Bargaining Session 5 | August 24, 2022
The New School administration is finally bringing counter proposals to the bargaining table, but so far, they have served more as a delay tactic than a clear path forward.
Bargaining session #5 was the longest and most detailed to date, with the bulk of the meeting consisting of back and forths on a variety of different proposals. The university’s lead negotiator, Jennifer Penley, presented counter proposals (complete and incomplete) and questions about 13 of the New School Part-Time Faculty Union’s 15 initial proposals. The union opted to present responses to the five formal counter proposals shared by the university in session #4, including the university’s two incomplete ones.
The university spent the first two of the scheduled three hours speaking to the following proposals, several of which they had already addressed in the previous session:
Article II: Bargaining Unit Information
Article VI: Bulletin Boards
Article VII: Non-Discrimination
Article XI: Labor Management Committee
Article XII: Notification of Full-Time Positions
Article XIV: Evaluation
Article XVII: Unpaid Leaves of Absences
Article XXIII: Health and Safety
Article XXIV: Payday
Article XXVI: Dispute, Grievance, and Arbitration
New article: Mentorship
New article: Disability Rights and Access
New article: Curriculum Participation Rights
At times, these two hours were hard to follow. It was unclear which responses were formalized counter-proposals, which were incomplete, and which were simply points of clarification. When questioned on this, Jennifer found several different ways to say her team didn’t have full, formal proposals ready. In the end, only four counter-proposals were actually submitted in writing. The bargaining committee not only considers this a delay tactic, but an attempt by the university to make the part-time faculty bargain against themselves. That has never been our practice and we’re not going to start now.
Open Bargaining
The UAW 7902 bargaining team consists of our Unit Chair, Annie Lee Larson (Lead Negotiator), UAW 7902 President, Zoe Carey, unit organizers Dan Echikson and Molly Ragan, and YOU!
Be present at the next bargaining meeting - every Part-Time Faculty member is invited to these sessions! Sign up here to attend a session.
The New School’s Negotiators Don’t Understand the Part-Time Faculty Experience
On numerous occasions, Jennifer asked the union’s lead negotiator and Part-Time Faculty Unit Chair, Annie Lee Larson, for clarification on why certain proposals were necessary. It was once again clear that Jennifer and her team do not possess a deep understanding of the issues New School Part-Time Faculty face on a regular basis. Two instances that stood out the most: Annie had to inform Jennifer that the administration does, in fact, stop hiring non-annual faculty who reject course appointments; and she had to explain that Part-Time Faculty, who have rent and bills to pay, receive initial payment both too late in the semester and too infrequently.
Union’s Non-Discrimination Proposal and Right to Grieve Harassment
The union’s proposal for Article VII: Non-Discrimination would allow faculty who are victims of harassment or discrimination to file grievances, with the support of the union, instead of relying solely on the university’s Title IX office to investigate and rule on claims. Jennifer made a point to state that changes in Title IX regulations would prevent TNS from allowing harrassment and discrimination cases to be addressed through the union’s grievance process. Jennifer did not, however, offer an explanation as to why these changes prevent the university from allowing faculty to grieve instances of harassment and discirminiation. Indeed, a majority of the unions on campus have this right. When made aware of this, especially of the grievance rights granted in the Student Workers’ union contract contract, Jennifer expressed that the university would seek to revoke this right in the student workers’ next round of negotiations. The university would rather take away a clearly established right from student workers than grant part-time faculty the right to grieve harrasment and discrimination cases.
Annie’s response was powerful: “Based on the university’s rejection of our proposal, it seems you’re taking a stance against Part-Time Faculty, carving them out of rights that most unionized employees at the New School already have.”
Silver Linings
Despite these concerns, this bargaining session was ultimately a productive one. The union presented responses to the following counter proposals, moving one step closer to solidifying them:
Article II: Bargaining Unit Information
Article VI: Bulletin Boards and Posting
Article VII: Non-Discrimination
Article XI: Labor Management Committee
New Article: Meeting Space
Ultimately, each side left the proverbial table both feeling heard by the other and possessing an understanding that, while it may be buried well beneath the surface, there is in fact common ground.
Next Steps
Starting next week, the union will be bargaining with the university every Thursday between 12pm and 4pm EDT. We must continue showing up every week to demand we be treated with the respect we deserve. The university will not prioritize part-time faculty concerns on its own.