty at TNS and NYU have also negotiated extra compensation for work performed outside the classroom. Both contracts were overwhelmingly approved by members. |
The Union can also charge members: Assessments – extra money the union tells members they have to pay; Fines – money you must pay for violating the union’s rules. | We are not aware of any such assessments or fines ever being imposed on faculty represented by the UAW. We do know that if we democratically decided to strike in the future, faculty would be entitled to $500/week in strike benefits from the UAW Strike and Defense Fund. |
Ask yourself: is this the best use of my money? | The basic question is whether we are better off with a voice through collective bargaining or with a system where SVA decides if, when and how to make any improvements to our pay, benefits, and work conditions. |
Remember to vote by mail between April 15 and May 13! “Vote NO” | Yes, we encourage all faculty to vote. We believe faculty who take the time to make an informed decision will vote “Yes.” |
SVA Flier #1 April 8, 2025
What SVA Says | What we know |
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. | 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 speaks for itself. |
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. | 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 established and certified, SVA cannot lawfully unilaterally alter any terms and conditions of employment, including eliminating any pay and benefits we currently enjoy. Changes to pay and benefits and other terms and conditions of employment will be subject to collective bargaining, with us and the administration, on an equal playing field. |
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? | 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. |
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