Earlier this week, we completed our ninth bargaining session with the SVA administration. Due to difficulties scheduling a time that worked for the administration, this was our first session for over a month.

We pressed the SVA administration to respond to a handful of articles they have not responded to for a significant amount of time, including Employment Records, Faculty Appointments, Faculty Rights, Job Posting, and Health and Safety; these address core priorities and must be treated as such.  The SVA administration gave us a few counters on Generative AI, Union Management Committee, Union Security, and Bargaining Unit Information.

While we were unable to come to any tentative agreements, we moved much closer on UMC and Generative AI, and expect to be able to reach an agreement on those in the near future.  Generative AI is a significant topic of conversation at SVA right now and we will ensure it’s addressed in our contract. We also gave SVA counterproposals on Academic Freedom and Grievance and Arbitration.

We are disappointed that the administration has continued to reject a few important elements of our Bargaining Unit Information and Unit Security proposals, including providing welcome materials, and union security clause. These articles currently exist at NYU and The New School, among other unionized faculty contracts, and would ensure that all faculty receive the necessary materials from our union.

If you’re interested in reading more, please check out our proposal tracker on our website — and while you’re there, please sign our petition calling on the administration to bargain more speedily and constructively. Additionally, you can watch our update on Instagram — and join us May 5th from 4-6pm for our next bargaining session:

Click here to watch the video update.

“I’d recommend everyone to be an observer. At the end of the day, ultimately, faculty, the administration, we’re all on the same page wanting to make the school better for faculty and students, and make it thrive.” — George Boorujy, BFA Fine Arts

Best,

Joan Hilty, BFA Comics
On behalf of SVA/FAC-UAW Bargaining Committee

P.S. Thank you to all the students, staff, and faculty who stopped by our table during May Day to discuss our campaign, and the ways we can strengthen our collective voice at SVA and in the arts!