12/7: Day 22 Update & Ignore the Attestation Form

A Message From Your Colleagues on the Bargaining Committee

Today marks day 22 of our strike on the New School. Due to the tireless efforts and solidarity of part-time faculty, full-time faculty, staff, students, and parents alike, we have shut the university down as we demand not only a fair contract for part-time faculty but also a university system that truly reflects the incredible people held within it.

This groundbreaking moment is proof of the transformative power of community.

When we stand together, hand in hand, we cannot be broken. We will not be broken. 

This moment is also proof that the New School is broken, although we do not believe it’s beyond repair.

Rather than openly engage our concerns and work to build something better together, our university's leaders have chosen to meet our calls for change with punitive action.

First, shortly before the Thanksgiving break, the university cut off negotiations and threatened to unilaterally implement a Last, Best, and Final offer on us without our consent. This offer would have harmed part-time faculty. It would have resulted in drastic hikes to our healthcare costs and pushed some of our families onto a costly and risky plan.

When part-time faculty voted down this offer by an overwhelming margin (1,821 NO to 88 YES), the university returned to the bargaining table with a mediator.

The bargaining committee has since worked around the clock to reach a deal with the university, and was encouraged by the university’s movement toward an agreement, too.

Then yesterday, the University's leaders announced that they’d not only be suspending pay, but also that they would no longer contribute their share towards our health insurance premiums.

Rather than offer the 87% of its faculty a fair deal, our University's leaders have repeatedly attacked our colleagues' healthcare benefits.

First, in their pre-Thanksgiving Last, Best, and Final offer. And now, with their decision to stop premium contributions.

Not only is this irresponsible leadership, it represents the university leaders' indifference to their own employees' basic human needs.

If the university's leaders truly cared about part-time faculty, they would not repeatedly seek to strip away our healthcare.

If and when the university docks pay and its contributions to our health insurance premiums, the UAW will issue strike pay and cover our health insurance. Please read more about this below.

*Please Note*

After speaking with Aetna representatives, at this time it is our understanding that the University's Insurance Coverage will continue through the end of December.

Resources for Strike Pay, Healthcare, and Unemployment

The bargaining committee continues to work night and day to reach a fair agreement as soon as possible.

Don't Complete the University's Attestation Form

Nearly all of the University's faculty are on strike. A very small number are crossing the picket line. The University doesn’t know who is and is not working. To determine who’s working, the University will send out self-attestation forms as part of its union-busting efforts. 

We believe the university will send out an attestation form next Monday, December 12th, to ask about work from December 7th to December 14th.

You should NOT complete the form while we are on strike.

Ignore it.

Upcoming Events

Membership Meeting 

Today (12/7) 4pm

Mediation / Bargaining Caucus

Today 5pm onwards

Check your email for the Zoom links.

Or contact your strike captain or a member of the bargaining committee

This Week’s Picket Schedule

Mon - Fri 12pm - 3pm ET at the University Center

63 5th Ave, New York, NY 10003