Negotiations with The New School’s Part-Time Faculty

We are bargaining with urgency and good faith with ACT-UAW and are confident that we will reach a mutually agreeable contract, as we have with all of our union-represented employees over the past five decades. Just recently, we successfully negotiated new agreements through productive negotiations with our Security SEIU 32BJ and Teamsters Local 1205 Professional unions.

Contract negotiations often involve the parties being far apart on provisions relating to the terms and conditions of employment; they also occasionally involve one of the parties asking the other party to bargain over something that the law does not require parties to bargain over.  Getting past these differences and moving closer towards agreement on various proposals can involve stark differences of opinion between the parties, and we expect to see and hear more passionate debate as we go forward in this regard. This willingness to debate and share perspectives is deeply and proudly embedded in The New School’s DNA. It’s important to remember that we have a longstanding history of rigorously respecting our employees’ labor rights and of working together collaboratively–with faculty, students, and staff, and the unions that represent them–to reach and renew strong, fair contracts through the collective bargaining process.

The union informed their members that they are preparing for a strike authorization vote, to be held from October 31 to November 13. To be clear, this is not a vote to strike, but one to give the union’s bargaining committee the authority to call a strike at a future time.

We have offered to meet daily - including on the weekends - between now and November 13; however, the union has not accepted our offer.  As such, we are continuing to meet as often as we can to ensure that negotiations progress, and we will continue to add  more bargaining sessions as needed. Current information about the negotiations can be found here.

No. A valid contract has been and continues to remain in place since its inception in 2014.  Since 2019, when that contract was originally set to expire, The New School and the union mutually agreed on multiple occasions to extend the current contract, as our community dealt with and adapted to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. The New School and the union also agreed to operate under an additional 90-day extension agreement that maintains the current terms and conditions of employment, as modified by the extensions, into November 2022.

It is inaccurate to imply that part-time faculty have been working without a contract, or that the union has been unable to negotiate since 2019 – as this was a mutually agreed course of action.

We believe it is important to reach a mutually agreeable contract as quickly as possible and are doing everything we can to responsibly get there.

It takes time for parties to reveal and explain their proposals and for the receiving party to review, evaluate, and formulate thoughtful, meaningful responses.  The union and university had their first bargaining meeting on June 30, 2022; the union presented its last proposal to the university on September 22, 2022.  Over the course of those three months, the university worked to evaluate and assess each proposal as it came in. This enabled the university to provide a complete response to all of the union’s proposals by the last of four successive days of bargaining that ended on October 17, just three weeks after receiving the union’s complete package of proposals.

We are confident the negotiations are reaching a critical point, and we hope to reach an agreement soon.

Negotiations with Local 7902, like with the eight other unions on our campus, do not exist in a vacuum, and The New School must ensure equity across all employee groups (whether union or non-union) and other members of our community. The New School has finite resources – far less than some other institutions in our area – that must cover a huge range of faculty, staff, and functions across the institution. The union’s proposed compensation package would cost the university more than $200 million over the course of the contract; that’s almost 50% of the total university annual operating budget of around $460 million. In this context, The New School’s leadership team must ensure economic decisions reflect the needs of our entire community, both now and for the future. 

We remain focused on reaching a balanced agreement that works for everyone, recognizes our part-time faculty’s valuable work, and strengthens our students’ outstanding academic experience.

Absolutely. Unions are an important part of our history, culture, and community. Consistent with our progressive values as an institution, we have a strong track record of working closely and collaboratively with the nine unions that represent our faculty and staff. We are committed to continuing to negotiate in good faith with ACT-UAW and are confident that we will reach a mutually agreeable contract, as we have with all of our union-represented employees over the past five decades.

Not at all. The New School’s Board of Trustees and leadership are confident about the future of the institution. At the same time, we have a responsibility to remain vigilant to the financial challenges that smaller, tuition-dependent universities like ours face.

That’s why our bargaining team is focused on solutions that are financially sustainable and that reflect our deeply held respect for our part-time faculty, as well as the needs of our entire community, both now and for the future.

The New School is currently negotiating a renewal contract with ACT-UAW Local 7902, one of the unions representing our part-time faculty. The contract sets forth the terms and conditions of employment of our part-time faculty, including their compensation, health care, retirement, and promotion scheme, among other things. Currently the university and Local 7902 have not reached agreement concerning some of these issues, many of which have significant economic implications for the university. The union has initiated its strike to pressure the university to concede to its economic demands.  

The university has put forth proposals to reach a strong, fiscally sound and fair successor agreement which reflects our deeply held respect for our part-time faculty. At the same time, we have a requirement to make responsible financial decisions that reflect the needs of the entire community, both now and for the future. Our part-time faculty are valued members of our community, and the university looks forward to continuing to negotiate towards a fair contract for everyone.

At this time, the university is focused on sustaining the instructional experience for students, or providing them with an alternate educational experience that ensures their course completion, timely submission of grades, and stability in their financial aid, visa status, and degree completion. There are various options for faculty who wish to provide avenues for continued learning. They can arrange to meet their classes in-person, on Zoom or off-campus, or provide asynchronous content in Canvas. Other employees can consult with their supervisor concerning how best to continue working during the strike.

The New School acknowledges and respects the right of students, faculty, and staff to voice their points of view by participating in a legal protest, strike or job action such as a work stoppage, and will not interfere with those who lawfully exercise their rights. We hope that during the strike, all of our faculty and staff continue to fulfill their obligations to ensure that the university can continue to provide our students with a quality educational experience.

Yes. Members of the university community are free to do so, as long as they respect the right of strikers to voice their points of view. We expect all members of The New School community to adhere to university principles of civil and open debate.

Federal labor law affords employees the right not to strike. Moreover, The New School was founded on principles of free intellectual exchange, tolerance, and a respect for different perspectives. Faculty and staff should be able to remain true to their points of view without fear of censorship or retaliation. If you have specific concerns or experiences you would like to discuss, you should contact the National Labor Relations Board at 212-264-0300 or http://www.nlrb.gov to find out more about your rights not to participate in a strike.

Yes. The university is taking steps to minimize disruptions and ensure that fall courses are completed on time and with minimal inconvenience to our community. This includes outlining various avenues for continued learning – such as through asynchronous and off-campus instruction. The university is also making supplemental educational opportunities and resources available to support students’ learning, including adding modules related to their studies on Canvas.

The latest information on instructional changes and what to expect will be posted on our website.

Faculty/staff who have questions about specific courses should contact their academic department.

Any changes to classes will be communicated to you in a timely manner by faculty and the department. If you aren’t contacted about a change, classes and activities will continue as planned. Students who have questions about a specific class should contact the academic department that offers the course. Every effort will be made to ensure that disruption is minimized, and learning can continue.  

The latest information on changes and what to expect can be found here.

We are asking faculty to take into account any inconveniences that alternative activities may cause to minimize them to the greatest extent possible, and to ensure that students are not disadvantaged or penalized by any changes.

If that happens, please contact the school that offers the course:

• College of Performing Arts: [email protected]
• Continuing and Professional Education: [email protected]
• Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts: [email protected]
• New School for Social Research: [email protected]
• Parsons School of Design: [email protected]
• Schools of Public Engagement: [email protected]

Yes. All academic buildings and libraries will operate on a normal schedule to ensure the integrity of student learning continues with minimal disruption. There may be picketing in front of some buildings but please know that the buildings will be open and accessible.

Yes. We have an obligation to our students to continue their education as best as possible, to ensure they maintain eligibility for financial aid and visas, and that they meet their graduation requirements. The university is taking steps to minimize disruption and ensure the integrity of student learning, including making supplemental educational opportunities and resources available to support students’ learning.

The latest information on changes and what to expect will be posted on our website.

No. We are taking steps to guarantee graduating students are able to bring their courses of study to a successful completion. Our priority remains providing every one of our students with a great education to ensure you can pursue your education successfully and achieve your goals.

We respect and appreciate that students expect to receive the high-quality education they paid for at The New School. These concerns are especially valid as students work to complete their coursework in the run-up to the end of semester. The university has made preparations to ensure that students can complete the semester successfully and receive grades in a timely fashion, and that seniors can graduate on time. The latest information on changes and what to expect can be found here. Students can share their concerns with their faculty members, program directors, department chairs, and/or deans.

Your Fall 2022 course registration will remain in your university record. This means that you are maintaining full time status and your F-1 or J-1 status remains active.

You should continue to attend classes where your instructor is providing in-person, Zoom or some other form of alternative instruction. Should your instructor engage in strike activity, continue to engage in your coursework and learning assigned to you prior to the strike. You should resume normal classroom attendance when the strike ends. These actions will allow you to maintain full time status and keep your F-1 or J-1 status active. Any questions regarding your immigration status should be directed to ISSS.

You should plan to resume normal classroom attendance in all of your classes.

The New School course drop and change policies remain in effect. Students may consult with their academic advisors regarding making any course changes or to discuss any academic concerns. International students must remain enrolled in a full-time courseload or be authorized for a Reduced Course Load if enrolled below full time to continue to maintain their F-1 or J-1 student status.

The New School was founded on principles of free intellectual exchange, tolerance, and a respect for different perspectives, and you should therefore feel free to share yours. But it is important to clearly communicate that your personal views are just that–personal views–and are not the views of the institution, nor are they relevant to your professional role as a New School staff or faculty member. Please communicate to students that you are here to support them as they pursue their intellectual, creative, and professional pursuits, and that you support their decision to stay true to their point of view.

You can choose to share that everyone has the right to decide for themselves the best course of action, given their personal and professional situations and point of view. It is important that we respect the right of all members of the community to stay true to their beliefs.