Our next bargaining session with the SVA administration will take place Monday, December 8 from 4-6PM.
You can RSVP to join the session as a faculty observer here.
On Thursday morning, our elected bargaining committee, all proudly wearing our beautifully-designed SVA-FAC t-shirts, took their seats at the table with representatives of the administration and their counsel. The meeting was cordial overall. We began by introducing ourselves, speaking about our distinct backgrounds and accomplishments, and expressing our strong commitment to the university, our students, and the work that we cherish in our respective fields. Both sides were amenable to a positive and constructive working relationship, especially in light of the current challenges facing higher education and the arts, so it is no exaggeration to say that this was a fruitful beginning.
We next presented our Initial Bargaining Goals to SVA, which a majority of faculty voted to ratify by an overwhelming 98%. We carefully explained why each goal is a priority for our first contract, and declared our timeline: we will work unrelentingly to achieve a first contract by the end of this academic year, taking pains to emphasize the importance of negotiating for essential improvements and protections. After a brief discussion, we presented two standard contract proposals, revolving around Severability and the Union-Management Committee.
Summary of SVA/FAC-UAW 11/13 Proposals:
Severability: would protect the remainder of the contract if one provision is declared unlawful and ensure our right to bargain over replacement language.
Union-Management Committee: creates a joint committee including the administration and faculty to meet regularly during the life of the contract to discuss matters of mutual concern.
Nearing the end of this meeting, we emphasized the urgency of both our non-economic and economic demands (such as salary and expanded access to benefits), and we urged the SVA administration to schedule sessions with this in mind. We informed SVA's bargaining team that we expect to make a substantial number of concrete proposals on non-economic issues at our next session. We wrapped up this productive meeting by scheduling two more sessions in early December, so stay tuned if you wish to attend as an observer, or provide a testimonial in order to demonstrate the necessity for a strong first contract.
We expressed disappointment that SVA did not respond to our two initial proposals, and we were taken aback when they referred to our goal of achieving a contract by next Spring as "aggressive." Despite this, we are confident that if both teams work in good faith, and build on the precedent set by arts faculty at NYU, The New School, and beyond, we can reach a fair agreement by the end of the Spring semester.
We walked away from this session feeling elated, because this was undoubtedly a positive start. We certainly hope that the productive tone continues. SVA's bargaining team agreed with us on a framework for faculty observers to attend future sessions, so rest assured that the administration understands that they are contending with power.
Our next bargaining session will take place on Tuesday, December 8th from 4-6 pm, and is open to faculty members to attend as observers. RSVP here to save the date for our next bargaining session!
SVA/FAC-UAW files Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge over SVA’s unilateral changes to faculty raises and benefits
Finally, due to the SVA administration’s continued lack of response to engage with us on unilateral changes made to our annual raises, sabbatical, and 401K matching benefits over the summer; last month, we filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge to address this at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). We would have preferred to resolve these issues with the administration constructively, and attempted to do so by reaching out to discuss next steps. However, SVA has denied their responsibility to bargain with us over these changes and refused to produce evidence that would demonstrate that these changes were decided upon prior to our filing for a union election.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or thoughts.
In solidarity,
Edwin Rivera-Arias, Humanities & Sciences
on behalf of SVAFAC-UAW Bargaining Committee
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