We’ve had six bargaining sessions with NYU and have put forth significant proposals that are beneficial to the membership. Our proposals would establish more benefits parity between full-time faculty and adjuncts. Our proposals would make health insurance more affordable for more adjuncts. Our proposals would improve working conditions for adjuncts and therefore the learning conditions of our students.
So far, NYU has not agreed to any of our proposals and has yet to provide meaningful counter proposals. Yesterday the university sent an email detailing pandemic bonuses for full-time faculty and staff to be paid on August 1. They cited “the enormous hard work and dedication demonstrated since the start of the pandemic by so many members of the NYU community.” In an earlier bargaining session we put forward a side letter requesting a $5,000 payment to all adjuncts for our service and flexibility in converting our courses during the past two years of the pandemic. This side letter is separate from the contract we are negotiating and could also be paid out on August 1 but NYU has been silent on our request. These ongoing delaying tactics are common but we are undeterred. We are continuing to draft proposals that will improve wages, benefits, and working conditions for all adjuncts at NYU. With your continued support and actions, we will achieve the recognition we deserve and reach our contract goals.
Actions will become increasingly important as we head into the fall semester. Our leverage with the university will grow as we near the end of our contract and possibly extend it pending negotiations. A contract extension is something NYU has agreed to in the past, and would keep us working, but it would be temporary. As we’ve said before the bargaining committee views this contract as a turning point. It will not come easily, and all options are on the table to achieve this. As the university has morphed from a small commuter school into the behemoth of today, it has increasingly diminished the power and influence of faculty. We seek to change that dynamic with this contract.
Our next Contract Conversations meeting will be on Wednesday, June 22 at 6:00pm. The Zoom link for that is here. Please join us! On July 9, we will hold a picnic for ACT-UAW Local 7902 members, with the time and location to be announced soon — so please watch for that.
In Solidarity,
Your NYU Bargaining Committee
